2026 Korea on Screen: Peafowl (공작새)
Presented by Korean Cultural Center New York
Thursday, June 18, 2026, 7:30 PM
Korean Cultural Center New York
(122 E 32nd Street, New York, NY 10016)
Ticket: FREE (RSVP REQUIRED)
* RSVP and seating are first come, first served.
* Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
* Your tickets will be released to the standby line 10 minutes before the show, so we recommend you arrive early to secure your seats.
* For an additional question, please contact to film@koreanculture.org
* Cancellations must be made at least 48 hours in advance.
* Please note: After three no-shows without notice, you may be subject to restrictions on future reservations.
* All contents featuring Korean dialogue will have English subtitles available.
The Korean Cultural Center New York proudly presents Peafowl as part of its Korea on Screen series—a year-long screening series celebrating the depth and diversity of Korean cinema. Through feature films, documentaries, short films, and independent productions, the series aims to broaden access to and appreciation of Korean cinema in New York City.
Peafowl follows Myung, a transgender dancer living in Seoul, as she is drawn back to her estranged hometown after the sudden death of her father—a master of traditional Korean folk percussion. To claim her inheritance, she must perform a traditional memorial rite deeply rooted in gendered ritual, forcing a reckoning between who she is and what her family and community expect her to be. Director Byun Sung-bin brings an electric, kinetic energy to the film, grounding its emotional intensity in the textures of folk ritual, queer identity, and the unfinished business of family.
Winner of the Watcha Award in the Korean Cinema Today—Vision section at the 27th Busan International Film Festival, Peafowl marks Byun Sung-bin as a vital new voice in Korean queer cinema—one who continues to expand the boundaries of Korean independent storytelling with humor, heartbreak, and an irrepressible sense of movement.
◆ Program
Peafowl (공작새)
Director: Byun Sung-bin
Cast: Choi Haejun, Ko Jae-hyun, Kim Woo-kyum
Runtime: 115 min
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Release Year: 2024
Myung is a transgender who cut ties with her family and hometown because of who she is. Now, all she needs is the surgery but the only way to earn money, by winning the Waacking dance competition, didn’t go well. One day, she receives a call that her father passed away and Myung finds out that her father left a will that he will give her the legacy if she performs Drum Dance during his 49th memorial ritual. With no choice left, Myung goes back to her hometown to perform according to her father’s will.