Rough Cut (Movie - 2008)

Korean Stars Honoured at NYAFF

Source | 2009/07/02 | Permalink |

The New York Asian Film Festival which has already screened a host of Korean films has honoured two of Korea's up and coming actors KONG Hyo-jin and SO Ji-sub. Both actors received the Rising Star Asia Award. Both actors appeared accompanying their films showing at the 8th annual festival.

KONG who won the award because of LEE Kyoung-mi's "Crush and Blush" (2008) earlier won The 11th Director's Cut Awards for Best actress in Korea. SO who has been acting for a number of years now appeared in TV drama "Sorry, I Love You" back in 2006 and numerous other TV series since then. He received his award at the NYAFF for "Rough Cut", the film written and produced in part by KIM Ki-duk. KONG on the other hand appeared in the thriller "M" (2007) and as far back as 1999 in the school girl, supernatural thriller "Memento Mori".

The NYAFF opened June 19 and will wrap up this Sunday July the 15th.

David Oxenbridge (KOFIC)...| More

So Ji-sub, Kong Hyo-jin Receive 'Rising Star' Award

2009/06/29 | Permalink |

Actor So Ji-sub and actress Kong Hyo-jin received the Rising Star Asia Award at the New York Asian Film Festival on June 24. The awarding ceremony was co-organized by the New York Asian Film Festival and the U.S. film industry magazine Hollywood Reporter at the IFC Center. The event also marked the 30th anniversary of the New York Korean Culture Center. In the photos, So and Kong are shown at a news conference after the award ceremony.

Kong, who became the first recipient of the award, received the Best Leading Actress award in Korea for her role in the movie "Crush And Blush", while So received the New Actor award at the Blue Dragon Festival for his role in the movie "Rough Cut".

The award ceremony was attended by ethnic Koreans living in the U.S., film industry representatives and journalists from renowned U.S. and Asian media outlets such as Hollywood Reporter. A ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the Korean Culture Center and the Korean Film Night were also held on the ...| More

Korean Premieres at NY Asian Film Fest

Source | 2009/06/26 | Permalink |

This year's New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) invites seven Korean features and 10 Korean shorts to its 8th edition, running June 19 – July 5 in Manhattan. Of the seven features, four are North American premieres: RYOO Seung-wan's "Dachimawa Lee", KIM Ki-duk's "Dream", JANG Hoon's "Rough Cut", and MIN Gyoo-dong's "Antique".

The remaining three features are New York premieres and include Rotterdam Tiger winner "Breathless" by YANG Ik-joon, "Go Go 70s" by CHOI Ho and "Crush and Blush" by LEE Kyoung-mi. From the latter film, award-winning actress KONG Hyo-Jin will be a guest at NYAFF. She and actor SO Ji-Sub ("Rough Cut") will be presented with the Inaugural Rising Star Asia Awards, which will take place on the 24 of June.

In the short film category, director Lee Su-Jin is invited for the screening of his short film "Enemy's Apple". The program highlights the best Korean short films from the previous year's edition of the Mise-en-Scene's Short Film Festival in Seoul. NYAFF ...| More

Korean Presence 12th Shanghai Int'l Fest

Source | 2009/06/12 | Permalink |

The 12th edition of the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) is underway June 13 -21 with Korean presence strong throughout including 2 films in competition, and a retrospective on veteran director IM Kwon-taek who will also preside over the 5-member Asian New Talent international jury.


Korean film "Rough Cut" by debut director JANG Hoon competes alongside 15 features in the main international award section for various Jin Jue awards. Jin Jue jury president this year is Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle. Korean producer OH Jungwan will also serve on this year's jury.

In the Asian New Talent competition section is hit Korean comedy "Scandal Makers" ("Speedy Scandal"), the directing debut by KANG Hyeong-cheol. The international jury, led by IM, will select the best feature and best director for awards worth RMB 150,000 each.

A special retrospective on the master director will include some of IM's most highly regarded works. From his 80s period is Venice-w...| More

'Insadong' Can Go That Extra Mile

Source | 2009/04/16 | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

When it comes to replicas, modern Koreans may be familiar with fake Louis Vuitton handbags; the immaculate craftsmanship baffles even experts. But not many people realize that "Mongyu Dowondo" (Paradise in a Dream, 1447), displayed at the National Museum of Korea, is a mock-up. The original landmark painting of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) remains in Japan.

For "Insadong Scandal", first-time director Park Hee-gon may have been inspired by that tantalizing fact, which inevitably points to sensitive Korea-Japan relations, but he opts for something purely entertainment-driven rather than stoop to sappy "nationalism marketing" to tell the story of lost art and misdirected ambitions. Like George Clooney and others in the "Ocean's" franchise, popular actor Kim Rae-won ("Sunflower") and a host of colorful characters bring a stylish and speedy crime story set against the exotic art hub of Seoul, Insa-dong.

It all came from a dream. Angyeon immortalize...| More