Son Tae-woong (손태웅)

Daytime Drinking North American Rights Sold

Source | 2008/10/09 | 0 comments | Permalink |

In what can be seen as a breakthrough for independent Korean cinema, local sales outfit Fine Cut sold all North American rights to NOH Young-seok's "Daytime Drinking" during the Asian Film Market (Oct. 3 – 6) at the Pusan International Film Festival.

Japan's Eleven Arts signed the title and plans to release it in up to 30 cities across the US and Canada. Noh's film recently screened in Toronto, Locarno where it won special mention and the NETPAC award, and Jeonju where it won the JJ Star Korean Cinema Award.

The low-budget film, made for US$ 10,000, has already recouped its initial investment in festival prize money. The film has yet to receive a domestic release.

Also during PIFF's Market, Korea's Mirovision sold remake rights to KIM Tae-sik's 2007 feature "Driving With My Wife's Lover" to US production company Circle of Confusion. Mirovision was highly active during the fest, generating interest in its horror title "Death Bell" as well as announcing a project it plans t...| More

"The Cut" Combines Talent and Promising Actors

Source | 2007/07/16 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Egg Films and Chungeorahm Films released their horror summer title "The Cut" (Haeboohakgyosil). The film is directed by SON Tae-woong and the cast features the young actors HAN Ji-min and ON Joo-wan.

The film depicts medical students who one by one start to meet their death when they start dissecting a corps of a mysterious beautiful woman. The film tackles the horror genre from a visual imaginative angle rather than relying on gore.

SON is both a director and writer and he penned BONG Joon-ho's international breakthrough "Barking Dogs Never Bite" (2000). HAN has already a long career in television dramas. ON was recognized for his leading role in JO Chang-ho's 2006 international film festival favorite "The Peter Pan Formula". He also played supporting roles in the gangster film "Bloody Tie" and the martial arts film "The City of Violence".

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

Korean filmmakers face uphill battle

Source | 2007/07/09 | 0 comments | Permalink |

In the second half of 2006, Korean films led by "The Host", "Tazza: The High Rollers" ("The War of Flower") and "200 Pounds Beauty" enjoyed strong showings at the box office, outsmarting Hollywood blockbusters. This year, the situation has been completely reversed.

Big-budget Hollywood flicks like "Spider-Man 3" dominated the local box office in the first six months of 2007, while the share of local films, once hovering at around 40 percent, plunged to 20 percent in May.

The Korean film industry now places its hopes on a handful of movies to be released in the second half of this year.

The spotlight is on "May 18" ("Hwaryeohan hyuga", which roughly translates into "Colorful Holiday"), a tale that centers on the Gwangju massacre of May 18, 1980 when troops sent by the military dictatorship killed hundreds of innocent citizens.

The film, which cost about 10 billion won ($10.9 million) to make and is set to be released on July 26, portrays actual events leading up to the May 1...| More