The Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines (KCC) officially launches the 2026 Korean Film Festival (KFF) under the theme “K-Story: Stories that Move Us,” celebrating the enduring power of storytelling through film, literature, and webtoons.
This year’s festival expands beyond film screenings with a three-part program that highlights emerging Filipino filmmakers, creative exchanges between Korean and Filipino artists, and a curated selection of acclaimed Korean films inspired by beloved webtoons and literary works.
Part I. Kwentong Korea: Student Short Film Competition
The festival’s Student Short Film Competition, which ran from January 12 to June 30, invited Filipino student filmmakers to create original short films under the theme “Kwentong Korea.”
Among the 43 entries submitted nationwide, “When Love Met a Language” emerged as the Grand Winner. As the top prize, the winning team will travel to South Korea to attend the 2026 Busan International Film Festival, one of Asia’s most prestigious film festivals, offering the students a valuable opportunity to experience the international film industry firsthand.
Part II. Meet the Mentor: Webtoon Artist
As part of this year’s focus on storytelling beyond the screen, KFF presents Meet the Mentor: Webtoon Artist, featuring Korean webtoon artist Lee Younchang, creator of the hit webtoon turned film My Daughter is a Zombie, alongside renowned Filipino graphic novelist Arnold Arre, acclaimed for works including The Mythology Class and The Children of Bathala.
On August 6, the two artists will headline a Philippines-Korea Talkback Session at the Cinematheque Centre Manila, where they will discuss the growing influence of webtoons, graphic novels, and visual storytelling across cultures.
On August 7, Lee Younchang will conduct a Webtoon Workshop at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, offering aspiring artists and creators an opportunity to learn directly from one of Korea’s leading webtoon creators.
Interested participants may register through: bit.ly/MeetTheMentorRegistration
Part III. Korean Film Screenings
The festival culminates with the 2026 Korean Film Festival Screenings, happening August 7 to 9 at participating SM Cinemas including SM Mall of Asia, SM North EDSA, SM City Iloilo, and SM Lanang.
This year’s lineup showcases stories that have successfully made the journey from page to screen, featuring: Your Letter, Love in the Big City, My Daughter is a Zombie, Omniscient Reader and Yumi’s Cells: The Movie.
The official screening schedule will be announced soon.
Through this year’s theme, “K-Story: Stories that Move Us,” the festival celebrates the universal language of storytelling and the creative connections between literature, webtoons, and cinema, while fostering greater cultural exchange between the Philippines and Korea.
The 2026 Korean Film Festival is presented by the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines in collaboration with the Korean Film Council, Film Development Council of the Philippines, Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc., Metropolitan Museum of Manila, and SM Cinema.
For updates and more information, follow @kccphil on Facebook and Instagram, or visit https://phil.korean-culture.org/en.
