Korean films have been selling well at Cannes this week, Criterion has caught up with the times, and 3D Korean films are beginning to make an impact. Some interviews and trailers this week and the box office report.
KOREAN CINEMA NEWS
Lee Chang-dong's film prior to Poetry is being released on DVD & Blu-ray in the US and not only that but Secret Sunshine (2007) is making it's way to home theaters courtesy of the Criterion Collection, long the go-to collection for serious film buffs. This is an especially auspicious event as it is the first Korean film to be added to the series. (Criterion, May 16, 2011)
In his latest film, Kim Ki-duk attacks the Korean film industry, including his former protege Jang Hoon for not being able to resist capitalism. Kim has been withdrawn recently and with his comeback he seems more eccentric than ever. (The Korea Herald, May 16, 2011)
Korea's Green Film Festival got underway last Wednesday and is features 140 eco-related films throughout its 8-day run. The event is hosted by the Green Korea Foundation and has various sections including: Climate Change and the Future, Green Panorama, Korean Eco-Panorama, Children of the Earth, Animals, Desertification or Forestation, and Eco-fantastic. (The Chosun Ilbo, May 18, 2011)
On May 16, the Korean Film Council, in tandem with the Busan International Film Festival, Pucheon International Fantastic Film Festival and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, hosted a Korean Film Night at the Cannes Film Festival. The event attracted 540 guests, including many luminaries of the Korean film industry and other important figures such as the programer of the Cannes Film Festival and the Cannes film market's executive director. (KOBIZ, May 18, 2011)
Korean sales company Finecut had a good run this year at Cannes and managed to presell a number of films, including many from last year such as Bedevilled, Midnight FM, and Cyrano Agency. Among this year's slate, Finecut is in charge of both Hong Sang-soo and Kim Ki-duk's latest offerings. (KOBIZ, May 19, 2011)
LA 3D Film Fest Awards Top Prize to Korean Filmmakers
27 Years Later, a 3D film from Shinterra and Joy Park was awarded First Place at the 8th Los Angeles 3D Movie Festival which was presided over by Hollywood experts including Chuck Comisky, the 3D VFX supervisor of Avatar (2009). (The Korea Times, May 19, 2011)
27 Years Later, a 3D film from Shinterra and Joy Park was awarded First Place at the 8th Los Angeles 3D Movie Festival which was presided over by Hollywood experts including Chuck Comisky, the 3D VFX supervisor of Avatar (2009). (The Korea Times, May 19, 2011)
A film made by the students of the Korean Academy of Film Arts will screen at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival. The House will feature in the main competition section and has already been released by CJ domestically. (KOBIZ, May 20, 2011)
INTERVIEWS
Park Jung-bum at SIFF
Before picking up his prize for Best New Director at the San Francisco International Film Festival, Journals of Musan director Park Jung-bum sat down for an interview in which he discusses his experiences that led to the making of his award-winning film. (SF360.org, May 16, 2011)
Hong Sang-soo's Proust Questionnaire
Hong Sang-soo replie candidly to a Proust questionnaire put to him by Korean Cinema Today. (Korean Cinema Today, May 17, 2011)
TRAILERS
A few trailers and clips this week. Sadly most do not feature English subtitles.
Sector 7 (no subs)
The Frontline (no subs)
White: Melody of Death (no subs)
The Cat (English subs)
The Yellow Sea (clip)
BOX OFFICE
Pirates Reels in the Crowds
The fourth installment in the ever-popular Pirates of the Caribbean franchise was met with a lot of success in the international marketplace and Korea is no exception. With 1.2 million admission over the weekend, it is easily the biggest opening of the year, what remains to be seen is how it is received and how it will perform in coming weeks. Sunny - 2010 is still holding strong with 535,000, barely down form last week, it has now brought in over 2.6 million spectators. The Apprehenders suffered another big hit and is now all but guaranteed to fall short of a million admissions. The only new Korean film ws The Cane which opened with just under 30,000 sales. (Hancinema.net, May 22, 2011)
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 (GMT+1) on Modern Korean Cinema. For other weekly features, take a look at the Korean Box Office Update and the Weekly Review Round-up. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site.
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