Florence Korea Film Fest

Overview

The Florence Korea Film Fest (FKFF) is Italy's only dedicated Korean cinema festival. The 24th edition ran March 19 to 28, 2026, in Florence, screening contemporary and classic Korean cinema across 10 days at the La Compagnia cinema and other venues. The festival is a cultural bridge between Italian and Korean film industries, built on curatorial relationships with Korean distributors and film organisations.

The 2026 edition honoured actor Gong Yoo and director Yeon Sang-ho with the Festival Cinema Award, recognising their contributions to Korean cinema. Gong Yoo is known internationally for "Train to Busan" (2016) and the Netflix series "Squid Game," while Yeon Sang-ho directed "Train to Busan" and "Peninsula" (2020). The festival's jury was chaired by Federico Micali and included David Pacifici, Alessio Giorgetti, Isabella Ahmadzadeh, Kim Kyung-ok, and Yoon C. Joyce.

The Festival Jury Award for best film went to "The Mutation" by director Shin Su-won, an exploration of human vulnerability and alienation in a peripheral Korea far from the neon lights of Seoul. The Audience Award went to "The Journey to Gyeong-ju" by Kim Mi-jo, a road movie blending surreal comedy with personal pain. A special jury mention was awarded to "Halo" by Roh Young-wan, a debut film about a young delivery man navigating precarious work and invisible violence in urban Korea.

Submission Details

Submissions are managed through the festival's official website. Key details for the 24th edition (2026):

Only feature films released after January 1 of the festival year are accepted for the competition section. All films must have English subtitles and be delivered in HD Cam or DCP 2K format. If the DCP is locked, the festival requires the KDM key two weeks before the festival start to verify functionality for the duration of the event. Films selected for the festival receive an official invitation, entry form, and agreement form that must be completed and signed.

The Selection Committee chooses films with the help of local consultants in Korea who work closely with leading film producers and distributors. This means the festival is not a standard open-submission festival - selection is largely driven by curatorial relationships with the Korean film industry rather than by a general open call.

Competition Sections

• Korean Horizons - competition section for new Korean films, eligible for the Festival Jury Award and Festival Audience Award
• Independent Korea - competition section for Korean independent cinema, eligible for the Festival Jury Award and Festival Audience Award
• Short, Shorts! - Korean short film programme, eligible for the Festival Audience Award for short films and the Festival Short Film Award
• K-Cinema Today - contemporary Korean cinema screenings
• K-Fantastic - themed programme of genre cinema
• Retrospectives - classic Korean cinema and director tributes
• Masterclasses - industry events with Korean filmmakers and professionals

Awards and Prizes

The 24th edition (2026) awarded the following prizes:

• Festival Cinema Award (Guests of Honour) - Gong Yoo (actor) and Yeon Sang-ho (director)
• Festival Jury Award (Best Film) - "The Mutation" (dir. Shin Su-won)
• Special Jury Mention - "Halo" (dir. Roh Young-wan)
• Festival Audience Award (Korean Horizons and Independent Korea) - "The Journey to Gyeong-ju" (dir. Kim Mi-jo)
• Festival Audience Award (Short, Shorts!) - "Lesson" (dir. Kim Jin-woo, 21 min)
• Festival Short Film Award (Short, Shorts!) - "Lesson" (dir. Kim Jin-woo)

Prizes are awarded based on a combination of jury deliberation and audience voting. Audience votes are collected both in the theatre at the end of each screening and online through the MYmovies website. Winners are announced during the closing ceremony.

Festival History

The Florence Korea Film Fest was founded in 2007 at the height of the Korean Wave (Hallyu), the global cultural phenomenon that brought Korean cinema, music, and television to international audiences. The festival has operated continuously for 24 editions, tracking the international rise of Korean cinema through the careers of directors including Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho, Lee Chang-dong, and Hong Sang-soo, all of whom have been featured at the festival.

The festival was established in Florence, a city with a Renaissance heritage and a status as a centre of artistic excellence. The festival's programming reflects the trajectory of Korean cinema from a national industry with limited international visibility to one of the most globally recognised national cinemas, culminating in Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2019 and four Academy Awards in 2020.

The 25th Florence Korea Film Fest will take place in March 2027.

What Filmmakers Should Know

The Florence Korea Film Fest is not a standard open-submission festival. The Selection Committee chooses films with the help of local consultants in Korea who work closely with leading film producers and distributors. If you are a Korean filmmaker or producer, the most effective path to selection is through the Korean distributors and film organisations that the festival's consultants work with. Direct submissions are accepted but the curatorial process is relationship-driven.

For Korean filmmakers, the festival provides European market exposure through Italy's cultural gateway city. The Florence audience is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about Korean cinema, and the festival has built a loyal local following over 24 editions. The festival's masterclasses and industry events provide opportunities for Korean filmmakers to connect with Italian distributors, critics, and audiences.

For Italian and European filmmakers, the festival is primarily a screening and cultural exchange platform rather than a competitive submission target. The competition sections are restricted to Korean films. However, the festival's industry events and masterclasses offer networking opportunities between the Italian and Korean film industries.

The submission deadline of January 1 is early in the calendar year, and the programme is published by February 15, giving filmmakers approximately six weeks from deadline to notification. Films must have English subtitles and be delivered in HD Cam or DCP 2K format. The festival does not charge a submission fee.

See Also

Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. Estimate your acceptance probability with the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For festival circuit strategy and planning, see Film Festival Strategy. For understanding the Asian film market and international sales, see International Film Markets. Read the full Florence Korea Film Fest regulations.