Korean Movie Nights in New York

A weekly series of Korean movies, organized by the Korean Cultural Services is coming to New York. Showing at the Tribeca Cinemas, the series will focus on Korean independent features. The industry of late has been somewhat shaken up by a number of seemingly unknown low budget, independents that have risen up and taken their place at multiplexes across the country. The series will profile some of these features that have all so triumphed abroad.

Most notably, playing on the 23rd of January is "Breathless" (2009) directed by and staring Yang Ik-joon. The film has had an impressive run, racking up awards at Rotterdam, Vladivostok, the Fantastic Festival and more recently at FILMEX in Tokyo. It has also played at the Barcelona Asian Film Festival, the Deauville Asian Film festival and the Reel Asian Film Festival in Toronto. "Daytime Drinking" (2008) directed by Noh Young-seok will also get its day in the sun, again, after winning at Locarno and playing at the Hong Kong International Film Festival and the Copenhagen Film Festival. "Daytime Drinking" will play January the 12th. In its North American premiere is "Members of the Funeral" about a group of people who come to a dead boy's funeral and talk about what he meant to them. The film, directed by Baek Seung-bin, will play January the 26th. In addition, "Beautiful", the first feature by Juhn Jai-hong will make its New York premiere at the series.

The Korean Cultural Service, created in 1979, uses culture and academia to foster Korean and U.S. relations. The new movie series is being bought to New Yorkers free of charge by the Service.

David Oxenbridge (KOFIC)