| 2010 Korean Cinema Lineup (Source) |
2009/12/27 |
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
The past year represented hope and revitalization for Korean cinema. While problems such as piracy linger on, the forecast for 2010 cinema appears promising with diverse projects in the making.
Cineastes are finding inspiration from the past and are bringing remakes of Korean classics as well as unique period movies. Big action flicks are gearing up for the 60th anniversary of the Korean War (1950-53) while much-anticipated sequels will cater to fans. Furthermore, a couple of Hollywood projects will head here for shoots.
2009 in Review
Both commercial blockbusters and unique indie films pulled the industry out of a three-year slump and cineastes made their mark near and far.
Kim Choung-ryoul's documentary "Old Partner" rewrote box-office history for the genre, while Yang Ik-joon's "Breathless" made waves by sweeping almost two dozen prizes at international festivals. Park Chan-ok's low-budget drama "Paju" was well-received among critics an... |More
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| Movies to Watch in 2010 (Source) |
2009/12/07 |
The film industry is already preparing for next year. Many renowned filmmakers have returned to Korea to produce movies about war and sequels to hit movies.
Director Im Kwon-taek will produce his 101st movie "Scooping Up The Moonlight". Directors Kim Tae-yong and Lm Sang-soo will produce remakes of "Late Autumn" ("Manchu") by Lee Man-hee and "The Housemaid" ("The Housemaid - 2010") of Kim Ki-young, respectively. Films about war will also be introduced to mark the 60th anniversary of the Korean War.
◇The return of maestros
"Scooping Up The Moonlight", which will be produced under the auspices of the Jeonju City government, is Im Kwon-taek's first film to be shot with digital cameras. It is a story about seventh-grade public servant Jong-ho, who wants to become a fifth-grade official. To achieve his dream, he takes charge of the traditional Korean paper "hanji" at the municipal government and becomes completely mesmerized by it. Jong-ho is played by actor Park Joong-hoon... |More
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| LEE Seo's Missing Person Wins Greek Honors (Source) |
2009/11/30 |
Debut director LEE Seo's dark social critique "Missing Person" won Artistic Achievement award at the 50th Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) in Greece, which ran Nov. 13 – 22. The film, which will have its local release Dec. 17, had its world premiere at Korea's Jeonju International Film Festival in May of this year, where it won the top prize of Best Film.
"Missing Person" is the fourth Korean film to win at TIFF, with KIM Tae-yeong's "Family Ties" ("The Birth of a Family") winning four awards in 2006, including the Golden Alexander. LEE's independent but thrilling debut examines the crueler aspects of Korea's hierarchical social system through the tale of a real estate agent who exploits and abuses anyone weaker than him. Soon dogs in the town mysteriously go missing and then people.
Nigel D'Sa (KOFIC)... |More
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| Two Korean Classics to be Remade (Source) |
2009/11/13 |
Two Korean classic films from 2 prolific Korean directors whose films were part of and contributed to the famous Golden Age of Korean cinema are about to be remade. This period between the 1960's and 1970's helped lay the ground work for many of today's modern directors. The original "Housemaid" (1960), a melodramatic, sexual thriller became a signature film for director KIM Ki-young known for his eclectic mix of genre combining anything from the above through intense psychological horror to realism. The careful manipulation of genre is a style now exemplified by many modern day directors such as BONG Joon-ho. The film concentrates on a family who take in a housemaid because of the wife's exhaustion working at a factory. Soon after, the housemaid starts to exhibit bizarre tendencies, catching rats with her hands, spying on the family and then finally seducing the husband who she becomes pregnant to. So starts a wicked journey of murder, intrigue and the break up of the family.
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| Hyeon Bin, Tang Wei-wei Cast in Korea-US Project (Source) |
2009/11/05 |
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
South Korean actor Hyeon Bin and Chinese screen beauty Tang Wei-wei are set to appear in "Manchu" (working title), which will go into production at the end of the month in the United States, Boram Entertainment and M&FC announced Friday.
The "My Name is Kim Sam-soon" star will play the role of a man on the run who falls in love with a woman who is on special leave from prison, to be played by Tang, who is best-known as the heroine of Ang Lee's epic romance "Lust, Caution".
The Korea-U.S. joint project ― Korea's Boram Entertainment and M&FC and the Unites States' North by Northwest ― is a remake of the 1966 masterpiece "Full Autumn" (Manchu) by Lee Man-hee. Kim Tae-yong, the award-winning director of "Family Ties" ("The Birth of a Family") will helm the project.
The movie will be "a modern interpretation" of the classic movie and will be set in the United States, said the producers in a statement. It is slated for theatrical relea... |More
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