KCN: New Projects from Park Chan-wook, Kim Jee-woon and Hong Sang-soo (12/06-12/12, 2012)

Lots of new projects or details of upcoming films announced this week, including the latest on Park Chan-wook, Hong Sang-soo and Kim Jee-woon's cinematic endeavors. The first teaser for Ryoo Seung-wan hotly anticipated spy thriller The Berlin File was also released today.

KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

Kim Jee-woon Plans Live Action Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade
Get ready for something spectacular. Korea's Kim Jee-woon - soon to make his English language debut with Arnold Schwarzenegger starring The Last Stand - has big plans for his next Korean film and it's something that should leave anime fans very, very happy. (Twitch, December 11, 2012)

Director Hong Sangsoo’s Next Film Gets 19 Rating
Director Hong Sangsoo’s next film, Nobody’s Daughter Haewon, was given the 19 or above rating on December 6. The film finished shooting this past spring and is in the post production stage, awaiting a release date. The film stars Lee Sun-kyun who appeared in Hong Lost in the Mountains and Oki’s Movie. This will be the actor’s third collaboration with Hong. (KoBiz, December 11, 2012)

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KCN: Sundance Welcomes Korean Filmmakers, More Awards and Classic Korean Film (11/29-12/05, 2012)

More festival selections and awards this week, a lot of news relating to Park Chan-wook projects in the US and a raft of reviews as the new Korean Cinema Today webzine goes live (which yours truly contributed to).

KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

The Weight Wins Best Director at India Film Fest

Following a Best Director win last week at the Tallin Black Nights Film Festival, Jeon Kyu-hwan has once again struck gold (or rather silver) as his new feature The Weight earned him a Silver Peacock award for best director at the International Film Festival of India. The award came with a cash prize of INR 1.5 million (USD 27,600). Meanwhile, local film Anhey Ghorhey Da Daan picked up the Golden Peacock for best film. The 43rd IFFI, which ran from November 20th to 30th, screened around 300 films. (KoBiz, December 4, 2012)

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KCN: Deals Made at BIFF, Masquerade Still King (10/11-10/17, 2012)

BIFF Wraps up while a swath of deals while Masquerade continues to set records.

KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

17th BIFF Shows Maturity Both as an Event and in Audience Viewing Culture

“As the number of the festival days has gone up, so has the maturity level of the audience.” said Lee Yong-kwan, BIFF Festival Director, about this year's edition. At the closing press conference held on 13th October, LEE said “The Busan Cinema Center has now firmly been established as the main venue of the festival. We need to explore further how to make best use of the Nampo area.” (KoBiz, October 16, 2012)

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KCN: BIFF Opens, Korean Film Fests Galore, Pieta to Play US (10/04-10/10, 2012)

The 17th Busan International Film Festival is in full swing while other Korean film fests get ready to unspool their programs and Pieta acquires US distribution.

KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

Discuss the Future of Asian Film
Asian Film Policy Forum 2012, Asia’s only film policy where various Asian countries get together to discuss film policies and aim at development of Asian film industry through improvement of systems, and the 12th Busan International Film Commission and Film Industry Expo, where information about location shooting of each country and up-to-date video technology are available, will be held at Bexco Haeundae in Busan from October 8th to 11th. (KoBiz, October 9, 2012)

Drafthouse Acquires Kim Ki-Duk’s Pieta
The distribution unit of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has picked up all North American rights to the 2012 Golden Lion winning film, it was announced. The first Korean movie to ever win the top prize at the Venice International Film Festival, Pietà profiles the relationship between a loan shark and the woman who claims to be his long-lost mother. (Deadline, October 9, 2012)

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KCN: A Bittersweet Life Gets US Remake, Pieta Sales and a Boatload of Posters (09/20-09/26, 2012)

It's been a very busy week here in Korea as I'm switching jobs, moving, preparing for Busan and have lost my phone so apologies for the slower pace of articles and this abbreviated version of Korean Cinema News. 

KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

A Bittersweet Life to Be Remade, Albert Hughes Takes the Reigns
One half of the directing duo behing Menace II Society, From Hell and The Book of Eli, Albert Hughes, is set to direct a fast-tracked remake of the seminal Korean gangster film A Bittersweet Life. Anthony Peckham, recently behind Invictusand Sherlock Holmes, has been brought in to polish the script. No word yet on cast or possible release date.

