`Thirst,` `Mother` premiere in London

Park Chan-wook`s vampire noir "Thirst" and Bong Joon-ho`s "Mother" are featured at a two-week film festival to be screened at London`s Barbican Cultural Center and the British Film Institute, the Manchester Cornerhouse and Nottingham Broadway.

As part of this year`s London Korean Film Festival program, a total of 34 Korean selections comprised of both feature-length and animated films are set to be screened in London, Manchester, and Nottingham until the 18th.

Park met with fans for a Q&A session after the screening of his film Thursday at the Barbican Cultural Center. "Thirst" was chosen as the opening film.

Other recent Korean films such as "Haeundae," "Insadong Scandal," "Rough Cut" and "Ssanghwajeon" are among the high-profile films selected for the festival.

Also in line is a Bong Joon-ho retrospective which will screen his recent box office and critical hits "The Host," "Memories of Murder" and the short films the acclaimed auteur made prior to his professional debut.

According to festival organizers, "this is a rare opportunity to see some of Bong`s less well-known films, some of which are not normally widely available."

Bong will also be available to answer questions on "Mother" at a Q&A session at the BFI and Nottingham Broadway.

(kws@heraldm.com)



By Song Woong-ki