Kim Hyeon-seok (김현석)

2nd Chungmuro Int'l Film Fest Kicks Off Sept. 3rd

Source | 2008/08/30 | Permalink |

The second edition of the Chungmuro International Film Festival in Seoul (CHIFFS) will bring a mixture of old and new to screens September 3rd, opening fittingly with director HIGUCHI Shinji's 2008 remake of a classic 1958 KUROSAWA Akira film, The Hidden Fortress. The curtain raiser and closing film will screen at the National Theater of Korea with the rest of the fest's 175 films screening at various venues across Chungmuro district, the traditional center of the Korean film industry.

This year adds a competition section to CHIFFS, bringing 13 contemporary features from around the world to compete for US$ 40,000 in prizes. Korean feature, Happiness by director HEO Jin-ho will participate in this section alongside Johnny TO's Mad Detective (Hong Kong) , Qunshu GAO's Old Fish (China), and ten others. Guests on the international jury include director of The Deer Hunter, Michael Cimino, and Korean director LIM Sang-soo.

Also of note is a special section celebrating the 40thannive...| More

2nd Chungmuro Int'l Film Festival to focus on current films

Source | 2008/08/11 | Permalink |

Chungmuro in central Seoul used to be the of the local film industry, with the landmark Daehan Cinema one of Korea's first movie theaters.

However, as film production facilities and movie studios have moved out to other areas as well as multiplexes mushrooming in Seoul, it is now more remembered as a historic of symbolic center of Korean cinema.

Efforts have been underway to counter the phenomenon and an international film festival was launched last year to restore the fame of Chungmuro as the center of Korean filmmakers. This is the annual Chungmuro International Film Festival.

Last year, the festival emphasized the reinterpretation of classical movies from Korea and elsewhere, but this year's festival, to be held Sept. 3–11, is shifting its focus to more current films, which have the potential to become classics.

The film festival will feature 170 films from 40 countries at the Daehan Cinema, ChungAng Cinema and Myeongbo Theater in Seoul. These theaters are at the center ...| More

Chungmuro aims to link past and present

Source | 2008/07/29 | Permalink |

When the Chungmuro International Film Festival (CHIFFS) hit central Seoul last year, it was widely regarded as somewhat of a throwback festival. The event featured films dripping with nostalgia from when Chungmuro was the heart of the Korean film industry.

Longing for the past, however, can only take a festival so far. For the second edition, organizers drew up a list of films that not only reminisce over years gone by, but also look to the current film scene.

"Like last year, we wanted to still focus on older movies, but now we also want to expand to the current repertoire of movies", said festival planning chief Cha Seung-jae at a press conference at Chungmuro's Daehan Cinema yesterday.

Yesterday, organizers of the festival announced the master list of films to be screened at CHIFFS. If the opening film is any indication of the festival's motif, then the event, to be held from Sept. 3 to 11, is a testament to bridging the gap between the past and present. The film -- Japanes...| More

Top directors assemble for short film fest's jury

Source | 2008/06/13 | Permalink |

The Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival (MSFF) assigned a high profile jury consisting of Korea's leading mainstream and independent directors. PARK Jin-pyo heads a jury further comprised of: KIM Tae-yong, KIM Yong-hwa, JO Chang-ho, KIM Hyeon-seok, KIM Tae-sik, KIM Han-min, JEON Gye-soo, CHOI Dong-hoon, and NA Hong-jin.

The Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival will open its doors on June 26 at Yongsan CGV in Seoul. The festival will finish on July 2. Among the upcoming directors, the festival also screens actor YOO Ji-tae's directorial short film effort "Out of My Intention" (Nado Moreuge) in the competition section.

PARK Jin-pyo directed "You Are My Sunshine" (Neoneun Nae Woonmyeong) and "Voice of Murderer" (Geu Nom Moksori). KIM Tae-yong received acclaim for his "Family Ties" ("The Birth of a Family", Gajokui Tansaeng). KIM Yong-hwa was the man behind the box office hit "200 Pounds Beauty" (Minyeoneun Gwereoweo). CJO Chang-ho competed at several international film festivals with "Th...| More

Korean Films Premiering at 9th JIFF

Source | 2008/04/16 | Permalink |

Ten Korean features will have their World Premiere at the Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) this spring. Now in it's 9th edition the festival will run May 1st – 9th in the attractive and historical city of Jeonju, in North Jeolla province.

Korean highlights include documentary director KIM Dong-won's latest, "63 Years On", about the 'comfort women' enslaved by the Japanese military in stations across Asia during WW2. The film provides an historical investigation along with interviews with victims still living in Korea, China, and the Philippines. KIM is best known for his 2003 film Repatriation which raised the documentary genre to commercial prominence in South Korea.

In the Korean Cinema on the Move section, presents 10 new independent features mostly by debut directors. Among the most interesting are "Synching Blue" by SEO Won-tae, a director whose shorts films have garnered praise for their visual arrangements. This HD feature is about a man who seeks comfort i...| More