Life Track (Movie - 2007)

[TALK OF THE TOWN] See with your ears and hear with your eyes? This festival's for you

Source | 2008/11/05 | 0 comments | Permalink |

It is a fact that you see with your eyes and hear with your ears. But to some, the opposite is true - they see with their ears and hear with their eyes.

This is so at the 9th Persons with Disabilities Film Festival, which kicked off on Monday and ends today. The closing ceremony is being held at the 600th Anniversary Building in Sungkyunkwan University, central Seoul, today, at 6 p.m.

The festival's 30 films are either about the disabled or directed by them.

The opening film was director Kim Kwang-ho (Jin Guang-hao)'s "Life Track", the story of a physically disabled couple. In the film, Cheol-soo, the main character, has no arms. He smokes, eats and washes his hair using his toes.

Director Gye Woon-kyung's documentary, "Pansy and Ivy" was selected as the closing film, which airs today at the closing ceremony. The story depicts two sisters in their 30s dreaming of marriage. The film received the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema Award at the Yamagata International Do...| More

Hong Sang-soo's Film Vies for Berlin Award

Source | 2008/02/11 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

While Korea celebrated Seollal on Feb. 7, on the far side of the globe, Germany greeted cineaste and cinephiles from all over the world for the 58th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), which runs through Sunday. This year, Hong Sang-soo's "Night and Day" competes for the Golden Bear award while three other Korean films make their mark at one of the most exciting and large-scale film events.

"Night and Day" is Hong's eighth feature film and it is the first time the acclaimed director competes at the Berlinale. Known as an innovative minimalist, Hong had competed in Cannes with "Woman is the Future of Man" (2004) and "Tale of Cinema" (2005). Before flying to Berlin, he stopped by Geneva earlier this month because "Woman on the Beach" (2006) was invited to the Black Movie Festival.

A recipient of the 2005 Korean Film Council Production Support for Art Films, "Night and Day" was mostly shot in Paris. It is about a successf...| More

Four Korean films to screen at Berlin Film Fest

Source | 2008/01/29 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Acclaimed director HONG Sang-soo will return to the Berlin International Film Festival with his eighth film "Night and Day", which screens in the festival's competition section. This will be the first time that a film by HONG competes at Berlin, after his previous works "Woman is the Future of Man" (2004) and "Tale of Cinema" (2005) competed at Cannes.

The film, recipient of 2005 KOFIC Production Support for Art Films, which was 90% shot in Paris, stars KIM Yeong-ho as an artist who runs off to France and leaves behind his wife played by HWANG Soo-jeong. PARK Eun-hye and LEE Seon-gyoon are cast as art students in Paris.

HONG's film is one of four Korean films that have been invited to various sections of the Berlinale. "Beautiful" by debut director Jeon Jae-hong tells the story of a woman who is persecuted because of her beauty. The film is based on a screenplay by well-known director KIM Ki-duk, who also served as executive producer of the film. Jeon is recognized as an u...| More

Rotterdam fest to highlight various Korean films

Source | 2008/01/18 | 0 comments | Permalink |

The 37th International Film Festival Rotterdam, scheduled to run from January 23 to February 3, will present a broad selection of Korean films in its line-up.

Although no Korean films will compete in the festival's main competition section for first and second films, the short film Waiting will participate in the festival's short film competition. The film, which was commissioned by the Jeonju International Film Festival as part of its Short! Short! Short! project, centers on a woman waiting for a train who encounters a boy who acts in strange ways. This marks the second year in the row that the film's director, KIM Jong-kwan, has had a short film competing at Rotterdam.

Three Korean features will screen in the Sturm und Drang (Cinema of the Future) section. The omnibus "Fantastic Parasuicides" centers on people who undergo surreal experiences at the moment they decide to kill themselves. "Hanging Tough" – directed by PARK Soo-yeong – is about a high school girl who wants to ...| More

The Fruits of Korean Independent Film Support

Source | 2007/10/31 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Consistent support provided for independent films by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) in order to diversify Korean films is bearing various significant results.

First of all, a new venue 'INDIE SPACE' will open in Myeong-dong's Spongehouse (3rd floor of the old Joongang Cinema building). This is the result of a project to develop and promote an independent film theater network to secure screens to show indie films and enliven distribution and production. Films to be shown at INDIE SPACE will focus on independent feature films produced domestically, promising at least 2 weeks of screening, and also on introducing outstanding foreign films. There are also plans for special projects showcasing diverse independent films.

As its first event, an Opening Film Festival is to be held from Nov. 8~21, promoting INDIE SPACE. Films chosen for the festival include "Life Track" by JIN Guang-Hao who received the New Currents award at PIFF, and director YOON Seong-ho's "Milky Way Liberation Fro...| More