In a celebration of Korean film, a record 44 will screen at this year's 2009 International Film Festival of Marrakech. In addition, representatives from Korean government organizations, the Korean film industry: producers, directors, actors and film festival delegates will be in attendance. The festival, which began in 2000 has in the past focused on the national cinemas of Italy, Egypt and Spain. This year, signaling the growing importance of Korean film and certainly spurred by recent successes such as
Bong Joon-ho's
"Mother - 2009" and
Park Chan-wook's
"Thirst", the festival turns its ...
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'These budding directors shot their first films when Korean cinema was at its peak, so it's no wonder they now feel pressure'. -PIFF programmer
The "sophomore slump" refers to when a second effort fails to meet the standards or expectations of the first. It affects bands, performers and artists of all types - and movie directors are no exception.
Six emerging Korean directors discussed the pressure and the anxiety they felt while making their second films, as well as the challenges of dealing with the changing landscape of filmmaking in Korea at "Open Talk No. 2" during the Pusan International Film Festival, which closed its nine-day run last Friday.
The six directors -
Park Chan-ok,
Lee Song-hee-il,
Lee Seong-han,
Lee Hae-joon,
Kim Tae-sik and Kim Dong-won-I - first gained recognition for their debut features at previous Pusan film festivals, and returned to this year's event with their second works.
"I feel like I keep growing through filmmaking, even though growing up is something one can look forward to and be afraid of at the same time", said
Lee Song-hee-il, who is well-known for his films, which deal mostly with homosexuality.
The director returned to PIFF this year with "Break Away", which had its world premiere there and tells the story of runaway soldiers. His first feature, "
No Regret", a gay romance, premiered at PIFF three years ago.
"I feel like a little child who is just about to learn how to walk", Lee said. "In the beginning, people always cheer for you, but once people t...
MoreThe Suyeong Bay area in Busan was packed on the evening of October 8, when the opening ceremony of the 14th Pusan International Film Festival was held. All 5,000 seats of the venue were filled. The less fortunate ones among the movie fans had to stay outside.
Red Carpet Gowns
Gowns with low-cut backs were the leading trend at this year's red carpet ceremony. Despite the chilly fall weather, many actresses appeared in surprisingly low-cut gowns.
Han Hye-jin's gray dress with a low-cut back evoked loud cheers from the fans.
Han Ye-seul's white gown made many fans shout out, "You look so beautiful".
Kim So-yeon showed up in red, while
Han Eun-jeong chose white.
Jeon Do-yeon, who made a public appearance for the first time since giving birth to her baby, was wearing an airy gown with a slightly see-through front.
Jeon Hye-bin,
Choi Kang-hee,...
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Former K-pop singer and actress
Jeong Ryeo-won is poised to advance to Hollywood.
According to press reports, Jeong, 27, visited the United States last month and met with officials from an unidentified Hollywood studio. She was also courted by Hollywood last year but this is the first time that she has had a meeting in connection with her entry into Hollywood.
A local movie expert praised Jeong, saying, "She is highly qualified to enter the United States for acting".
An official from Jeong's agency confirmed her Hollywood plan and said, "She will also be active in South Korea".
Some South Korean and Korean American actors such as
Kim Yoon-jin...
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The 14th Pusan International Film Festival opening was held at Pusan Swim Yacht Racing Open Arena.
