Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
Korean film academy launches largest overseas showcase in Brazil
Korean Academy of Film Arts Director Joh Keun-shik speaks during the opening ceremony of the 15th Korean Film Festival at the Centro Cultural Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday. Courtesy of Korean Academy of Film Arts
By Jhoo Dong-chan
The Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA) has launched its largest overseas retrospective to date in Brazil, celebrating the 20th anniversary of its feature film program with screenings, filmmaker talks and new partnerships aimed at expanding film industry cooperation between the two countries.
The retrospective is being held as part of the 15th Korean Film Festival in Brazil, organized by the Korean Cultural Center in Brazil. The program opened on Thursday at the Cultural Center Sao Paulo and will run there through Aug. 14 before traveling to other Brazilian cities and continuing online through October.
The showcase features 45 films, including 20 feature-length works — among them animated titles — and 25 short films produced through KAFA, Korea's leading state-run film training institution. The feature lineup includes acclaimed films such as "Bleak Night," "Alice in Earnestland," "After My Death," "Aloners" and "Square."
About 200 guests, including members of Brazil's film industry and local audiences, attended the opening ceremony, which featured a Korean food reception followed by a screening of "Bleak Night," directed by Yoon Sung-hyun. The festival will close with Kim Sei-in's "The Apartment with Two Women."
The event also includes filmmaker discussions with directors Kim Sei-in and Kim Bo-sol, as well as university seminars introducing KAFA's film education programs and its expanding curriculum in artificial intelligence for filmmaking.
Separately, the Korean Film Council signed a memorandum of understanding with Brazil's National Film Agency on July 27 to strengthen cooperation in film screenings, co-productions, professional exchanges and industry information sharing.
KAFA also signed an agreement with the University of Sao Paulo to expand academic collaboration and film education.
The signing ceremony was attended by Korean first lady Kim Hye-kyung and Brazilian first lady Rosangela "Janja" Lula da Silva, highlighting growing cultural ties between the two countries.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.