Park Chan-wook (박찬욱)

The city of Florence in Italy is currently playing host to 30 Korean films. The eighth edition of the Florence Korean Film Festival takes place this year from March 12-20. The festival, supported by various local groups, KOFIC and the Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism, shows mostly European and Italian premieres of new Korean films. This year the festival is comprised of a K-Horror section, the competitive Orizzonti Coreani section, the Independent Korea section (also competitive) and a retrospective on director Heo Jin-ho.

Given the notable status of the horror genre in Korea, the festival is screening seven horror films, to be presented by famed Italian director Dario Argento. The section includes Kim Seong-ho's "Into The Mirror" (2003), ...More

The long awaited Air Doll starring Korean actor Bae Doona is to get its Korean release. The actor has received a positive reception both internationally and in Japan where she has received 2 awards, including Best Actress at the Japanese Academy Awards and another at the Takasaki Film Festival.

The film, directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda and based on a Japanese manga, premiered at Cannes last May. It will be released in Korea April 8.

Back in Korea BAE is better known for her role as Nam-ju, the quietly spoken but competitive archer in Bong Joon-ho's "The Host", Korea's biggest ever grossing film. She also appeared in the same director's earlier effort "...More

Park Chan-wook's latest feature, "Thirst", took home the Orient Express best Asian film award at the 30th edition of Portugal's Fantasporto Film Festival, one of the top fantasy film fests worldwide. The film drew wide attention internationally after premiering in competition at Cannes where it won the Jury Prize.

PARK has developed a wide following after wowing audiences and critics alike with his Cannes Grand Prize winner Old Boy in 2004. Thirst stars Korea's top thesp Song Kang-ho as a priest-...More

Korean movie "Thirst" and "Mother - 2009" [CJ Entertainment]

Some of the biggest names in the South Korean film industry, as well as its most noted productions, have been nominated in multiple categories at this year's Hollywood-based Green Globe Film Awards.

According to the event's official webpage, a number of Korea's top movie stars and films will compete in this year's "International Film Awards Theme: Asia" segment of the event which recognizes movies, actors and directors in the Eastern region of the globe.

Noteworthy nominees include Song Kang-ho for film "Thirst", Ha Jeong-woo for "Take Off" and Kim Myeong-min for "Closer to Heaven" in the category for best international actor...More

Performance Industry Meets the World

Among the various factors that constitute human life, culture has the greatest capacity to nurture connections and exchange. One culture quickly absorbs the advantages of another culture and develops to integrate naturally into a large wave.

The same applies to the performance industry.

While it is difficult to compare live performances with other genres as they are played out directly in front of an audience, they often borrow from the sources, forms and contents of different genres. In 2010 the performance industry will meet and interact with other genres.

Reinterpreting works from different genres

Recently, the Muk Company announced that the film "JSA - Joint Security Area" will be produced as a musical.

"JSA - Joint Security Area" is an example of one-source, multi-use in the publication, film and musical fields. Based on the 1996 novel DMZ written by Park Sang-yeon, the 2000 film "JSA - Joint Security Area" was directed by Director Park Chan-wook. It was a big hit with its star cast including Lee Byeong-Heon, ...More