Kim Dong-hyun (김동현)

Rotterdam fest to highlight various Korean films

2008/01/18 | Source | Permalink |

The 37th International Film Festival Rotterdam, scheduled to run from January 23 to February 3, will present a broad selection of Korean films in its line-up.

Although no Korean films will compete in the festival's main competition section for first and second films, the short film Waiting will participate in the festival's short film competition. The film, which was commissioned by the Jeonju International Film Festival as part of its Short! Short! Short! project, centers on a woman waiting for a train who encounters a boy who acts in strange ways. This marks the second year in the row that the film's director, KIM Jong-kwan, has had a short film competing at Rotterdam.

Three Korean features will screen in the Sturm und Drang (Cinema of the Future) section. The omnibus "Fantastic Parasuicides" centers on people who undergo surreal experiences at the moment they decide to kill themselves. "Hanging Tough" – directed by PARK Soo-yeong – is about a high school girl who wants to ...| More

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12th PIFF Wraps with Awards

2007/10/16 | Source | Permalink |

The 12th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) came to a close October 12 th after a 9 day run that drew a record-breaking attendance. An official tally of 198,603 admissions were taken during the event, up nearly 6000 from last year, while overall occupancy for screenings reached 75.8%. Both opening and closing films were sold out, with PIFF a total of 271 films from 65 countries.

Winners in the festival's only competitive section, New Currents, were announced at an award ceremony with 3 films sharing the honor, each winning US$30 000. Korean-Chinese director JIN Guang-hao won for his feature debut, the KOFIC-supported "Life Track" . Malaysian director Seng Tat LIEW won for his first feature "Flower in the Pocket", and Aditya ASSARAT of Thailand was awarded for his sophomore effort "Wonderful Town" . "Flower in the Pocket" also snagged the audience award, while the FIPRESCI award went to "The Red Awn" by CAI Shangjun of China.

JIN's "Life Track" is an unpretentious and stir...| More

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Korean Films Premiering at PIFF

2007/10/02 | Source | Permalink |

A slew of Korean features will have their World Premiere at the 12th Pusan International Film Festival, which opens October 4 for a 9 day run. A special highlight of the festival is "The Friends", a long-awaited second feature from director LEE Yeong-jae, whose debut was the endearing classic "The Harmonium in My Memory" (1999). The Friends is the story of three 6th graders who, curious about death, decide to visit a dying old man.

Films from new voices and recent film school graduates include KIM Sun-hee's "Drawing Paper", her HD feature debut - a coming-of-age story about the members of a girls high school band, and "Somewhere Over Here" by debut director LEE Seung-young, a similar-themed story of a young musically inclined girl discovering life.

The documentary "Lineage of the Voice" follows two boys from very different backgrounds as they develop their talent for the traditional singing practice called pansori. It is directed by Baek Yeon-ah, who was the editor on Daniel...| More

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PIFF Asian Cinema Fund 2007

2007/08/23 | Source | Permalink |

The newly created Asian Cinema Fund (ACF) will launch this year as part of the 12th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), providing financial support 27 film projects in an effort to further bolster the region's filmmaking talent. The support program will bring a cash total of US$ 840,000 to projects designated under three categories: the Independent Feature Script and Project Development fund (8 projects selected), the Independent Feature Post-Production Support fund (6 projects selected), and the previously existing Asian Network of Documentary (AND) fund which will support production and post for 13 projects selected this year.

The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) will contribute to the Independent Feature Post-Production Support fund along with other private and public sector sponsors. The fund will provide cash for digital intermediate processes to be carried out in South Korea. Of the six films chosen, two are from emerging Korean directors KIM Dong-hyun ("Hello, Stranger...| More

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PIFF to Support Independent Works

2007/08/22 | Source | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

The Pusan (Busan) International Film Festival (PIFF) has launched the Asia Cinema Fund, a program to support independent film projects, the festival's organizing committee announced Tuesday at a Seoul hotel. PIFF, Korea's most celebrated cinematic event, will hold its 12th meeting between Oct. 4-12 in the southern port city.

The Asia Cinema Fund, with a balance of 800 million won, is an expansion of the festival's existing program, the Asia Documentary Network (AND). The program will finance 27 films under three categories: script and project development and post-production of full-length independent films, and the making of documentary works, a continuation of AND. Each section is split geographically, for Korean projects and Asian projects. The Association of Korean Independent Film & Video will help fund the Korean documentary projects.

"Asian Cinema Fund was created with a mission to broaden and deepen PIFF's support for Asian Cinema", said P...| More

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