Na Hong-jin (나홍진)

High Profile Korean Films at the New Zealand International Film Festival

Source | 2009/07/24 | 0 comments | Permalink |

The NZ International Film Festival has always shown a large amount of Korean films. The 5 acclaimed Korean features this year however have already racked up awards and played at festivals around the globe.

First up and most recently is BONG Joong-ho's "Mother - 2009" which opened in Cannes to rave reviews and stampeded at the box office when it came to Korea. Both "Mother - 2009" and Cannes winner PARK Chan-wook's "Thirst" together accumulated a large volume of sales at the festival. Also playing at the NZ festival is the farmer-and-his-cow documentary "Old Partner" which, as an independent, came from obscurity and gained a total of 2 million local viewers. Another sleeper hit included is NA Hong-jin's "The Chaser" that won the 'Best of Pucheon' award at last year's Pucheon International Fantastic Film Festival and has since gone on to play in other territories. Korean American, KIM So-yong's auto-biographical second feature, drama "Treeless Mountain" after opening the 16th A...| More

Korean Line-up at Fantasia Int'l Film Fest

Source | 2009/07/06 | 0 comments | Permalink |

North America's largest genre film fest, the Fantasia International Film Festival boasts an impressive line-up of notable Korean films this year; among them the North American premiere of PARK Chan-wook's Cannes-winning vampire drama, "Thirst". Held annually in Montreal, Canada, the event will run from July 9 – 29 at several theaters in the city.

Along with PARK's latest is "Crush and Blush", a film he produced for debut director LEE Kyoung-mi. Two int'l festival favorites, NOH Young-seok's micro-budget but acclaimed debut, "Daytime Drinking", and JANG Hoon's "Rough Cut" will screen. Both films have had their Canadian rights bought by Canada's Evokative Films which plans to release "Rough Cut" in Canadian theaters in January of 2010.

Rotterdam winner "Breathless" by YANG Ik-joon will screen along with sleeper hit of 2008, "The Chaser" by NA Hong-jin. LEE Yoon-ki's Seoul odyssey, "My Dear Enemy" and KWAK Jae-yong's Japanese made "Cyborg, She", were also invited. Other film...| More

Mise-en-Scene Short Film Festival Starts Wednesday

Source | 2009/06/23 | 0 comments | Permalink |

The Mise-en-scene Short Film Festival, which has discovered and launched career of several new film directors and actors, marks its eighth season from Wednesday until next Tuesday at CGV Yongsan in Seoul.

It features 57 films in five genres in the official selection, and a total of 120 films including the non-competition selection. Festival alumni include Na Hong-jin of "The Chaser", Yang Ik-jon of "Breathless", and Lee Kyoung-mi of "Crush and Blush". Many film directors show affection to the festival, with director Bong Joon-ho acting as the committee chair, and director Kim Dae-seung as the head of jury.

The homepage of the festival can be found at http://www.msff.or.kr
...| More

Master of the remake eyes Korean hits for Hollywood

Source | 2009/04/23 | 0 comments | Permalink |

'I develop the kind of movies I would normally see myself'.

What do the movies "The Uninvited", "My Sassy Girl" and "The Lake House" have in common?

Most cinephiles probably know that they are all remakes of hit Korean films, but what is less well publicized is the role of Korean-American film producer Roy Lee.

The man they often call the "King of the Asian box-office remake" made his name with his first remake, "The Ring", the U.S. version of the Japanese horror "Ringu".

The film that made him a player in Hollywood was "The Departed", which won Best Picture at the 79th Academy Awards starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon.

"My first remake, The Ring, was a hit. If that movie failed, or was terrible, I wouldn't have continued [in the movie industry]", said Lee, a Korean-American who was born in New York, in a recent interview with the JoongAng Daily.

He was in town a few weeks ago to give a lecture on how Korean movies can advance into the U.S. and overseas market...| More

Korean Films to Return in April

Source | 2009/03/26 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

South Korean cinema offers only a handful of releases this month, but a big lineup of homegrown films awaits moviegoers in April.

Some 10 domestic titles are slated for release next month, of which a majority are mainstream franchises that will play in theaters nationwide.

Leading the pack is "Private Eye", coming to screens April 2, starring Hwang Jeong-min as a private detective and Ryoo Deok-hwan as a young medical trainee who try to solve a serial murder case during the Japanese colonial era (1910-45). A special preview of the film with English subtitles is taking place at 7 p.m. tonight at CINUS Myeongdong Theater. The subtitled film will be available on the official release date at the venue, as well as CINUS Gangnam.

A week later, Kang Hye-jeong, the charming heroine of "Welcome to Dongmakgol", will return to the big screen opposite Park Hee-soon ("Seven Days") in "Urijibe Wae Watni" ("Why Did You Come to My House - Movie"), a quirky t...| More