KOFFIA, The Korean Film Festival in Australia, Is Set To Head Back To Sydney in 2025

Buckle up! The absolutely massive Korean Film Festival in Australia (KOFFIA) is set to return in 2025, providing Sydneysiders with the newest and most exciting voices in Korean cinema.

KOFFIA is packed with an electric mix of ten Australian premiere films, with four directors and one actor appearing for post-screening Q&As, happening from 21-26 August at Event Cinemas George Street.

The Sydney screenings will be followed by a Touring Program offering free screenings in six regional cities across the country. KOFFIA will expand its reach with the Touring Program visiting:

• Benalla (VIC) (13–14 September)
• Toowoomba (QLD) (14 September)
• Parramatta (NSW) (26–27 September)
• Alice Springs (NT) (3–5 October)
• Victor Harbor (SA) (4–5 October)
• Whitsundays (QLD) (11–12 October)

“This year’s program is one of our most diverse and exciting yet. From the heartwarming to the hilarious, the thrilling to the tender, each story reflects the vibrancy of Korean cinema today,” said KOFFIA Programmer Francis Lee. “We are especially proud to expand our Touring Program in 2025, giving more Australians the chance to connect with Korean culture through the power of film.”

The Sydney exclusive films will include six standout titles, ranging from exhilarating action, mind-stirring romances, and deeply felt dramas. 

Everything you need to know about KOFFIA’s Sydney screenings

The film Hear Me: Out Summer will open the film festival in Sydney, as well as across all regional locations. Featuring rising stars Hong Kyung, Roh Yoon-seo, and Kim Minju, a former member of K-pop sensation IZ*ONE. The warm film centres around a delivery worker who falls for a deaf swimmer, connecting their worlds through Korean sign language. 

The Korean box office hit Hidden Faces features Korean household names Song -heon and  Oscar-winning ensemble star Cho Yeo-jeong (Parasite). The film is an exhilarating mystery-thriller set in the world of classical music.

Frankenstein Father — a modern reimagining of the Frankenstein story — focuses on a tightly wound doctor forced to look at his past when a teenager, conceived through sperm donation, comes into his life claiming to be his son.

The Daechi Scandal follows a Korean language teacher navigating reputation, love, and career ambition in the context of Seoul’s fiercely competitive private education sector. An So-hee, former K-pop idol and now actress, is the lead actor in this romantic film.

Dirty Money, a heart-racing crime thriller, delves into the world of three corrupt cops who plan to rob a crime syndicate, which turns wrong, creating a storyline between the law and the underworld. 

Romantic fantasy, Secret: Untold Melody, starring Doh Kyung-soo (D.O), from K-pop phenomenon EXO, acts as a retired pianist whose love for a fellow student is connected with a haunting musical fantasy. 

Shiri, the movie that kickstarted the Korean wave, will be part of the festival, shown in a new restored 4k version. This heart-racing spy thriller follows two South Korean agents as they try to stop a rogue North Korean sniper from unleashing a deadly bomb plot in Seoul.

The KOFFIA free touring program across Australia

Alongside Hear Me: Out Summer, three feature selections from the Sydney programs will be a part of the KOFFIA’s free touring program, making their way across six regional cities. 

Two of South Korea’s biggest names — Kim Yun-seok and Lee Seung-gi — come together in the film about family. The comedy-drama is about a self-made chef whose world is turned upside down when a group of children walk into his restaurant claiming to be his grandchildren.

Forbidden Fairytale follows a struggling children’s book author who is ghostwriting in the world of web erotica. The playful film features rising star Park Ji-hyun and Choi Si-won, of K-pop pioneer group Super Junior. 

And last but not least is the film, The Noisy Mansion, a mystery with humour,  follows a determined tenant who tries to investigate odd sounds echoing through her apartment block, whilst roping in the group of bizarre neighbours.