Korean film industry hits yet another major milestone in 2012 while some footage for the long-awaited sequel to The Host (2006) drops out of nowhere. However, outside of these items and a number of small festival tidbits, it wasn't a big week for Korean film news.
KOREAN CINEMA NEWS
No beating around the bush here! A clip of the long-awaited Korean horror flick The Host 2 goes straight for the jugular with the hungry creature wrecking havoc upon an unsuspecting family, tearing up on a moving truck, and then chasing two innocent children for a quick snack. Oh my, I wouldn't want to be in the shoes of these kids when the shit hits the fan. (Twitch, November 20, 2012)
Korean Films Draw Over 100 Million Viewers This Year
Korean movies have drawn over 100 million viewers in 2012. The Korean Film Council on Monday said the number of people watching Korean films this year totaled 99.61 million as of Sunday. "Since at least 200,000 people on average watch Korean movies on a weekday, the 100-million mark will be reached on Tuesday," a council spokesman said. (The Chosun Ilbo, November 20, 2012)
Korean Capital and Crews Enters Hollywood Mainstream
Sovik Global Contents Investment Fund, established in 2011 with the aim of introducing the Korean film industry into overseas markets, has announced that its first Hollywood project The Last Knights began shooting in Prague on November 5th. (KoBiz, November 20, 2012)
Korean-American Wins Grand Prix in Copenhagen
A second generation Korean-American filmmaker has won the Grand Prix at the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival. The organizing committee of the festival announced this on the festival homepage on November 11th local time. The award-winning documentary is 159 minutes long and it was co-directed by Christine Shin (Korean name: Shin Hye-soo) and British filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer. (KoBiz, November 20, 2012)
Confession of Murder Proposed for Hollywood Remake
Director Jeong Byung-gil and actors Jung Jae-young and Park Si-hoo’s Confession of Murder drew significant attention from overseas markets including Hollywood, said its distributor Showbox/Mediaplex Inc.. The film's producer met with the producer of The Usual Suspects (1995) at the Film Independent Forum held in Los Angeles' Directors Guild of America and was suggested a remake. (KoBiz, November 19, 2012)
Rundown of Korean film sales at the American Film Market
The American Film Market (AFM) is an annual event held in early November every year. Film production companies from around the world get together to introduce and sell films scheduled for release in the following year. Korea’s major sales companies also participate in the market, where they meet buyers from America and Europe. Hopes were high before this year’s AFM due to foreign buyers' expectations regarding the films directed by Park Chan-wook, Kim Jee-woon and Bong Joon-ho, the soon-to-be the first generation of Korean directors in Hollywood. The results of Korean film sales at AFM are as follows. (KoBiz, November 16, 2012)
Exhibition Shows How Movie Posters Have Changed
Korean Film Archive’s current exhibition is featuring Korea’s movie posters from the 80s and the 90s as well as the ones used in contemporary cinema. Filmmaker Lee participated in this exhibition by re-creating a poster for Jeong Ji-young’s 1990 movie. He made the poster the old way, without using the latest computer technologies. (The Korea Herald, November 15, 2012)
Korean Multiplex a Success in the U.S.
CGV LA has recorded a 34% seat sales share in October, ranking second in the overall per screen sales in the whole of the U.S. The figure was announced on October 31st by Rentrak, a real-time theater sales research company which added that CGV LA recorded 110,004 seat sales in October per screen. (KoBiz, November 15, 2012)
The Forsaken and the Forgotten: North Koreans in South Korean Cinema
Imagine visiting a country for the first time where locals look like you and speak the same language but consider you a hostile foreigner the moment you speak. That is the dilemma North Korean defectors face when they arrive in South Korea. They live as foreigners in a semi-native land, hiding their true identity the moment they cross the border. Defectors enter South Korean society at the bottom rung with little chance of becoming social or economic equals. (Film International, November 6, 2012)
Korean movies have drawn over 100 million viewers in 2012. The Korean Film Council on Monday said the number of people watching Korean films this year totaled 99.61 million as of Sunday. "Since at least 200,000 people on average watch Korean movies on a weekday, the 100-million mark will be reached on Tuesday," a council spokesman said. (The Chosun Ilbo, November 20, 2012)
Sovik Global Contents Investment Fund, established in 2011 with the aim of introducing the Korean film industry into overseas markets, has announced that its first Hollywood project The Last Knights began shooting in Prague on November 5th. (KoBiz, November 20, 2012)
Korean-American Wins Grand Prix in Copenhagen
A second generation Korean-American filmmaker has won the Grand Prix at the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival. The organizing committee of the festival announced this on the festival homepage on November 11th local time. The award-winning documentary is 159 minutes long and it was co-directed by Christine Shin (Korean name: Shin Hye-soo) and British filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer. (KoBiz, November 20, 2012)
Director Jeong Byung-gil and actors Jung Jae-young and Park Si-hoo’s Confession of Murder drew significant attention from overseas markets including Hollywood, said its distributor Showbox/Mediaplex Inc.. The film's producer met with the producer of The Usual Suspects (1995) at the Film Independent Forum held in Los Angeles' Directors Guild of America and was suggested a remake. (KoBiz, November 19, 2012)
33th Blue Dragon Awards Nominees Announced
33th Blue Dragon Awards being held on Nov.30 at Sejong Cultural Center announced this year’s nominees. The executives of the Blue Dragon Awards said “we chose the top 21 nominees and they were selected by renowned film experts through a number of surveys and on-line votes from the netizens.” (KoBiz, November 19, 2012)
Korean Actors Find Satisfaction Off-Camera
