| 8 Korean films invited to the Rotterdam film fest (Source) |
2010/01/22 |

Korean movie poster "Paju" [Myung Films]
Eight Korean films have been invited to the 39th annual International Rotterdam Film Festival, according to the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) committee on Friday.
Film "Moscow" directed by Whang Cheol-mean and "Mother - 2009" by director Bong Joon-ho were chosen for the Spectrum section of the festival which highlights movies that contribute to the international film culture.##
Several other films including "Cafe Noir" by Jeong Seong-il-I, "Eighteen" by Jang Kun-jae, "Living Death" by Lee Yong-joo-I, "Elbowroom" by Ham Kyoung-rock and "Running Turtle" by Lee Yeon-woo were chosen to be featured under the B... |More
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| Korean film "Elbowroom" invited to Rotterdam film fest (Source) |
2010/01/18 |

Poster for Korean film "Elbowroom" [Gun Cinema]
Korean film "Elbowroom" has been officially invited to the 39th Rotterdam International Film Festival, according to the film's producer Gun Cinema on Monday.
"Elbowroom" will be shown in the "Bright Future" section -- a non-competitive category which introduces works by new promising directors -- at the film fest, to be held in Rotterdam starting January 27.##
The film, which was directed by indie filmmaker Ham Kyoung-rock, shows the violent living environment surrounding handicapped people and how they live under such circumstances.
Founded in 1972, Rotterdam is considered one of the biggest film fest... |More
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| Year of the thriller for Korean movies (Source) |
2010/01/12 |
Film insiders excited over new works by three star directors
Hits came from all quarters in Korean cinema last year, with big blockbusters "Take Off" and "Haeundae", auteur films "Thirst" and "Mother - 2009" and indie sleepers "Old Partner" and "Breathless" all filling seats.
Disaster flick "Haeundae" was the first locally made film to top 10 million tickets sold in three years. Industry-wide box office returns hit a record high of 1.08 trillion won ($964 million), about half from Korean-made films.
The state-funded Korean Film Council forecast in a recent report that the local movie market will continue its incremental growth over the next five years, and 2010 is expected to be another bonanza for the local film studios. But the most hotly anticipated movies inside the industry aren't quite as diverse as 2009's top sellers - on the contrary, they're all in a single genre: thriller.
Korea's thriller renaissance, kicked off by "The Chaser" in 2008 and continued by "Secret - ... |More
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| Korean networks serve up a smorgasbord of dramas (Source) |
2010/01/06 |
On Monday and Tuesday nights from May 25 to Dec. 22 last year, the Korean TV drama world was dominated by a queen.
During its seven-month run, the MBC hit drama "Queen Seon-deok" topped ratings lists, recording an audience share of 44 percent at its peak.
Now, three new TV series on three different networks are poised to compete for the position that was so well guarded by "Queen Seon-deok" last year. The three series, all of which kicked off on Monday and are broadcast in the same Monday-Tuesday time slot at 10 p.m. both nights, are "Jejoongwon" on SBS, "Master of Study" on KBS, and "Pasta" on MBC.
The battle between the three could all come down to style and subject matter.
Among the offerings are a period drama and two contemporary tales, and the three dramas are set within the fields of medicine, education and culinary arts, respectively.
"Jejoongwon" is a drama about the first modern hospital in Korea. The hospital was established by King Gojong in 1885 at the sugge... |More
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| Lee Seon-gyoon says not pressured by new image in "Pasta" (Source) |
2009/12/29 |

From left, MBC TV series main cast Lee Seon-gyoon and Kong Hyo-jin pose during a press conference at the Marvelous convention hall in Seoul, South Korean on December 28, 2009. [MBC]
Briefly put, MBC TV series "Pasta" which premieres January 4, is about 'dating in the kitchen'. The romance between a boss who is divinely talented yet uses vulgar language while being disdainful to everyone and an employee who does not succumb to her boss' abusive treatment but rather bears with it to later succeed in both love and work, has been portrayed more than several times in various films and dramas. But the bar is raised higher when that story is depicted by actor Lee Seon-gyoon, f... |More
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