There's been a awful lot of news surrounding Korean films being remade in Hollywood or Korean directors making their mark in Tinseltown lately but this is one development I can't get excited about. I'm generally not a fan of foreign films being remade (much less Korean ones) so I'm not one of the people who is excited for Spike Lee's take on Oldboy. However, I do recognize the potential that such an original premise has in a new market. The same goes for the upcoming remake of Castaway on the Moon, one of the very best films made in the last decade. Last I heard, Mark Waters (of Mr. Popper's Penguins fame) was at the helm, and while I don't think that'll amount to much I do concede that it is property with a fantastic premise, ripe for the remake treatment.

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KCN: New Park Chan-wook Project, Pieta Oscar Bid, BIFF Sched. & Thieves Triumphs in HK (09/13-09/19, 2012)

Lots of news this week as Park Chan-wook takes on yet another new film, BIFF announces its schedule, Pieta gets its chance for Oscar glory and The Thieves begins its world conquest.

KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

Park Chan-wook Signs Onto Another New Project with Gangster Pic Corsica '72

Only a few weeks after signing on to the western The Brigands of Rattleborge, Park Chan-wook has taken on an additional Hollywood gig. This new project is one that has been knocking around for a while after appearing on Hollywood's Black List (a yearly industry poll of tinseltown's best unproduced screenplays) in 2009. Previously Oliver Hirschbiegel (Downfall, 2006) and Luca Guadanigno (I Am Love, 2009) had been attached to the script by the scribes Neal Purvis and Robert Wade who have been involved in all the recent Bond films.

Corsica '72, as the title would suggest, takes place on the small mediterranean island and follows two best friends who grow up to find themselves on opposite sides of the law and in love with the same woman.

It seems that this project will go ahead of Rattleborge as that one will require more time for casting due to its violent nature. It's great to see Park so busy these days but personally I was hoping he would head back home to helm another feature in Korea rather than do three on the trot stateside. But who am I to complain when I now have three films to look forward to from one of the world's best filmmakers? (Modern Korean Cinema, September 18/Twitch, September 18, 2012)

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KCN: Park Chan-wook takes on Western, Pieta at Venice and Busan Heats Up! (08/30-09/05, 2012)

The bis news this week is a new Park Chan-wook project, Pieta premiering at Venice and numerous Busan Film Fest announcements

BIFF 2012

The 17th Busan International Film Festival is exactly one month away and the news is starting to come in thick and fast. MKC will be on site for the entire event:

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KCN: Oscar Shortlist, Festival News and Trailers (08/23-08/29, 2012)

Oscar news this week and a number of festival items, not to mention posters and trailers.

KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

KOFIC Announces Shortlist for 2013 Oscars
A team is being assembled by the Korean Film Council to deliberate over the merits of five recent Korean features hoping to become to next selection to represent the nation in the Foreign-Language Oscar race. This year's contenders include Im Sang-soo's Taste of Money, Hong Sang-soo's In Another Country, Kim Ki-duk's Pieta (which is having its world premiere next month at Venice, the gangster pic Nameless Gangster and Lee Byung-hyun period drama Masquerade, which opens next month in Korea.

Over the past few years there has been some consternation regarding the eventual picks, which have included Crossing (2008), A Barefoot Dream (2010) and The Front Line (2011). Films that seemed to have far better potential have been passed over, such as Lee Chang-dong's Poetry or the popular hit Sunny. This year's crop does not inspire a great deal of confidence (though few have seen the latter two yet) and imagine that 2013 will be another year without a Korean Oscar nominee. To date not a single Korean film has ever been selected. (Modern Korean Cinema, August 29, 2012)

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KCN: The Thieves Cracks 10 Million and JIFF Gets a New Director (08/16-08/22, 2012)

The Thieves made history this week by becoming only the 6th Korean film to cross the 10 million admissions mark and is now bearing down on the all-time record. In other news, some important castings and appointments, not to mention some festival news, posters and box office.

KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

Samuel L. Jackson Steps Aboard Spike Lee's Oldboy

Veteran actor Samuel L. Jackson is the latest star to join the remake of Park Chan-wook's classic Oldboy (2003), which is being helmed by Spike Lee with Josh Brolin in the lead. Bruce Horsnby has also recently joined the cast. (Modern Korean Cinema, August 22, 2012)

The Thieves to Screen in Hong Kong from September
The summer blockbuster The Thieves will begin screening across Asia from next month. On Sept. 6, the movie will premiere in Hong Kong and Indonesia before opening in Singapore on the 13th, and Malaysia and Thailand in October and November. (Joong Ang Daily, August 22, 2012)

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KCN: Korean Films to TIFF, Thieves Still King (08/09-08/15, 2012)

Not an enormous amount of news this week. Toronto has announced some Korean films in its lineup, The Thieves continues its extraordinary box office run and a number of trailers and posters this week.

KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

Three Korean Films Set for Toronto

The Toronto International Film Festival, arguably the world's biggest film event (if not quite as glitzy as Cannes), returns next month and this year a trio of Korean films have been invited. The sophomore effort from Jo Sung-hee (End of Animal; 2010), A Werewolf Boy will screen in the Contemporary World Cinema section along with Juvenile Offender by Kang Ji-kwan and current blockbuster The Thieves from Choi Dong-hun. (Modern Korean Cinema, August 15, 2012)

R2B Presells to 30 Markets

The Rain-starring aviation blockbuster R2B: Return to Base, has presold to 30 territories, including: England, Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Canada, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Monaco, India, Turkey & Mongolia. The film is a remake of the Korean classic Red Scarf (1964) but by all accounts it seems to fall far more in line with Top Gun (1986). (Modern Korean Cinema, August 15, 2012)

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Korean Cinema News (07/12-07/18, 2012)

PiFan is upon us and once it gets underway tomorrow I dare say I won't have time for anything else. This means that there will be no Korean Cinema News next week but don't worry I'll double the week after the fest!

PIFAN

Final two previews from James Marsh and I over at Twitch:

PiFan Preview Part 5: Myung Films, 70s Korean Comedites and More!

Twitch Reveals its Top Picks

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Korean Cinema News (06/28-07/04, 2012)

Some good news for the state of Korean box office this week as well as some features on this year's PiFan. In addition, yours truly was interviewed by hancinema.net recently about Korean film and my recent move to Korea!

Ten Questions for the KOREAN CINEPHILE

PIFAN

I'm covering this year's PiFan on MKC and over at Twitch with James Marsh where we're currently breaking down the program for everyone in a series of previews, check out the first two parts below:

PiFan 2012 Preview Part 1: Puchon Choice (Main Competition)
PiFan 2012 Preview Part 2: World Fantastic Cinema

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Korean Cinema News (06/21-06/27, 2012)

Lots of great news pieces this week, chief among them the fantastic lineup for next month's PiFan!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

PiFan Unveils Lineup!

Far too much to go through here but upcoming Korean omnibus Horror Stories will be opening the proceedings and the week will close with Takashi Miike's latest, For Love's Sake. Lots of interesting films in competition and plenty of Korean films will be screened over the 11 days. James and Marsh and I will be breaking down the program over the coming days over at Twitch and we will both be onsite, providing the most comprehensive coverage you're likely to find! (Modern Korean Cinema, June 27, 2012)

16th PiFan - Full Schedule

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Korean Cinema News (06/14-06/20, 2012)

A few items on PiFan this week and a number of new trailers, which now feature writeups (originally posted on Twitch).

KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

PiFan to Hold Myung Films Retrospective

The lineup for next month's 16th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival will not be revealed for another week but we now have our first indication of some of the films that will screened at the event. PiFan will be holding a retrospective of the respected Korean production company Myung Films. The sidebar will be titled "Asian Major Studio Special Program: The Sun and the Moon of Korean Films, Myung Films" and will feature a cross section of some of the company's major works.

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Korean Cinema News (05/31-06/06, 2012)

First Korean Cinema News update live from Seoul!  However, pretty light this week as I get myself up to speed in my new home.

KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

Clint Mansell To Score Park Chan-Wook’s Vampire Film Stoker
When you’ve got the director of Oldboy (2003) making an intimate vampire film, you know the score will be as important as the lead actors.  In the case of Park Chan-wook‘s English-language debut, Stoker, that certainly seems to be the case.  He’s recruited Clint Mansellto score the film, which stars Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman and Alice in Wonderland herself, Mia Waskiowska.  (/Film, June 5, 2012)

Korea's Oldest Silent Film Revived
As the black and white film began rolling, a four-piece band — keyboard, violin, cello and piano accordion — played music and a narrator explained the first scene of the film Crossroads of Youth (1934) at Ewha Centennial Hall located in Jeong-dong, central Seoul, Saturday.  The silent film was revived with a modern twist after enormous effort from staff including a programmer, a director, a composer, musicians, singers and a narrator.  (The Korea Times, May 30, 2012)

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Korean Cinema News (05/24-05/30, 2012)

Aside from a new trailer, poster and the Box Office recap, all of this week's news in Cannes-related.  The big films were sold to the major markets but left high and dry at the awards ceremony, though a short did pick up a prize for Korea!

The big news with MKC this week is that the site and I are relocating to Seoul this Sunday, a very exciting devlopment!  Below is yesterday's post about the move:

MKC to Touch Down in Seoul in 5 Days


KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

IFC Midnight to Give US Viewers a Taste of Money With Im Sang-soo's Latest
Im Sang-soo's new film The Taste of Money, which competed in Cannes last week, has been picked up by IFC Midnight for US distribution.  Im's previous film The Housemaid (2010), which also vied in competition at Cannes, was also distributed in North America by IFC Midnight and benefited from a decent amount of exposure.  I recall being surprised when I noticed its availability on Time Warner's On Demand service when I lived in LA.  I'm not sure if a theatrical release will follow and it must be said that it has not received glowing reviews from the Mediterranean fest but this is not always a good indicator for the greater public.

The Taste of Money, which stars Kim Kang-woo (A Better Tomorrow, 2009), Yoon Yuh-jung (Actresses, 2009), Baek Yoon-shik (Save the Green Planet, 2003) and Kim Hyo-jin (Woochi, 2009), brings us inside the lives of one of the richest families in Korea and their tale of greed, lust and violence.  (Modern Korean Cinema, May 30, 2012/Twitch, May 29, 2012)

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Korean Cinema News (05/17-05/23, 2012)

Some sales in Cannes this week but not too much else to report though there are some great interviews and a new trailer for incoming summer zombie feature Deranged.  Next week should yield some more Cannes news and hopefully a Korean film will pick up a prize though at this point I don't think they'll get anything in the main competition unless The Taste of Money suddenly received a better welcome than in Korea where it opened last week.

KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

Korean Movies Sell at Cannes
A number of high-profile pics have sold at Cannes, including the hotly anticipated The Thieves which was bought by firms in China, Hong Kong and Thailand.  The year's biggest local hit to date, Nameless Gangster, also secured distribution in some territories such as Japan, China and Hong Kong in Asia as well as Eastern Europe, Spain and the French-speaking portion of Europe.  So Ji-sub's hitman film A Company Man, which is scheduled to open next month, was sold to Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, and French and German-speaking Europe.  The Scent was also taken by a few Asian markets, including Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore.  Lastly, Love On-Air, the first wide Korean release of 2012, was sold to Thailand.  (Modern Korean Cinema, May 23, 2012)

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Korean Cinema News (05/10-05/16, 2012)

Not a huge news week, the main item being that Snow Piercer is finally underway but some interesting features and tidbits nonetheless, including and a couple of trailers with English subtitles.

In other news I have become the Twitchfilm's Korea correspondent, a position I'm thrilled to take on but no need to worry as nothing will change regarding the day-to-day running of MKC.

KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

Production Begins on Bong Joon-ho's Snow Piercer
Likely the most anticipated project on the horizon from a Korean cineaste, Bong Joon-ho's Snow Piercer has finally begun production, having first been floated as a project back in 2007.  New additions to the cast have been made, which now features Song Kang-ho, Ko Ah-sung, Ewen Bremner, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt, Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Kenny Doughty and Emma Levie.

