Jo Dong-oh (조동오)

14 Korean Films go to Italy's Far East Fest

Source | 2007/04/17 | Permalink |

The 9th Udine Far East Film Festival boasts one of the largest showcases of Asian cinema in Europe. This year around 60 titles from across Asia were selected to screen at the event which runs April 20th to 28th in the picturesque northern Italian city. This year 14 top Korean films were invited, of which several will have their International Premiere at the festival.

Making their International festival debut are LEE Jeong-beom's gangster-themed drama "Cruel Winter Blues", JANG Jin's comedy-noir "Righteous Ties", JANG Moon-il's romantic-comedy "A Good Day for an Affair", BYEON Seung-wook's drama "Solace". Two of Korea's top-grossing hits of late 2006 will have their European Premier: CHOI Dong-hoon's high-stakes comedy-thriller "Tazza: The High Rollers" ("The War of Flower") and KIM Yong-hwa's weighty satire "200 Pounds Beauty", a look at the culture of plastic-surgery in the entertainment industry. The latter film went on to become the highest-grossing Korean comedy of all time...| More

Brussels Fantastic Invites 2 Korean Films

Source | 2007/03/20 | Permalink |

Two of last year's big budget fantasy thrillers have been invited to compete at the Brussels International Festival of Fantastic Film (BIFFF), set to run April 5th – 17th, 2007 in Belgium. BONG Joon-ho's record-smashing monster film "The Host" and JO Dong-oh's purgatorial fantasy "The Restless" will vie for the top international prize in the program.

Other Korean films selected to participate in the non-competition category are AHN Byeong-ki's residential horror "A.P.T" (2006), KIM Eun-kyeong's boarding school nightmare, "Roommates - 4 Horror Tales" (2006), JO Beom-jin's scatological animation "Aachi and Ssipak" (2006), LEE Si-myeong's biting comedy "Vampire Cop Ricky" (2006) and LIM Ah-ron's animated children's feature "Mug Travel" (2006).

BIFFF ranks along with Spain's Sitges and Portugal's Fantasporto as one of the world's top three fantastic film festivals. Previous Korean awardees at the festival include KIM Ki-duk's "The Isle" (2000) and JANG Joon-hwan's "Save the Gree...| More

'The Host', 'The Restless' Invited to Brussels Fantastic Film Festival

Source | 2007/03/19 | Permalink |

The movies "The Host" by director Bong Joon-ho and "The Restless" by director Jo Dong-oh have been invited to compete in the international category of the 2007 Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, according to Pusan International Film Festival Senior Programmer Kim Ji-seok on March 18.

The Brussels Fantastic Film Festival will be held in Belgium April 5-17. Other Korean movies that have been invited to participate in the non-competition category include Lee Si-myeong's "Vampire Cop Ricky", Jo Beom-jin's "Aachi and Ssipak", Ahn Byeong-ki's "A.P.T" and Lim Ah-ron's "Mug Travel".

The festival is regarded as one of the world's top-three fantastic film festivals along with Spain's Sitges Film Festival and Portugal's Oporto International Film Festival. Previous award winners of the festival from Korea include Kim Ki-duk's movie "The Isle" and Jang Joon-hwan's "Save the Green Planet"....| More

New Korean Releases; 'The Restless' and 'Old Miss Diary'

Source | 2006/12/22 | Permalink |

Good news for James Bond fans.
The 21st film starring the world's favorite secret agent is out this week in Korea.
We also have two contrasting Korean releases out this week, a fantasy action and the other, a romantic comedy.
Son Heekyung reports.

The fantasy action epic "The Restless" is one of the most awaited films this Christmas.
The ten-million dollar movie was shot on location in China for around six months.
Actress Kim Tae-hee also makes her motion picture debut in the film, and stars alongside actor Jeong Woo-seong.
Director Jo Dong-oh's film tells of a couple who reunites in "Chungchon", a mysterious place between earth and heaven where the souls of the dead stay for 49 days before reincarnation.
Kim plays the main character who dies and becomes a goddess in Chungchon forgetting about her past, including her lover.
Most eye-catching of all are the computer generated images.

Next up is "Old Miss Diary - Movie".
The story revolves around a 30-something voice actre...| More

'Restless' Satisfies Eyes, Not Heart

Source | 2006/12/21 | Permalink |

By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter

The new action fantasy epic "The Restless" (Chungchon) is visually enjoyable. State-of-the-art computer technology allows good-looking actors to live in a fantasy world, and there are spectacular action scenes.

But these elements fall flat because of the inadequate development of the story. Viewers will soon realize that the film satisfies their eyes but not their heart.

Directed by Jo Dong-oh, the film tells the story of a couple who are separated by death but meet again in "chungchon", a place between earth and heaven where the souls of the dead stay for 49 days to erase their memories and prepare for reincarnation.

In the film, So-hwa (played by Kim Tae-hee) and her lover I-gwak (Jeong Woo-seong) face a tragic fate. So-hwa is killed by villagers after being falsely accused of being a witch.

I-gwak believes her death is the result of his power to see ghosts, and his talent eventually leads him to join the royal guard of ghost hunters in ...| More