Every year, Kino Kosova invites a guest country whose films open new artistic perspectives. Our past choices - Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Portugal - came from natural cultural or social connections: shared Balkan heritage, history, and political complexities that made artistic collaboration both natural and necessary; or, in the case of Portugal, the realities of diaspora in Switzerland, where both Kosovo and Portugal have strong communities contributing to the country’s cultural landscape.

This year, with South Korea in focus, we intentionally move beyond familiar parallels. There is no pre-existing cultural link between Kosovo and South Korea, and no shared migration story within Switzerland. Instead, we explore the potential of a new connection formed entirely through cinema.

A Shared Cinematic Language

Despite their differences, Kosovar, South Korean, and Swiss films share a striking thematic alignment. Each examines: identity and belonging, social pressure and inequality, transformation within rapidly changing societies and the resilience of individuals navigating complex realities

Kosovar cinema often reflects post-conflict identity and intimate human stories.
 South Korean cinema is globally recognized for its inventive storytelling and fearless social critique.
 Swiss cinema brings a multilingual, multicultural perspective shaped by migration and coexistence.

Together, they create a compelling dialogue about how societies evolve and how people find their place within them.

Why South Korea?

South Korean cinema has, for years, captivated the world with its bold storytelling, emotional depth, and fearless exploration of social realities. Its films move between genres with ease, blending beauty and brutality, humor and tragedy.

They resonate strongly with the themes Kino Kosova presents and offer our audience a new cinematic horizon.
 By choosing South Korea, we are initiating a cultural bridge based not on existing ties, but on the belief that cinema itself can create meaningful connection.

South Korea in focus is our invitation to expand boundaries - artistic, cultural, and personal. And by placing South Korea in focus, we respond to the theme as well, by filling an artistic “absence” with new dialogue, new perspectives, and new encounters. The theme asks where everyone is and our choice reminds us that sometimes, connections don’t appear on their own; we build them.

Festival Partner – Seoul Independent Film Festival (SIFF)

The Seoul Independent Film Festival (SIFF) is a competitive annual festival in South Korea that showcases a wide range of independent films, regardless of theme, format, or genre. Established in 1975, its purposes include discovering new talent, contributing to the qualitative improvement of independent cinema, and introducing international independent films to inspire Korean filmmakers. It is the only independent film festival in Korea with a competitive showcase and aims to be a bridge for global networking, introducing Korean independent films to overseas platforms and vice versa. 

The program is curated by Kim Young Woo

Biography

A seasoned international film programmer and curator with a background in Visual Arts and Television from Rutgers University. Long active in the global festival circuit, he served on the selection committee of the Busan International Film Festival and DMZ Docs Korea, and has worked as a selection consultant and programmer for IDFA, Locarno, Sheffield Doc/Fest, Seoul Independent Film Festival, and Red Sea International Film Festival. He recently joined Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival and Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival as a programmer. With a sharp curatorial eye and deep fluency in international film culture, he has consistently championed independent cinema and documentaries, serving as a vital bridge between Asia and the global film community.