Yu Yamada and Ryuhei Matsuda in "Yakiniku, the Movie."

Takashi Miike's "Zebraman."

Shinichiro Sawai's "Genghis Khan: To the Ends of Earth and Sea."

The San Francisco Korean American Film Festival, in association with the San Francisco Asian Film Festival, have announced the dates for their joint 2007 film festival.

The 11-day event will be held from Nov. 8 to 18 at three locations: 4 Star Movie Theatre (Clement and 23rd Avenue), Castro Theatre (Castro and Market), and San Francisco State University’s August Coppola Theatre (1600 Holloway off 19th Avenue, Fine Arts Building).

In line with this year’s theme, “Extraordinary Cinema from Asia: Classic to Contemporary,” SFKAFF and SFAFF are screening seven older films from the ’50s to ’80s with 33 recent films, shorts and documentaries. South Korea, China, Japan, Hong Kong and Thailand are represented. The older films from these countries have unique stories that are still by today’s standards considered cherished works. The contemporary films focus on various subjects from plastic surgery to sex, and genres from thriller to musical — something for everyone.

Films to check out include:

“Genghis Khan: To the Ends of Earth and Sea” (2007), Thursday, Nov. 8, at 6 p.m. at the Castro, with opening night party at 8 p.m. Genghis Khan, the man who built history’s greatest empire, has been called “The Blue Wolf.” Having topped the box office in Japan, this $30 million Japan-Mongolia co-production, directed by Shinichiro Sawai (“W’s Tragedy”), tells a story of vast ambitions and indomitable spirit. It employed thousands of extras to recreate the spectacular battles and military feats of Genghis Khan. Shot over a period of four months on location in Mongolia, this is one epic not to be missed on the big screen. Cast: Naoki Hosaka, Takaaki Enoki, Masahiko Tsugawa. In Japanese with English subtitles. 136 minutes.

“Nanking” (2007), Saturday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. at the 4 Star. This film tells the story of the Japanese invasion of Nanking in the early days of World War II. As part of a campaign to conquer all of China, the Japanese subjected Nanking to months of aerial bombardment, and when the city fell, the Japanese army unleashed murder and rape on a horrifying scale. In the midst of the rampage, a small group of Westerners banded together to establish a “safety zone” where over 200,000 Chinese found refuge. The story is told through moving interviews with Chinese survivors, chilling archival footage and photos of the events, and testimonies of former Japanese soldiers. At the heart of “Nanking” is a filmed stage reading of the Westerners’ letters and diaries, featuring Woody Harrelson, Mariel Hemingway and Jurgen Prochnow. Through its interweave of archival images, testimonies of survivors, and readings of first-hand accounts, the film puts the viewer on the streets of Nanking and brings the forgotten past to startling life.

Directed by Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman. Cast: Hugo Armstrong, Rosalind Chao. In Mandarin and Japanese with English subtitles. 88 minutes.

“Yakiniku, The Movie,” Friday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 18, at 12 p.m. at the 4 Star. This comedy-drama is sure to drive filmgoers into a yakiniku feeding frenzy after the show! Torao (Arata) and Tatsuji (Ryuhei Matsuda) are long-lost brothers from Korea who were separated after their mother died. Years later, they are reunited in Japan by their passion for barbecue, only to find themselves on opposite sides of a televised pulkogi throw-down! It’s “Iron Chef” with meat!

“Zebraman” (2004), Sunday, Nov. 11, at 9:40 p.m. and Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 7:25 p.m. at the 4 Star. Shinichi is a loser elementary school teacher whose son is bullied at school, whose wife is sleeping around and whose teenage daughter is a hooker. He tries to escape everyday live by dressing up as Zebraman, a superhero from a canceled TV series. Prolific director Takashi Miike delivers a fun yet dark spoof of superhero films with good special effects. Cast: Sho Aikawa, Kyoka Suzuki, Teruyoshi Uchimura. In Japanese with English subtitles. 115 minutes.

“The Strange Saga of Hiroshi, the Freeloading Sex Machine” (2005), Thursday, Nov. 15, at 9:45 p.m. and Friday, Nov. 16, at 12 p.m. at the 4 Star. Hiroshi lives off of his single-mom girlfriend, Haruka. When he gets drawn into the cricket fighting craze that has gripped the townsmen, a showdown of epic proportions draws near with Haruka’s cricket-breeding ex-husband. Director Yuji Tajiri has pulled no stops in this hyperactive parody/love story/sex film with a special effects-laden finale. Directed by Yuji Tajiri. Cast: Rinako Hirasawa, Mutsuo Yoshioka. In Japanese with English subtitles. 64 minutes.

“Our School” (2007), Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 12:40 and 9:45 p.m. at the 4 Star. The most successful documentary release in South Korea, “Our School” follows a K-12 school in Hokkaido for students of Korean descent. An exploration of developing one’s Korean identity in the country of a former colonizer, the film also presents the contrast of a socialist pedagogy within a wider capitalist system. Directed by Kim Myung-jun. In Korean and Japanese with English subtitles. 131 minutes.

Opening night gala and film $18. Tickets for opening night film, closing day and night films, and “Nanking”: $10. General prices: $9. Bargain matinees: $ 6. Seniors (over 65): $8. Children (under 12): $8. Tickets are available at the 4-Star box office, or on-line at www.brownpapertickets.com.

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