By Honorary Reporter Stella Scala from Italy
Photos = Florence Korea Film Fest

The official program for this year's Florence Korea Film Fest in Italy (March 19-28) was released on March 10 at the theater La Compagnia Cinema in Florence at a news conference. Members of the cultural and institutional scene of the Tuscan region attended.

The news conference for the schedule of this year's Florence Korea Film Fest is held on March 10 in Florence, Italy.

The opening film on March 19 will be the drama "People and Meat" by director Yang Jong-hyun, a work screened at the Busan International Film Festival last year. The plot is about three broke elderly people who decide to eat at restaurants and flee without paying.

The closing film on March 27 will be the family drama "Homeward Bound" by director Kim Dae-hwan. Both the opening and closing movies will be introduced by their respective directors.

The festival's section "Korean Horizons" features the most important films produced in Korea in recent months and "K Cinema Today" independent cinema and new works. The key themes at this year's event are family and parent-child relationships.

News conference for Florence Korean Film Fest on March 10 held at La Compagnia Cinema in Florence, Italy.

The festival's artistic director Riccardo Galli emphasized that his is the world's only event of its kind supported by the host city's institutions and sponsors, allowing a diverse program and numerous guests every year. This latest edition will have 70 works, nine directors, three actors, a composer, producers and even artists in the burgeoning medium of webtoons.

A major draw will be actor Gong Yoo, who will hold a masterclass and attend the evening screening of the 2016 blockbuster he starred in, "Train to Busan." The guest of honor is that work's director Yeon Sang-ho, who will show his latest film "The Ugly" on the evening of March 25.

Another notable screening will be of the indie film "Florence Knockin' on You," shot in the city by director Lee Chang-yeoul, who will attend the festival with the cast. The movie is about a man who returns to Florence after many years to regain control of his life, with the city considered a kind of cure for his mental health.

The landscape of Florence is on full display in this scene from "Florence Knockin' on You" (2025) by director Lee Chang-yeol.

Giovanni Bettarini, councilor for culture of Tuscany, said, "This event is no longer just a film festival but a real event about Korean culture," citing the ever-growing interest in Korean cinema, series and music.

In addition to feature films, shorts and documentaries will be shown and masterclasses will offer the opportunity for the public to meet actors, directors, composers and other cinematic professionals from Korea and talk about their work.

The festival will conclude on March 28 with a concert by composer Cho Sung-woo, who wrote the music for works like "Christmas in August" (1998) and "A Normal Family" (2023), in collaboration with the Florence Pops Orchestra.