By Honorary Reporter Eugenia Babini from Italy

Riccardo Gelli is the founder and director of the Florence Korean Film Fest in Florence, Italy, the oldest event for Korean cinema outside of Korea.

Launched in 2003, the event has promoted interest not only in Korean cinema but also all things Korean, with leading Korean directors and actors attending this year's edition. 

Gelli is also president of the Taegukgi-Toscana Korea Association and honorary consul of Korea in Tuscany. I interviewed him on June 6 at his home in Florence.

These posters are from the last four editions of the festival. (Riccardo Gelli)

I went daily to this year's festival, which ran from March 30 to April 7. Many screenings, reviews and master classes were sold out. Every year, the association tries to introduce new things about Korea besides cinema and is considering expanding the venue space and collaborating with Korean restaurants to promote Hansik (traditional food).

This year's event had four master classes with "Parasite" director Bong Joon-ho, actor Park Hae-il and director Kim Han-min, directors July Jung and Yim Soon-rye, and illustrators Jeong Kyu-ah and Kim Woo-seop.

From the top left clockwise are director Kim Han-bin with the festival's deputy director Chang Eun-young; director Bong Joon-ho; actor Park Hae-il and the festival's founder and director Riccardo Gelli; director Yim Soon-rye; illustrators Jeong Kyu-ah and Kim Woo-seop; and director July Jung. (FKFF)

In 2002 for the Korea-Japan World Cup soccer finals, Gelli said the Korean Embassy in Rome asked him to promote Korea in Florence. He helped stage the event "Korea in Florence" featuring traditional dance and a chorus of Korean residents in Italy who sang the Florentine song "The Silver Year." 

City residents thus began developing an interest in Korea for the first time.

In 2003, he organized a Korean culture week in Florence with exhibitions and screenings of 10 movies as a one-time event, but many requested another the following year. With his Korean wife Chang Eun-young, who is deputy director of the association and the festival, Gelli talked to the embassy on hosting the event regularly. 

Over the years, more Korean directors and actors came to Florence, and unlike others of its kind, the festival sought to promote tourism in the city. Today people from all over Italy and beyond attend the event. 

The explosion in attendance over the last two years was attributed to the March 2017 appearance of director Park Chan-wook, who was there to promote his movie "The Handmaiden."

The festival receives support from Italy's Tuscany region, municipality and Florence. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of Korean tourists in Florence jumped 400%, enough for many restaurants in the city to hire Korean-speaking staff.

Festival founder and director Riccardo Gelli (far right) shakes hands with the mayor of Florence. (FKFF)

This year, the festival collaborated with the Korean consulate general in Milan on a retrospective of the event. And an agreement with the University of Florence stimulated the writing of more theses on Korean cinema, directors and actors. 

Next year will mark the 140th anniversary of Korea-Italy ties, so the event's organizers are considering something special for next year's festival, which will run from March 21-29.

msjeon22@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things.