Korean movie news

2008/04/22 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Seoul, April 22 (Yonhap) -- An international cartoon and animation festival will open here next month, showcasing the latest trends in the animated film industry and fast-changing media environment, the event's organizer said Tuesday.

The 12th Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival (SICAF) is to start May 21 for a five-day run at the Convention and Exhibition Center (COEX) in southern Seoul, the SICAF organizing committee said. ...

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2008/04/22 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Actress Lee Ji-ah, who starred in the history drama series "The Legend", will make a guest appearance on a talk show about popular Asian dramas at the Osaka studio of Japan's NHK TV.

Lee's management agency BOF recently said that she will appear as a guest in the May special edition of the talk in front of 500 audience members. The talk show will introduce the historical drama series and the actress will get the chance to answer questions asked by the audience members.

An NHK official said "The Legend", which began airing on NHK from April 5 has been dubbed "Winter Sonata 2" for its high viewer ratings. The official added that Lee's outstanding performance in the drama series is quickly making her a star in Japan as well.

Lee is currently shooting a brand new drama series on MBC TV entitled "Beethoven Virus" with actor Kim Myeong-min....

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2008/04/22 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

In the last few years, Korean films, TV dramas and pop music have become immensely popular abroad, a phenomenon known as the Korean Wave. This is the 32nd in a series of essays by a select group of scholars and journalists looking at the spread of Korean pop culture in Southeast Asian countries and beyond. - Ed.

Korea - both North and South - has long been unfamiliar to most Spaniards. Rising tensions between the two Koreas, derived mainly from nuclear development by North Korea, were the only news we heard from Korea. Before that, we knew a little about the Korean War in the 1950s, but did not know the cause of it.

In the 1960s, a famous comic depicting the war led by the "good" Americans against the "bad" communists was published and accepted by the anti-communist regime of Franco. This is how Spanish people of that era remember the Korean War.

But the majority of Spaniards may still have difficulty finding Korea on a world map. High-level visits from the King of Spain, poli...

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2008/04/22 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Director Ahn Seul-gi has a discerning eye for Korean youth and their wanderings. As a teacher, Ahn has observed how they struggle to figure out their roles in society where the outlook remains gloomy for many poverty-stricken students.

"My Song Is... " (Korean title: "Na-ui norae-neun") is a small-budget film that Ahn shot and produced during a school vacation period. Though the movie's overall scale is small, the challenges facing key characters are profoundly intense and realistic.

On a cold day, Hee-cheol (Sin Hyeon-ho) wakes up to find out he is missing a crucial college entrance exam. His indifferent grandmother has apparently turned off his alarm clock. Frustrated at her carelessness, Hee-cheol vents his anger at his grandmother, but she simply shrugs it off as if nothing important has happened.

In fact, the grandmother's gesture is telling in many respects. Hee-cheol lives with his aloof grandmother at a shabby house in an obscure area of Seoul. His father, a foul-mouth...

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2008/04/22 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

SHANGHAI -- Korea's top designer Andre Kim presented his Spring/Summer '09 fashion collection in Shanghai on Tuesday, showing off the beauty of Korean arts and culture expressed in his signature designs. Held at the Shanghai Mart located in the center of the southeastern port city of China, the fashion show was the opening event of "Preview in Shanghai 2008", an annual fashion and textile exhibition organized by the Korea Federation of Textile Industries and sponsored by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.

Aimed at increasing the market share of Korean fashion brands in China, the three-day event exhibits the latest fashion trends in Korea through a series of business consultation conferences, exhibitions and fashion shows. In its sixth year, the annual event has helped Korean companies expand their business in Shanghai, the fashion epicenter of China. The event, which draws a total of 120 apparel and fabric companies from Korea, ends tomorrow.

In the opening fashion show, Kim pre...

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2008/04/22 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

The Hankook Ilbo media group, including The Korea Times, will organize the Banff Mountain Film Festival for the first time in Korea. The festival will take place at CGV theaters in the nation's five big cities April 24-30.

During the festival, 10 internationally acclaimed films about climbing and mountain sports, including "The Endless Knot" will be shown at the local screens.

The festival annually presents short films and documentaries about mountain culture, sports and the environment. Started in 1976 in Banff, Alberta, the film festival has toured every year.

