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This year marks the 10th edition of the Korean Film Festival of Hungary, which took place from October 25 to 29. Operating under the slogan “Daebak” (대박), this year’s festival featured 26 screenings that covered a wide range of Korean films. 

According to the Korean Cultural Center of Budapest, the festival began 10 years ago after the Korean TV drama Jewel in the Palace (2003) became a big hit in Hungary, igniting Hungarian interest in Korean popular culture.  During the festival, Korean film screenings occupy 70% of all cinema seats in screening locations, which the Korean Cultural center attributes to the popularity of K-POP and K-Drama in Hungary. This year’s festival welcomed 6,300 festivalgoers of which 99.9% were Hungarian.

This year, to celebrate its 10th anniversary, the festival held a special section called “Korean Art & Indie Film” which included an event titled “When Documentary and Music Meet”. The event screened the documentary Try to Remember, which previously served as the opening film for the 2015 Jecheon International Music & Film Festival. The film details the accounts of LEE Nan-young and her creation of Korea’s first internationally successful music act, the 1960s girl pop group the Kim Sisters. Following the screening, KIM Mia, a former member of the group, gave a performance.

Sponsored by the Korean Cultural Center of Budapest, the Korean Film Festival of Hungary is not a competitive festival and does not hand out awards. Festival screenings take place at various locations across 4 major Hungarian cities: Budapest, Debrecen, Pecs and Szeged.