Some location photography on a glacier in Austria has already wrapped and no they are underway with the main segment of filming which is happening at the Barrandov studios in Prague, Czech Republic.  It's wonderful to see this exciting project finally coming to life and hopefully the production will be smooth sailing from here on in.  (Modern Korean Cinema, May 16, 2012)

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Korean Cinema News (04/26-05/02, 2012)

I had a lot of news in my mailbox when I returned from Italy this week so there's plenty of big announcement in this Korean Cinema News update!  Also a huge amount of exciting trailers below, including As One, In Another Country, Taste of Money and The Thieves.  Remember if you have any news relating to Korean film feel free to email me and I'll be happy to include it in the nest update.

Enjoy!

KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

Ahn Sung-ki and Lee Byung-hun to Cast Handprints in Hollywood
The inaugural Look East: Korean Film Festival will be taking place this June, on the weekend of the 23-24, at the famed Grauman's Chinese film theatre in the heart of Hollywood.  Numerous Korean films, old and new, will be showcased but the focal point of the event will the casting of the hand and foot prints of two major Korean actors.  This marks the first time that any Asian performers have been honoured in such a fashion in Los Angeles.

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Korean Cinema News (04/12-04/18, 2012)

Some great trailers and a fantastic from Park Chan-wook on Stoker this week but much of the last seven days' Korean Cinema news revolves around the Kickstarter project behing Remember O Goddess, an upcoming Korean film that is looking for crowdsourced funding.  Lee Yoon-jung has been working hard to get the word out as she seeks to turn her excellent short film of the same title into a feature.  Last week there was a post promoting the project here on MKC:

Wanna Help Make a Korean Film? Here's Your Chance!
(Modern Korean Cinema, April 10, 2012)

She has also had a few interviews with some of MKC's favorite Korean cinema resources:

Hangul Celluloid (April 11, 2012)

Han Cinema (April 14, 2012)

You can watch Lee's fantastic short below:

KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

District 9 star Sharlto Copley offered bad guy role in Spike Lee’s Oldboy
Those of you who have seen District 9 can attest that Sharlto Copley should be in a lot more movies.  Now Variety reports that the actor has just been offered the villain role in Spike Lee’s American remake of Oldboy, a 2003 Korean thriller from director Chan-Wook Park that holds the distinction of being one of the most disturbing movies I’ve seen in a long time.  (Filmonic, April 12, 2012)

Korean Film Downunder 3: Longing for a Ko-production
The time has come for Australia to look to the powerhouse of the Asia Pacific region in regards to the entertainment industry.  No longer can our focus simply be locked on to the lustrous billions of potential opportunities that China seems to hold over us. The real leader in the region, the real leader in the industry, is South Korea.  (Tully's Recall, April 16, 2012)

Preview: 14th Udine Far East Film Festival

This Friday, the 14th Udine Far East Film Festival gets underway presenting one of the best lineups of Asian cinema to be found outside of the continent. MKC will be onsite covering the event though since I only get there on Sunday night I will have missed the first few days, which sadly include some of the films I was most excited about. Long have I known about the FEFF and wanted to go so I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to attend this year and sample the many films on offer.  (Modern Korean Cinema, April 17, 2012)

Upcoming Berlin Begins Production

Ryoo Seung-wan's highly anticipated film Berlin, featuring a bevy of stars, began production on the 16th in Korea and will move to Europe next month for the majority of its shoot.  Berlin stars Ha Jeong-woo, Han Seok-kyu, Rioo Seung-beom and Jeon Ji-hyeon.  It a spy action drama about three men and a woman who chase after each other after getting involved in an unexpected plot based in Berlin.  (hancinema.net, April 17, 2012)

INTERVIEW

Park Chan-wook Stalks a Thriller With Stoker

Acclaimed director Park Chan-wook, who is renowned for daring films such as Oldboy (2003), Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005) and Thirst (2009) recently wrapped production on his English-language film debut, a thriller called Stoker.  The film, which stars Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska and Matthew Goode, is slated for release later this year and there is already talk of a possible Cannes premiere.   (Joong Ang Daily, March 29, 2012)

TRAILERS

As One

Don't Click

Everything About My Wife

Red Maria

POSTERS

Don't Click

The Scent

The Taste of Money

BOX OFFICE

Battleship Sinks the Competition

(Modern Korean Cinema, April 15, 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 (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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