A film festival aimed at promoting Korean cinema to the greater American public opened Thursday in Washington D.C. to run until the end of next month.

Hosted by the South Korean embassy in the U.S., the event is titled the "2004 Korean Film Festival, DC-Korean Cinema: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow."

The film gala takes place in six theaters in the U.S. capital, including the Kennedy Center and the Freer Gallery, and will screen 33 Korean films including 'Memories of Murder'.

In an opening reception speech, South Korea's Ambassador to the U.S., Han Seung-joo, expressed his joy over the opening of the event to raise public awareness of Korean motion pictures to the mainstream American society.