Join the KCCDC and our friends in Baltimore’s Station North Arts District for a special K-Movie screening of Our Season (3일의 휴가) during the Asia North celebration! Our Season (3일의 휴가) Tuesday, May 19, 7:00 - 9:00 PM SNF Parkway Theatre (5 W North Ave, Baltimore, MD 21201) RSVP FOR THIS EVENT! About Asia North Asia North is an Asian arts and culture festival in Baltimore’s Station North Arts District that celebrates the Charles North–Station North neighborhood’s evolving identity as a Koreatown, arts district, and creative hub. The festival is co-produced by the Asian Arts & Culture Center and the Central Baltimore Partnership.   About the Film Three years after her passing, Bok-ja is granted a special three-day vacation from heaven. Accompanied by a rookie “guide,” she returns to the world of the living under one strict rule: her daughter cannot see or hear her. Excited to reunite with her accomplished daughter Jin-joo, now a professor at a university in the U.S., Bok-ja is soon taken aback to find her back in their rural hometown, running a small eatery instead. Unaware of her mother’s presence, Jin-joo begins recreating her mother’s recipes. As she brings these dishes back to life, long-forgotten memories and emotions resurface, bridging the distance between past and present in unexpected ways.  

Take Care Of My Cat Date & Time: Wednesday, April 22, 6:00 PM Title: Take Care Of My Cat Director: Jeong Jae-eun Running Time: 110 minutes Synopsis: In the Korean port city of Incheon in the early 2000s, five young friends struggle to stay connected while forging new lives for themselves after high school. When entitled Hae-ju moves to cosmopolitan Seoul, the others deal with the loss in different ways. Shy Ji-yeong (Ok Ji-young), feeling particularly hurt, finds comfort in her new friendship with rebel Tae-hee (Bae Doona). Like so many others, their story is defined by heartbreak, resilience, and enduring friendship. Director Jeong Jae-eun's tender and celebrated coming-of-age story Take Care Of My Cat (2001) captures the vibes and nostalgia of a millenial generation that came into adulthood during a pivotal transition period for Korea, both culturally and historically.   Trailer: https://youtu.be/oQ5LSW85Zbg?si=d2Rzfm3v3ebmMRAx RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!  

The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) co-hosted a special advance screening of the Netflix original series Beef Season 2 on April 14, in collaboration with Netflix. The event took place at the Motion Picture Association (MPA) in Washington, D.C. ahead of its official release. Episodes 1 and 2 of Beef Season 2 were exclusively previewed.  The screening was followed by a panel discussion featuring director Lee Sung Jin and actors Youn Yuh-jung, Jang Seo-yeon, and Matthew Kim. They shared insights into the creative vision and casting process behind the series. Jinny Howe, Head of Scripted Series for the US and Canada (UCAN) at Netflix, moderated the discussion. The event also featured welcoming remarks by Elissa Alben, Vice President of Global Affairs for US and Canada at Netflix, followed by congratulatory remarks from Ambassador Kang Kyung-wha, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States.  The event served as an opportunity to build anticipation for the upcoming release of Beef Season 2, while showcasing the excellence of content created by Korean and Korean American talent to audiences in the United States. It also highlighted the expanding global recognition of collaborative content between creators and industries in both countries. The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. will continue to promote cultural exchange and cooperation between Korea and the United States through diverse cultural programming.   More information about Beef Season 2 can be found here: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/beef-season-2-premiere-preview

Join a special screening of dramatic short films for the DC Independent Film Festival (DCIFF) 2026 including Back Then, a moving work by emerging Korean filmmaker Junhyeok Kim about a young man whose taxi ride in New York evokes a powerful memory.   Register through the KCCDC below for complimentary admission to this ticketed DCIFF event! Quantities are limited.   This curated DCIFF program brings together six powerful short films exploring memory, family, identity, and emotional turning points. Stick around after the films for a discussion and meeting with Director Junhyeok Kim! For full event information including other featured films and general public ticket sales, please visit the official DCIFF event page. DCIFF Personal & Drama Short Films Collection featuring "Back Then" Date: Saturday, February 14, 2026 Time: 2:10 PM – 4:30 PM Location: Regal Gallery Place (701 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20001) Tickets offered through this page are part of a community ticket sponsorship and are free of charge, with limited availability. REGISTER FOR COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS! About the Film  Title: Back Then Director: Junhyeok Kim Runtime: 13 minutes Country: United States, 2025 Synopsis: As Haneul leaves home for college, a quiet taxi ride to New York stirs a fading childhood memory—sparked by an old, crumpled Leche Frita wrapper. Back Then is a tender reflection on family, memory, and growing up between cultures. About the Director Junhyeok [Eric] Kim is a South Korean filmmaker at New York University Tisch School of the Arts majoring in Film & TV. His first short film "Well-dying," has won over 20 awards and nominations including Audience Award at the Oscar®-qualifying Indy Shorts Film Festival, Special Presentation at the Oscar®-qualifying 32nd Heartland International Film Festival, Oscar®-qualifying deadCenter Festival, Remi Winner at the 56th WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, and many more.  ●2024 Oscar® winner Ben Proudfoot's Breakwater Studios quoted Well-dying, "A beautiful piece...sending our big congratulations." ●RogerEbert.com wrote "Wrenching and exquisite. The work of a born filmmaker. It feels like the work of a filmmaker three times his age."  