It is organized by the Steering Committee of BANFF Mountain Film Festival in Korea, The Korea Times, Hankook Ilbo, Sports Hankook, Seoul Economic Daily, Hankooki.com

It is sponsored by Korean Alpine Federation, Monthly Mountain, CGV, Nepa, Mammut, High 8848, Canadian Embassy, Canadian Tourism Commission, Alberta Tourism Commission

For inquiry: (02) 724-2000/2005-2007 or visit http://www.cgv.co.kr.

April 24-25 ...

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2008/04/22 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Shanghai, China ― Korean stars Lee Da-hae, Kim Jeong-hoon and Jang Geun-seok added a touch of star power to top designer Andre Kim's fashion show here Tuesday.

Kim presented his 2009 spring/summer fashion collection during the opening of the Korean textile and apparel trade show "Preview in Shanghai 2008" at Shanghai Mart.

Hallyu, or the Korean wave, seems to be alive and kicking in this exciting Chinese city, as the audience eagerly awaited the appearance of Korean celebrities at Kim's show.

Cameras flashed in the hall as Lee, who appeared in several hit dramas like "My Girl", and Kim, best known for his role in the MBC drama "Princess Hours" (Gung), hit the runway wearing Kim's unique designs.

Jang is one of the hottest young actors in Korea, having appeared in recent dramas like "Hwangjin-i" and "Hong Gil Dong". Dozens of Chinese fans waited for him to arrive at the airport.

Kim's fashion art collection was once again w...

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2008/04/22 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

In his debut feature "The Unforgiven" (2006), director YOON Jong-bin showed us a side of men and masculine codes in the Korean military with honesty and sensitivity. Now YOON is back with his sophomore effort, a film which shows another side of men, this time male hosts who serve female clients in discreet salons tucked into the affluent fashion districts of southern Seoul. Opening April 30, "The Moonlight of Seoul" (titled Beastie Boys in Korean) stars the talented and now famous HA Jeong-woo ("The Chaser") along with YOON Kye-sang ("Flying Boys").

The story centers around Seung-woo (played by YOON), who, was once quite wealthy but after a turn in fortunes, joins a 'host bar' to make ends meet, and Jae-hyeon (played by HA), a partner and manager at the host bar, living a reckless life. Seung-woo falls in love with a client (played by YOON Jin-seo), one of many females hostesses who frequent the place to let off steam from their own line of work and but the couple are plagued by...

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2008/04/22 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Local film weekly magazine, Cine 21, provided its annual list of the most powerful players in the Korean film industry, with CJ Entertainment president KIM Joo-seong at the top for the first time. With the industry taking a downturn last year, CJ Ent. has grown to become the key investor and distributor for many of the biggest projects expected out this year, including "Modern Boy" and "The Good, The Bad, The Weird".

In second place was CHA Seung-jae of SIDUS FNH, switching from the top spot last year and the year before. In third was Cinema Service founder and director KANG Woo-suk, ("Silmido", "Hanbando", and the upcoming Kang Chul-joon). Mediaplex CEO KIM woo-taek came in fourth while "The Host" helmer BONG Joon-ho was in fifth place.

The ranking are voted on by 85 leading film industry representatives. Other notables included MK Pictures producer SHIM Jae-myung at no.6, Lotte Entertainment CEO KIM Kwang-seop at 7, top Korean actor SONG Kang-ho at 8 and director PARK C...

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2008/04/21 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

"My Sassy Girl" (Yeopgijeokin Geunyeo) director KWAK Jae-yong's latest film "Cyborg Girl" will be cinematically released in ten countries, including Korea. The romantic comedy is a Japanese production and stars the Japanese actors Ayase Haruki and Koide Keisuke in the leading roles.

"Cyborg Girl" will kick off its grand international tour in Japan on May 31. KWAK wrote and directed the romantic film. The big budget film includes several special effects laden scenes.

Ayase Haruki plays the titular cyborg girl who becomes involved with an earthly university student, portrayed by Koide Keisuke. Cyborg Girl is somewhat quintessentially KWAK as the sci-fi film features a dominant (cyborg) girl who doesn't hesitate to use physical force against the man of her affection, similar to "My Sassy Girl".

"My Sassy Girl" is one of the early 'Korean Wave' films which achieved great popularity in Japan and other Asian countries, turning its stars JEON Ji-hyeon and CHA Tae-hyeon into stars ...

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