Korean film festival ‘K-action 2016′ opens in Sao Paulo

SAO PAULO, Brazil, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) — A Korean film festival opened in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Tuesday, its organizer said.

The Korean Cultural Center of the city said the annual “K-Action” event will run until Friday, with special meanings this year to mark the ongoing Summer Olympic Games that opened in Rio de Janeiro last Saturday.

The opening reception was attended by some 100 dignitaries including Korean diplomats, Brazilian artists, fans of Korean culture and Korean expats.

“K-Action 2016,” an annual Korean film festival, opened in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Aug. 9, 2016. The picture is from Aug. 10.

The center has run the movie event since 2014. Each year celebrates a different theme. The first year K-pop idols were the subject, and it was Korean women the next year. This year, the theme is “Our Heroes.”

As the opening film, “Ode to My Father,” the second-most-watched film ever in Korean cinematic history, was screened. After the screening event, a forum took place with a Brazilian culture reporter and Korean movie director Kim Eun-mi. Other popular Korean movies, like “Roaring Currents”; “Masquerade,” also known as “Gwanghae: the Man Who Became the King”; “Korea” and “Take Off,” are lined up for screening.

“K-Action 2016,” an annual Korean film festival, opens in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Aug. 9 and it runs until Aug. 12, 2016. The picture is taken on Aug. 10.

“This year, we chose heroes as our theme to celebrate the first Summer Olympic Games in South America,” said Hong Young-jong, consul general of the Consulate General of the city. Saying that Korean culture is popular particularly in Brazil, he said, “We expect this event to help the two countries deepen their bond through movies.”

Alongside the film festival, a special exhibition is taking place to show the national uniform of Korean athletes who participate in the Olympic games.

Separately, “Viva Coreia,” a group of supporters in Brazil for the Korean national team, will take to the streets and visit stadiums to cheer for both Brazilian and Korean players this weekend.