Hong Sang-soo (홍상수)

PARK's Paju to Open Rotterdam Film Festival

Source | 2009/11/19 | 0 comments | Permalink |

PARK Chan-ok's second feature "Paju" has been selected as the opening film at 39th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), set to run Jan. 27 – Feb. 7 next year in the Netherlands' port city. Rutger Wolfson, the festival's director, called "Paju" a "triumph of resilience and a powerful female voice from Asia, ambitious and intimate at the same time".

Director PARK is no stranger to Rotterdam. In 2003, her feature debut "Jealousy is My Middle Name", won the IFFR's Tiger Award for best film. In 2006, her project "Paju" was launched at IFFR's co-production maket, CineMart. PARK and the film's two leads will attend the upcoming IFFR to introduce the film to the opening night audience.

Starring LEE Seon-gyoon ("Sa-kwa"), SEO Woo ("Crush and Blush"), SIM I-yeong, and KIM Bo-kyeong, it is an atmospheric tale of a schoolgirl (SEO) in love with her sister's husband (LEE). When her sister dies mysteriously, she suspects him of murder and complex emotions arise between them.
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Book on Korean modern artists released in English

Source | 2009/11/03 | 0 comments | Permalink |

The Korea Foundation (http://www.kf.or.kr/) recently released an English translation of the book "Modern Korean Artists". The publication is a compilation of articles about contemporary artists from the quarterly magazine "Koreana" from 2000 to 2008 and lists various genres of Korean art from fine arts to Korean film.

Korea Foundation explains in its announcement that although Korea's contemporary art world can't be dealt with fully within a single volume, the book provides a close-up look at several key figures who have contributed to the advancement of the modern art scene in Korea.

The book is divided into five sections: visual art, performance, music, architecture and film. In the visual art section, 12 notable artists are introduced, including Park Soo-geun, Lee U-fan, Bae Bien-u and Park Seo-bo; in performance artists, Lee Ae-ju and Kang Soo-jin; in music, 10 musicians including Kim Duk-soo, Ahn Sook-sun, Jo Sumi and Chung Myung-hoon; in architecture, the three architects J...| More

Yoon Kye-sang Determined to Gain Recognition as Actor

Source | 2009/10/30 | 0 comments | Permalink |

"I wanted to stay free of any thoughts when filming 'The Executioner'", said Yoon Kye-sang, who is known for his hard work in Chungmuro. Yoon admits that he is hard on himself because he wanted to receive recognition for his acting skills. He said, "I wanted people to recognize me as an actor".

To Yoon, being known only as a former member of the idol boy band G.O.D. is great pressure. That is also the reason he rarely appeared on variety shows. He wanted to be known as an actor, not as an entertainer.

Yoon debuted on the big screen in 2004 in Byeon Yeong-joo's movie "Flying Boys". It has already been six years since his debut. Yoon says he has walked a difficult road because of young passion.

In 2004, G.O.D. was embroiled in a scandal over its contract with its agency. That was also when Yoon received a movie script through his agency. It was the script for "Flying Boys". Director Byeon attached no importance whatsoever to Yoon's top celebrity status back then and gave him thr...| More

Eighteen Wins Top Prize at Vancouver

Source | 2009/10/16 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Korean director JANG Kun-jae took home the Dragon and Tigers Award for his debut feature "Eighteen" at the Vancouver International Film Festival last week. The coming-of-age drama topped seven other titles in the international competition section.

On the jury were Noel Vera, Johnny Ray Huston and Ikeda Hiroyuka, who all praised the film for its impressive cinematography and smooth structure. Eighteen won the 16th annual Young Cinema award and a cash prize of $10,000.

The film revolves around an illicit romance. When Tae-Hoon takes a winter vacation to the seaside with his high-school girlfriend Mi-Jeong, her father goes through the roof and forbids them to meet again.

Other Korean films screening at the Vancouver fest include HONG Sang-soo's "Like You Know It All", BONG Joon-ho's "Mother - 2009", YANG Ik-joon's "Breathless", and the comedy "Castaway on the Moon".

Nigel D'Sa (KOFIC)...| More

Lee Jae-yong Cranks in on "Actresses"

Source | 2009/07/06 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Director Lee Jae-yong, best known for his elegant and erotic period drama "Untold Scandal" (2003), is in production on his latest film, a semi-improvisational ensemble piece with the working-title "Actresses".

The low-budget feature boasts six of Korea's top female stars, all of whom have agreed to work on a deferred payment basis. The film centers on a day-long fashion shoot in which all of the actresses will be playing themselves and sharing candid stories with the camera.

The cast includes KIM Ok-bin, star of PARK Chan-wook's "Thirst" and director Lee's previous feature "Dasepo Girl"; LEE Mi-sook, who starred in Lee's "Untold Scandal" and "An Affair", KIM Min-hee who starred in Lee's "Asako in Ruby Shoes", KO Hyeon-jeong, who recently starred in HONG Sang-soo's "Like You Know It All", CHOI Ji-woo ("Shadowless Sword") and veteran actress YOON Yeo-jeong (IM Sang-soo's "A Good Lawyer's Wife")

Produced by Moongcle Pictures, presented by Sponge Entertainment and distributed ...| More