Thirsty, Thirsty (Movie - 2008)

Shanghai Picks HONG as Asia's Best New Director

Source | 2008/06/23 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Director HONG Hyun-gi presented his feature debut "Thirsty, Thirsty" at the 11th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), winning the Best Director prize in the New Asian Talent section. SIFF, which ran this year June 14 – 22, made the announcement at an awards ceremony on the 21st. Taiwanese film Winds of September captured Best Picture in the same section.

HONG's "Thirsty, Thirsty" had its world premiere earlier this year at Korea's Jeonju International Film Festival in May. It was produced in HD and received funding support from North Jeolla Province and the Korean Film Council.

It tells the story of a soft-hearted, bumbling loan collector and his misadventures as he tries to make his quota. Unable to collect on the debtors he is in charge of, he himself is pursued by a younger loan collector for debts that he owes. The dog-eat-dog tale is enriched by black comedy and a sympathetic view of its characters. It stars LEE Doo-il in the main role.

Director HONG st...| More

Korean Films Premiering at 9th JIFF

Source | 2008/04/16 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Ten Korean features will have their World Premiere at the Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) this spring. Now in it's 9th edition the festival will run May 1st – 9th in the attractive and historical city of Jeonju, in North Jeolla province.

Korean highlights include documentary director KIM Dong-won's latest, "63 Years On", about the 'comfort women' enslaved by the Japanese military in stations across Asia during WW2. The film provides an historical investigation along with interviews with victims still living in Korea, China, and the Philippines. KIM is best known for his 2003 film Repatriation which raised the documentary genre to commercial prominence in South Korea.

In the Korean Cinema on the Move section, presents 10 new independent features mostly by debut directors. Among the most interesting are "Synching Blue" by SEO Won-tae, a director whose shorts films have garnered praise for their visual arrangements. This HD feature is about a man who seeks comfort i...| More