Hollywood star Ben Affleck, who directed Argo, is only one of many actors and actresses venturing into a new role, and Korea is no exception when it comes to actors taking their chances on the other side of the camera. (Joong Ang Daily, November 16, 2012)
The Peach Tree, Invited to the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival
Actress and director Ku Hye-Sun's film The Peach Tree was invited to the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF) 2013 edition according to her management agency. BIFFF, marking its 31th edition next year, is one of world’s top 3 fantastic film festivals along with the Sitges Film Festival of Spain and Fantasporto of Portugal. (KoBiz, November 16, 2012)
Seoul Independent Film Festival to begin November 29th
The Seoul Independent Film Festival (SIFF) 2012, a banquet of Korean independent film, is going to be held at CGV Apgujeong and Indie Space, an exclusive theater for independent films, from November 29th to December 7th. Under the slogan ‘Light My Fire’, 10 feature films and 39 shorts will compete various sections and 10 short and feature films will be presented in ‘New Choice’, a newly introduced section. (KoBiz, November 16, 2012)
33th Blue Dragon Awards being held on Nov.30 at Sejong Cultural Center announced this year’s nominees. The executives of the Blue Dragon Awards said “we chose the top 21 nominees and they were selected by renowned film experts through a number of surveys and on-line votes from the netizens.” (KoBiz, November 19, 2012)
Korean Actors Find Satisfaction Off-Camera
Hollywood star Ben Affleck, who directed Argo, is only one of many actors and actresses venturing into a new role, and Korea is no exception when it comes to actors taking their chances on the other side of the camera. (Joong Ang Daily, November 16, 2012)
Actress and director Ku Hye-Sun's film The Peach Tree was invited to the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF) 2013 edition according to her management agency. BIFFF, marking its 31th edition next year, is one of world’s top 3 fantastic film festivals along with the Sitges Film Festival of Spain and Fantasporto of Portugal. (KoBiz, November 16, 2012)
Seoul Independent Film Festival to begin November 29th
The Seoul Independent Film Festival (SIFF) 2012, a banquet of Korean independent film, is going to be held at CGV Apgujeong and Indie Space, an exclusive theater for independent films, from November 29th to December 7th. Under the slogan ‘Light My Fire’, 10 feature films and 39 shorts will compete various sections and 10 short and feature films will be presented in ‘New Choice’, a newly introduced section. (KoBiz, November 16, 2012)
The American Film Market (AFM) is an annual event held in early November every year. Film production companies from around the world get together to introduce and sell films scheduled for release in the following year. Korea’s major sales companies also participate in the market, where they meet buyers from America and Europe. Hopes were high before this year’s AFM due to foreign buyers' expectations regarding the films directed by Park Chan-wook, Kim Jee-woon and Bong Joon-ho, the soon-to-be the first generation of Korean directors in Hollywood. The results of Korean film sales at AFM are as follows. (KoBiz, November 16, 2012)
Exhibition Shows How Movie Posters Have Changed
Korean Film Archive’s current exhibition is featuring Korea’s movie posters from the 80s and the 90s as well as the ones used in contemporary cinema. Filmmaker Lee participated in this exhibition by re-creating a poster for Jeong Ji-young’s 1990 movie. He made the poster the old way, without using the latest computer technologies. (The Korea Herald, November 15, 2012)
Planet of Snail Wins Grand Prix at the Russian Int'l Festival for the Disabled
Director Yi Seung-jun's documentary Planet of Snail won the Grand Prix at the 6th International Film Festival for the Disabled in Moscow, Russia on November 12th. This event, organized by the Russian Association for the Disabled, runs every two years with the first edition having opened in 2002. (KoBiz, November 15, 2012)
Director Yi Seung-jun's documentary Planet of Snail won the Grand Prix at the 6th International Film Festival for the Disabled in Moscow, Russia on November 12th. This event, organized by the Russian Association for the Disabled, runs every two years with the first edition having opened in 2002. (KoBiz, November 15, 2012)
CGV LA has recorded a 34% seat sales share in October, ranking second in the overall per screen sales in the whole of the U.S. The figure was announced on October 31st by Rentrak, a real-time theater sales research company which added that CGV LA recorded 110,004 seat sales in October per screen. (KoBiz, November 15, 2012)
The Forsaken and the Forgotten: North Koreans in South Korean Cinema
Imagine visiting a country for the first time where locals look like you and speak the same language but consider you a hostile foreigner the moment you speak. That is the dilemma North Korean defectors face when they arrive in South Korea. They live as foreigners in a semi-native land, hiding their true identity the moment they cross the border. Defectors enter South Korean society at the bottom rung with little chance of becoming social or economic equals. (Film International, November 6, 2012)
INTERVIEWS
Interview with famed critic Tony Rayns during his jury duty for the Asiana International Short Film Festival. He talks about his favorite Korean films, being a programmer and his many roles in the film industry. (KoBiz, November 16, 2012)
POSTERS
All Bark No Bite (2nd Poster)
Ari Ari the Upcoming Korean Cinema (Main Poster)
Knock (Main Poster)
Marrying the Mafia V (Main Poster)
National Security (Character Poster 2)
National Security (Character Poster 2)
Role Play (Main Poster)
The Last Stand (Final Poster)
BOX OFFICE
All Bark No Bite (2nd Poster)
Ari Ari the Upcoming Korean Cinema (Main Poster)
Knock (Main Poster)
Marrying the Mafia V (Main Poster)
National Security (Character Poster 2)
National Security (Character Poster 2)
Role Play (Main Poster)
The Last Stand (Final Poster)
BOX OFFICE
(Modern Korean Cinema, November 19, 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 Reviews. Reviews and features on Korean film also appear regularly on the site.
Korean films are getting popular all over the world. No wonder, since all k-movies are great, the story line are great as well as the characters.
ReplyDelete