(Above picture: Scenes from "The Crucible" - Photos courtesy of CJ E&M)

In 2011, Korean films brought attention to the individuals and issues that have otherwise remained unaddressed, underrepresented, or simply unexplored. While the questions posed by these films varied, provoking responses ranging from angry shock to laughter and sympathy, all called for a collective reconsideration of the social dynamics and relationships that can be found in Korean society today.

The film Dogani, also known as "The Crucible", is based on actual events that took place at a Gwangju school for the hearing-impaired, where young students were the victims of repeated sexual assaults by faculty members over a period of five years. Depicting both the crimes and the court proceedings that let the teachers off with minimal punishment, the film sparked public outrage upon its September release, which eventually resulted in a reopening of the investigations into the incidents. With over 4 million people in Korea having watched the film, the demand for legislative reform reached all the way to the National Assembly, where a revised bill, dubbed the "The Crucible" Bill, was passed in late October to abolish the statute of limitations for sex crimes against minors and the disabled...More

Movie of the week omnibus Short! Short! Short! 2011

Directed by Boo Ji-young, Yang Ik-joon

With Seo Joo-hee, Heo Joon-seok, Ryoo Hye-yeong, Kim Sung-mi,...

Also known as "A Time to Love"
Synopsis
Since 2007, Jeonju International Film Festival has promoted Korean short films planned with its Short! Short! Short! Project that supports short films of talented, young Korean directors. The Short! Short! Short! Project is produced by Indiestory Inc., and co-provided by KT&G Sangsangmadang, Jeonju International Film Festival, and Indiestory Inc. It is a new method of short film production project where three short films are produced in an omnibus type film and screened in theaters...More

The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF)'s Asian Film Market opened yesterday for the first time in its new venue at the Busan Exhibition Convention Center (BEXCO). The market has reported a 67% increase in sales booths and a 24% increase in participant registration since last year...More

by KOFIC staff

The Korean Film Council (KOFIC), the Korea Movie and Video Industry Association (KMVIA) and the Korean Film Producers Association led 108 companies and organizations in a Declaration for the Normalization for Online Film Distribution on July 27.

The declaration called for online service providers to stop the illegal circulation of films. It also demanded they stop indirect technical protection of piracy and the omission of legal sales figures. It strongly demanded they adhere to guidelines for the normalization of online copyright protection. Lastly, the declaration warned online service providers that the film industry would, in collaboration, henceforth take strict and rigorous action if they did not...More

by KOFIC

The 64th Festival del Film Locarno has announced its line-up to include the South Korea-Uzbekistan co-production ""Hanaan"", directed by Ruslan PAK. The film will screen in the Filmmakers of the Present Competition.

A story about young ethnic Koreans displaced in Uzbekistan, "Hanaan" is described by producer Ellen Y.D. KIM as "a sort of Uzbek Trainspotting", complete with wandering youth, drugs, crime, and the hope for a better life...More