Time (Movie - 2006)

Korea's hottest star Rain featured on Discovery Channel documentary

Source | 2009/02/13 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Many stars come and go. One day they are in, but the next, they are forgotten.

But there seems to be a Korean star who looks like he will stay with us for a very long time, if not forever. It is Korea's hot singer and actor "Rain".

Thanks to his well-toned body and dynamic dance moves exuding masculine charm, the 26-year-old has ridden the crest of the Hallyu (explosive popularity of Korean pop culture abroad) or "Korean wave".

Many Korean stars who rode on the wave of Hallyu seem to have stopped right there, thinking that the fame and glamour would live on forever. But "Rain" chose not to rest on his laurels.

Even amid his hectic schedule that involves promoting his new album, filming for his recently finished Hollywood film "Ninja Assassin" and even launching his own clothing line Six to Five, he has never skipped his workout routine or dance practice.

Before rising to stardom in Korea, he had to undergo three years of arduous training and rehearsals.

He always stri...| More

Film Fests Offer Retrospective, Award to Korean Movie Stars

Source | 2008/10/22 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

Two film festivals in France and India are paying respect to local actors and directors by holding retrospectives and offering awards.

The 14th Lyon Asian Film Festival will hold a retrospective on Korean movie star Choi Min-sik Nov. 4-9.

Kim Ji-seok, a programmer from the Pusan International Film Festival which ended Oct. 10, announced Tuesday that the renowned film festival will screen five of Choi's movies ― "Our Twisted Hero" (1992), "Failan" (2001), "Strokes of Fire" (2002), "Old Boy" (2003) and "Crying Fist" (2005) ― at the event.

Choi is planning to fly to Lyon, France, to attend the event and also appear for the press and fans.

The 46-year-old veteran actor is one of Korea's favorite movie stars, thanks to his superb acting and down-to-earth image. He has starred in numerous films including hits like "Shiri" and "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance". He is currently working on the movie "Himalaya, Where the Wind Dwells", which...| More

"Rough Cut" Ready for September Release

Source | 2008/08/13 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Director JANG Hun, a new protégé of maverick auteur KIM Ki-duk, will see his feature debut "Rough Cut" released locally this September 11th. The US$ 1.5 million action-drama (Korean title: "A Movie is a Movie"), is the second film, not directed by KIM, to be produced by his production company KIM Ki-duk Film.

"Rough Cut" explores the slippery line between reality and fiction in film. It tells the story of an actor, Soo-ta, who begins to identify too well with the gangster role he is playing, disrupting the shoot. He ends up bringing a real gangster into the cast, Kang-pae, who has thespian ambitions – but the two strike a deal to use real violence during the action scenes instead of staged fights.

Soo-ta will be played by KANG Ji-hwan (from SIN Dong-il's "Host and Guest") while SO Ji-sub (from TV series "Sorry, I Love You") plays Kang-pae. Korean sales company Showbox Mediaplex has picked the film up. It is distributed locally by Studio 2.0. A trailer for the film was rece...| More

"Beautiful" wins top prize at Fukuoka

Source | 2008/07/17 | 0 comments | Permalink |

"Beautiful", the feature debut by director JEON Jae-hong, has won the Grand Prix at the 2008 Fukuoka Asian Film Festival.

The story of a woman who becomes the object of men's obsessions and abuse due to her beauty, the film was based on a screenplay by KIM Ki-duk. JEON worked as an assistant director on KIM's films "Time" (2006) and "Breath" (2007).

The Fukuoka Asian Film Festival, which ran from July 4-13, has a history of awarding Korean films. Notably, in 2002 KIM Ki-duk's "Bad Guy" also won the event's Grand Prix.

"Beautiful" first premiered in the Panorama section of the Berlin International Film Festival. It is distributed and sold internationally by Sponge Films.

Darcy Paquet (KOFIC)...| More

MoMa to screen works of award-winning director Kim Ki-duk

Source | 2008/04/22 | 0 comments | Permalink |

New Yorkers will be able to taste a series of artistic Korean movies made by director Kim Ki-duk from Wednesday (Apr. 23).

The Department of Film at New York's Museum of Modern Art, or MoMa, will hold a screening of the works of award-winning moviemaker Kim Ki-duk, 48, who has directed artistic yet controversial films since 1996.

During the exhibition at MoMa's Theater 1, co-organized by the Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Korean Film Council, and supported by the Korean Film Archive in Seoul, movie lovers will be able to take in a total of 14 movies directed by Kim, which will include several features never before seen in the United States, according to MoMa.

Kim is a self-taught maverick filmmaker whose works have impressed international cinema industry with a focus on symbolism and his strong sense of motifs and intensity.

He was a former factory worker, soldier, seminarian and a street artist in France between 1992 and 1995 where he discovered cinema thro...| More