Wednesday, October 24, 2012

KCN: Success of Korean Films and Local Festivals on Horizon (10/18-10/24, 2012)

More festivals on the way and continued success of Korean film at the local box office.

KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

Korean Films Around the World
As The Thieves breaks the 13 million mark and admissions overtake 10 million for Masquerade, interest in Korean cinema abroad is geting stronger. The Korean Cultural Center in Washington D.C. will screen Choo Chang-min, director of Masquerade’s previous film, Late Blossom (2011). It will be shown at 6:30pm on 25th October. Director Kim Ki-duk’s Pieta, recipient of the Golden Lion Award at Venice, will be released across the U.S. through Drafthouse Films in 2013. (KoBiz, October 23, 2012)

Few Share Spoils of Korean Film Revival
On Saturday, local period film Masquerade surpassed the 10 million mark in attendance, becoming the second Korean film this year to reach the milestone. The film reached the mark in just 38 days, only about two months after director Choi Dong-hun's star-studded heist film The Thieves achieved the same feat. Only five other local films, including Bong Jun-ho's 2006 monster flick The Host and Yoon Je-kyoon's disaster film Haeundae, have ever passed the 10 million mark. (The Korea Herald, October 23, 2012)

Second Korean Film Breaks the 10 Million Mark This Year
Masquerade broke the 10 million mark on 20th October, six weeks after its release, drawing 221,229 on Sunday. This means that the total number of admissions for the film is now 10,041,566 just 38 days after its released, making it the seventh Korean film in history to surpass the 10 million mark. (KoBiz, October 23, 2012)

2012 Gwangju International Film Festival Opens Nov. 8
The 2012 Gwangju International Film Festival will open with the theme ‘Hope for Peace’ from Nov. 8-12 at Megabox in Gwangju. The city, with its image of liberty, peace and humanity, has been trying to contribute to the media business by introducing important cultural and media contents. (KoBiz, October 22, 2012)

International Focus on 2 Doors
After being released on June 21, 2 Doors is attracting a lot of interest from overseas markets as it has been consistently aired via IPTV and online media. It was also screened in Washington last Oct. 13, on the 18th in LA, and it will have a special screening in Sydney on the 26th. Moverover, it is also making headlines for its selections at the 8th Taiwan International Documentary Festival and the 2012 Festival du Film Coréen à Paris. (KoBiz, October 22, 2012)

Korean Film Industry Heading to a New Peak Year
The party continues for Korean movies as they head toward a new peak year with a series of box-office records. The historical film Masquerade starring "hallyu" star Lee Byung-hun surpassed the 10 million viewer mark Saturday, becoming the second local film this year to break that milestone. (The Korea Times, October 21, 2012)

Is Korean Cinema Soft on Sex?
I don't know what it was exactly about the sex scene in Kim Dae-woo's 2010 remake of the The Servant that captivated my interest and senses. Perhaps it was the enchanting realisation/sexual release of the film's own internal eroticisms and sexual pressures or, admittedly, the 'cinematic purity' of the act itself as expressed through both the Choon-hyang's erotised body. Indeed, Jo Yeo-jeong's physical facets, and willingness, have contributed to her popularity as an actress both in Korea and abroad. (hancinema.net, October 20, 2012)

The October 17th broadcast of SBS's ‘One Night of TV Entertainment’ took an in-depth look inside some of the financial aspects of the entertainment industry. It was revealed that Lee Byung Hun received 600 million won (~543,000 USD) for his role in Masquerade. The actor is also expected to receive a “running guarantee” for the film, which can add up to total earnings of 1 billion won (~905,000 USD). (allkpop, October 18, 2012)

3 Films at the Center of Hot Issues at BIFF
O Muel’s Jiseul received 4 awards at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). This low budget monochrome film based on the real incident of the Jeju Uprising (April 3rd, 1948) elicits sympathy for its solemn atmosphere. Pluto directed by Shin Su-won also received fervent responses. the themes of the film directly faced society. It sharply questions the reality of education in Korea. Fatal by Lee Don-ku is not to be missed. This film puts stress on realities that are often glossed over and it directly connects to human instincts such as guilt, conscience and responsibility. These 3 films all created small but influential waves at the 17th BIFF. (KoBiz, October 19, 2012)

Pieta Wins a Triple Crown
Kim Ki-duk’s Pieta, the winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, once again enjoyed the top position by receiving 3 awards at the 32nd Korean Association of Film Critics awards (KAFC Awards) hosted by the Korean Association of Film Critics (KAFC). (KoBiz, October 19, 2012)

The 14th Puchon International Student Animation Festival
PISAF is one of Asia’s most successful international animation festivals. Set in the Bucheon City (previously written as Puchon), an outskirt of Seoul, PISAF has established itself since 1999. There are many events on the program. Screenings, Anifair (Market and Global Job-Fair), Education Convention and Exhibition provide opportunities to discover and celebrate the vitality of animation with the ever-growing public audiences. (KoBiz, October 19, 2012)

All about K-Films
Latest volume in a series on Korean culture explores the country’s rich filmmaking history. Korea’s Culture Ministry published an English-language book about Korean cinema and its industry, as the newest addition to its “K-series,” a book series featuring Korean culture. (The Korea Herald, October 18, 2012)

    The Seoul Independent Film Festival which will open on 29th November and go on until the 7th December has announced its line-up of 49 features in competitions. The submission period was from the 7th August until the 3rd September. (KoBiz, October 18, 2012)

Open, Short Films’ Heaven!
The 10th Asiana International Short Film Festival (AISFF) announced their goal of this year at the press conference held on October 16th. At the conference, Kim Dong-ho (honorary director of the Busan International Film Festival), the director of Jury, actors Yun Eun-hye and Choi Byeong-hwa, special jury members, and Lee Ju-yeon, a programmer, made an attendance. This year’s edition will be held at Cinecube Gwanghwamun in Seoul for 6 days from November 1st to 6th. During the festival, 82 films from 32 countries will be screened. (KoBiz, October 17, 2012)

Juvenile Offender, Invited to the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival
Juvenile Offender directed by Kang Yi-kwan has been invited to the 49th Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, which is going to take place November 8th to 23rd. Juvenile Offender is a sensational and controversial film about a boy who faces the cold reality when meets his mother after a 13-year stray spending in and out of juvenile jail. (KoBiz, October 17, 2012)


INTERVIEWS

Jang Dong-gun of Dangerous Liaisons
"I want to be more active in co-produced films" Jang Dong-gun in Dangerous Liaisons is not what he used to be. Shedding the previous image of righteous and modest man, he turned into a cold-hearted and decadent homme fatale. (Korean Cinema Today, October 23, 2012)

A Company Man Star ‘Understands’ Office Grind
So Ji-sub talks about having few friends, being drawn to loner characters. It’s hard to imagine actor So Ji-sub empathizing with Seoul’s urban professionals, while living the life of a celebrity. His environment has been red carpets and film premieres, not an office where everyone wears suits and does long hours. (The Korea Herald, October 18, 2012)


TRAILERS

Don't Cry Mommy (Main Trailer)



BOX OFFICE


(Modern Korean Cinema, October 21, 2012)


Korean Cinema News is a weekly feature which provides wide-ranging news coverage on Korean cinema, including but not limited to: features; festival news; interviews; industry news; trailers; posters; and box office. It appears every Wednesday morning (Korean Standard Time) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at the Korean Box Office Update and the Weekly Korean ReviewsReviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site. 

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1 comment:

  1. I love the movie "Don't Cry Mommy". Full of emotions and the acting are superb.

    ReplyDelete