KEY POINTS:
What do a mutant tadpole, a Korean superstar and Prime Minister Helen Clark have in common?
They're all part of the 2006 Korean Film Festival, which starts tonight in Waitakere, where it will be opened by Helen Clark.
The second annual Korean Film Festival will feature nine critically acclaimed films, including The Host, which took six prizes at the Korea Film Awards in Seoul. The Host, which won best film and best director awards, tells the story of a family's struggle to find their missing daughter after she is snatched by a mysterious creature.
Variety Magazine reviewer Derek Elley wrote: "On almost every level, there's never quite been a monster movie like The Host ... a bold gamble that looks headed to instant cult status".
The film has a Kiwi connection because the initial design work was by Richard Taylor and a team at Weta Workshop.
Award nominees The King and the Clown and Family Ties will also screen during the week-long festival, which will be held at various Village SkyCity and Rialto cinemas in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
The King and the Clown was the highest-grossing Korean film last year, earning widespread acclaim for featuring a gay storyline in a traditional and conservative society.
Korean Ambassador H.E. Joon-gyu Lee said: "I am confident the selected films will enchant, thrill and excite and will contribute to a more enlightened exposure of Korea to New Zealanders."
Part of that exposure includes an appearance by Korean superstar Ha Ji-Won, who plays the lead female role in the action romance Duelist.
The festival will also feature the most expensive Korean film ever made, Typhoon, the story of a modern-day pirate plotting an attack on North and South Korea.
Other films include: Woman on the Beach, an arthouse film that explores the aftermath of a one-night stand; Arang, a detective story about tracking a serial killer; Family Ties, a comedy about dysfunctional families; Obaltan, a gritty drama about one man's life following the Korean war; and The Magicians, an experimental film based on the reunion of three bandmates.
* The Korean Film Festival opens tonight at West City Village SkyCity Cinema, Henderson, then moves to Queen St Village SkyCity Cinemas until December 7
