Lim Pil-seong (임필성)

PiFan Shorts Jury and Industry Program Announced

Source | 2009/06/06 | Permalink |

The upcoming Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) (July 16 – 26) has announced the members of its Puchon Choice Shorts jury. Invited to the 13th edition are actor-director YANG Ik-joon, whose debut feature "Breathless" won the top Tiger award at Rotterdam this year, and LEE Hanna, the producer of "Secret Sunshine", a Cannes winner last year. The foreign jury member is Todd Brown, founder and editor of the popular film website, Twitch (http://www.twitchfilm.net).

The short films this year will include the animated short, "Dust Kid" by director JUNG Yu Mi. The short was screened in the prestigious Director's Fortnight program at Cannes last month. It will compete for an array of prizes totaling over $US 10,000 in the categories Best Short Film, Jury's Choice for Short Film, Citizen's Choice for Short Film, and the Best Korean Short Film.

Also announced is the special industry program "New-Type SF Movie: Beyond Limitation" an educational platform for PiFan's ...| More

"Hansel and Gretel" wins twice at Fantasporto

Source | 2009/03/06 | Permalink |

LIM Pil-seong's visual feast "Hansel and Gretel" won Fantasporto Fantasy competition's Special prize, and Orient express' Best film award. LIM's fantasy film was in the running for three awards in the competitions: Fantasy, Directors week, and Orient express.

All of the three major fantastic film festivals – 2008 Ssitges International Film Festival of Catalonia (Spain), Brussels (Belgium), and Fantasporto (Oporto, Portugal) – have selected "Hansel and Gretel". The film also played at 2008 Vancouver International Film Festival, 2008 Filmasia Film Festival, 2008 Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, and 2008 The Times BFI London Film Festival.

"Hansel and Gretel" was cinematically released in the UK on 16 January. The Canadian release is scheduled for 27 March.

Director LIM, his team of experts, and his cast deliver a superb film, excelling on all levels. CHEON Jeong-myeong's character gets lost in a forest and ends up in fairytale like house with three children – p...| More

LIM Pil-seong's "Flower of Evil" Project

Source | 2009/02/10 | Permalink |

Director LIM Pil-seong is known for films that tread on the fragile threshold of human psychology, often plunging into depths of horror and fantasy. His latest project is no exception. To be presented at the upcoming Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum (March 23 -25), The Flower of Evil delves into the dark side of sexuality.

Budgeted at US $5 million, and described as a horror-suspense-drama, the project, while set in Seoul, will feature an American in the male lead role and both English and Korean dialogue. Casting has yet to take place.

The story revolves around David, an American business exec heading the Korean office of a multinational company. Conservative and happily married with kids, he never-the-less falls for In-hwa, a beautiful, young Korean woman whose double nature drives him into obsession and madness.

The project is to be produced by Barunson Film Division which handled LIM's previous feature "Hansel and Gretel" (2007), as well as KIM Ji-woon's "...| More

"Hansel and Gretel" released in the UK

Source | 2009/01/20 | Permalink |

The dark fairytale "Hansel and Gretel" was cinematically released on Friday 16 January in the UK. "LIM Pil-seong's feature is the stand-out Korean film of the year — combining the left-centre whimsy of PARK Chan-wook's "I'm A Cyborg, but That's Ok" with the haunting darkness of [Guilermo del Toro's] Pan's Labyrinth", according to UK's leading film magazine Empire.

Empire awards "Hansel and Gretel" 4 stars out of 5. Reviewed at the same time are Valkyrie (3 stars), Better Things (3 stars), Milk (4 stars), and Seven Pounds (2 stars).

UK's renowned newspapers are less lyrical about LIM's liberal take on the brother's Grimm's fairytale. However, both Guardian and Times praise its visual accomplishments. Times review recommends it "for its visual inventions", and compares it to director Tim Burton's style. Guardian speaks of "gloriously creepy sets".

Yi Ch'ang-ho (KOFIC)...| More

HAF Selects 4 Korean Project

Source | 2009/01/09 | Permalink |

The Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) has chosen 4 South Korean projects, including the latest by director NA Hong-jin ("The Chaser"), for its high-profile project market, taking place March 23 – 25, 2009 alongside the Hong Kong International Film Festival (March 22 – April 13).

NA will present his new project, titled "The Murderer", the tale of a man who is forced to become a murderer through physical necessity. The director's debut film "The Chaser" was an unexpected hit at the Korean box office, becoming the second-highest grossing film of 2008.

Korea's top action director RYOO Seung-wan will bring "The Enforcer", his seventh feature project to HAF. The director is known for such popular hits as "Arahan" (2004), "Crying Fist" (2005) and "The City of Violence" (2006).

Also invited were LIM Pil-seong with a project called "The Flower of Evil" and LEE Jeong-beom with "A Secret Boy". LIM debuted with 2005 feature "Antarctic Journa"l followed by fairy-tale horror ...| More