Join the KCCDC and Asia Families for a special screening of the documentary K-Number, which shares personal stories of Korean adoptees, highlighting their challenges, triumphs, and the ongoing search for self and heritage. This thought-provoking film invites reflection on identity, culture, and community. Stay after the screening for a Q&A with producer Seyoung Jo and several adoptees featured in the film to hear firsthand insights, pose questions, and engage in meaningful dialogue about the stories portrayed. Free with an RSVP! K-Number Sunday, February 8, 2026, 5:00 – 7:00 PM (Discussion & Q&A: 7 – 7:30 PM) Crescendo Studio (8101a US Route 29, Falls Church, VA 22042) RSVP FOR THIS EVENT! About K-Number In the early 1970s, Mioka was found by chance on the street, unable to remember her own name. As the years passed, she traveled to Korea multiple times in search of her birth family. Each time, however, she returned with manipulated documents and concealed records. What is the truth behind the K-Number, and what secrets lie hidden within the missing files? Across time and borders, a long-buried truth begins to surface. Awards & Nominations 2025: 13th Diaspora Film Festival – Diaspora Feature Section 2025: 22nd CPH:DOX – F:ACT Award Nominee 2024: 50th Seoul Independent Film Festival – Grand Prize (Feature Competition) 2024: 50th Seoul Independent Film Festival – Enthusiastic Staff Award 2024: 29th Busan International Film Festival – Wide Angle Documentary Competition / Documentary Audience Award

         Join us for a special screening of the award-winning animated film The Shaman Sorceress (무녀도) and a live in-person conversation and reception with the filmmaker Ahn Jae-huun, director of the celebrated Korean animation studio Meditation with a Pencil, and Korean voice actor Jang Won-young about their work on the film and the vibrant K-Animation industry today! Like many of Ahn's films, The Shaman Sorceress is inspired by iconic Korean 20th century literature and strives to capture the essence of Korean culture and sentiment in the face of profound change. In the film, a mute girl and her father leave behind a strange painting with a story to tell from a bygone era... Mohwa has practiced shamanism, the indigenous spiritual beliefs of traditional Korea, for her entire life. The return of her son Wook-Yi as a converted Christian with a new view of the world sparks a conflict that drives the family to tragedy, in this important tale of generational and cultural change.  Director Ahn Jae-huun's The Shaman Sorceress (2021) is something totally unique from mainstream animation today. Winner of the Contrechamp Jury Distinction award at the 44th Annecy International Animation Film Festival, it was inspired by Korean author Kim Dongri’s 1936 short story "A Shaman’s Tale" and its later expansion into Kim's 1978 novel known as Eulhwa (을화), which was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982. Like many of his 20th century contemporaries, Kim was deeply affected and influenced by the 1910-1945 period of colonial rule in Korea and the role of traditional culture in a rapidly changing and modernizing nation. Many of Ahn’s films thus vividly reflect this evocative and transformative period in history while capturing an indescribable emotional essence of Korean culture. In Korean with English subtitles, 86 minutes. Reception included. Please note that both sessions are open to the public with the same program but different dates, times, and location!   Session 1 Thursday, November 13 at 6:30-9:00 PM Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. 2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW    Session 2 Friday, November 14 at 2:30-4:30 PM American University, Kerwin Large Lecture Hall (T01) 4400 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest → Enjoy the screening with complimentary Korean fried chicken!   RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!  Session 1: Nov. 13 @ KCCDC    Session 2: Nov. 14 @ American University     About Ahn Jae-huun and Meditation with a Pencil At a time when much of American film and television animation was outsourced to talented studios in Korea, Ahn Jae-huun worked as an experienced animator for such iconic shows as The Simpsons and Family Guy. But when staring his own studio in 1998, Meditation with a Pencil, Ahn’s vision was very different: to depict deep and authentic aspects of Korean life and culture in beautifully hand-drawn painterly styles. The stories he chose to bring to life through animation were equally evocative and insightful of the Korean experience, including formative 20th century Korean fiction by authors like Lee Hyoseok, Hwang Sun-won, and Kim Dongri. Many of these works, including When Buckwheat Flowers Bloom, The Shaman Sorceress, The Shower, A Lucky Day, and Spring, Spring, originated during a period of profound hardship, transformation, and self-discovery for Korea under colonial rule. The studio thus creates with the philosophy of “drawings that cure and colors that touch one’s heart.”    

Join us for this month's second free K-Cinema Korean movie night!  Exiled to a remote island during the Catholic Persecution of 1801, aristocratic Joseon Dynasty scholar Jeong Yak-jeon (Sul Kyung-gu) becomes fascinated by the sea, its creatures, and the ordinary folk who live there. He agrees to an exchange of knowledge with young fisherman Chang-dae (Byun Yo-han), who himself aspires to make his mark on the world. But as the two become companions, their conflicting world views become more apparent, setting up a fateful decision. Director Lee Jun-ik’s stylish 2021 period film The Book of Fish (자산어보) blends equal parts comedy, history, folk culture, and social commentary into an irresistible story of friendship and its trials in life. Free with an RSVP! Complimentary snacks. In Korean with English subtitles. 126 Minutes. RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!

Join us for this month's first free K-Cinema Korean movie night! Hyun-woo (Yoo Ji-tae) has lived as a cold, guilt-ridden prosecutor ever since losing his beloved Min-joo (Kim Ji-soo) in a department store collapse years ago. But when he suddenly receives Min-joo’s old honeymoon diary, he is given a roadmap to trace all the memories of his lost lover. Along his journey to confront his past, Hyun-woo befriends Se-jin (Uhm Ji-won), only to discover a special connection between her and his lost love. This wistful and bittersweet classic from director Kim Dae-seung and starring heartthrob Yoo Ji-tae captures the essence of Korea’s 2000s tragic romance films, a period that set the stage for emotional Korean storytelling on screen to take the world by storm in the decades that followed. Free with an RSVP! Complimentary snacks. In Korean with English subtitles. 114 Minutes. Traces Of Love (가을로) Wednesday, October 15, 6:00 PM  Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW) RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!