MANILA, Philippines ? Seven award-winning and acclaimed movies from South Korea are featured in the first Korean Film Festival at the Shangri-La Plaza mall in Mandaluyong City.

The festival, mounted by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Korean-Philippine Cultural Foundation Inc., is ongoing until Sept. 29.

Kiejoo Kim, counselor of the Korean embassy in Manila, told Inquirer that the festival?s goal is ?to show the diversity and dynamism of Korean cinema.?

Park Hyun-mo, head of the Korean-Philippine Cultural Foundation Inc., explained that the festival marks the 60th anniversary of Korean-Philippine diplomatic ties.

The opening film, Park Chan-wook?s ?Old Boy,? won the Grand Prix in the 2004 Cannes film fest. ?Old Boy? was also shown in the Bangkok, Toronto, Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata, Moscow film fests.

Bong Joon-ho?s comedy, ?Barking Dogs Never Bite,? won the Fipresci honor in Hong Kong and the High Hopes award in Munich. Bong is the same director behind Korea?s biggest box-office hit ?The Host,? seen by 10 million people in that country.

Kang Yi-Kwan?s romance-drama ?Sa-Kwa? won the New Screenwriters award in San Sebastian and the Fipresci prize in Toronto in 2005.

Im Kwon-taek?s drama film ?Beyond the Years? was featured in the Cannes, Toronto, Karlovy Vary, Istanbul film fests in 2007.

Han Jae-rim?s mob drama ?The Show Must Go On? won Best Picture and Actor in the 8th Blue Dragon Film Awards and was shown in the Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, San Francisco and Toronto fests in 2007.

Kim Tai-sik?s ?Driving With My Wife?s Lover? competed in Sundance and was featured in Rotterdam and Belgrade in 2007. It won the Emerging Director award in the Asian-American fest in New York.

Kim Dae-woo?s historical sex-comedy ?Forbidden Quest? was reportedly watched by 2.2 million people in Korea in 2006.