Virgin Snow (Movie - 2007)

New York Korean Film Festival this August

Source | 2008/07/18 | Permalink |

The seventh edition of the New York Korean Film Festival is set to run August 22 – 31. Sponsored by KOFIC and The Korea Society, the event will screen more than 15 recent Korean features, of which 14 have been finalized for the line-up.

Highlights include one of the top-grossing Korean films of 2008, "Forever the Moment", a sports-redemption-themed film directed by LIM Soon-rye and starring MOON So-ri and KIM Jeong-eun. Other 2008 releases in the line-up are "Hellcats" by KWON Chil-in, "Once Upon a Time" by JEONG Yong-ki, "Open City" by LEE Sang-gi, "Spare" by LEE Seong-han, and the Korea-Japanese co-production "Virgin Snow" starring LEE Joon-ki and Aoi Miyazaki.

Films in the program from 2007 include such high-profile films as the Chosun-set popular tale, "Hwangjin-y - Movie - 2007", starring SONG Hye-kyo, the Kwang-ju-set historical tragedy, May 18th, a Chosun-set tale of high stakes cooking, "Le Grand Chef", and Daniel Henney vehicle and tear-jerker, "My Father".

Othe...| More

Korea-Japan Business Campus Takes Place in Jeju

Source | 2008/07/10 | Permalink |

KOFIC is hosting a 4-day business campus for Japanese and Korean producers at a resort on the balmy island of Jeju, south of the Korean mainland. Taking place July 8 – 11, the campus brings together 5 Korean and 5 Japanese producers each with projects in development.

Highlights of the itinerary include intensive seminars for the producers on Korea-Japanese co-productions, along with expert guest speakers, such as CJ Entertainment's foreign investment manager who will speak on co-production financing.

Among the 5 Korean participants are Jonathan KIM, a leading producer in the industry with films such as "Lies", "Silmido", "Monopoly", and several co-productions including "Virgin Snow" behind his belt. Also attending is KIM Mi-hee of production house Sidus FNH. She has produced such films as the sci-fi action hit "Arahan" and the Chosun mystery "Blood Rain".

KOFIC plans to take the campus a step further in 2009 when it launches a Co-Production Project Market, with the aim...| More

Black House and May 18 to be released in Japan

Source | 2008/04/04 | Permalink |

Japanese Kadokawa announced the release dates of SIN Tae-ra's horror film "Black House" (Geomeun Jib) and KIM Ji-hoon's "May 18" (Hwaryohan Hyooga), the films will open on Japanese screens on April 5 and May 10, respectively.

"Black House", a domestic box office hit, stars HWANG Jeong-min ("You Are My Sunshine"/Neoneun Nae Woonmyeong) in an impressive psychological charged role as an insurance agent who gets drawn in a suicide case in a mysterious house. Director SIN's ("Brainwave") film is based on a Japanese novel of the popular horror writer Yûsuke Kishi.

After his "Mokpo, Gangster's Paradise", director KM Ji-hoon's next film "May 18" was highly anticipated and the film about the Gwangju civilian uprising against the military dictatorship was a box office success of 2007. The film's strong line-up includes AHN Seong-gi ("Silmido") and LEE Joon-ki ("The King and the Clown"). LEE enjoys great popularity in Japan and starred in the Korean-Japanese co-production "Virgin Snow" (C...| More

Hallyu Star KIM in Japanese Feature

2008/02/19 | Permalink |

Popular Korean actor KIM Rae-won, 26, is set to seduce Japanese audiences this Spring with his lead role in Japanese director Hayato Kawai's Flower Shadow, a romantic drama of international love.

Actor KIM is a familiar heartthrob in Korea, starring in comedies such as "Mister Socrates" (2005) and "My Little Bride" (2004) as well as hit TV series "Cat on the Roof" (2003) and the upcoming series "Gourmet" ("Sikgaek").

In Flower Shadow he plays an elementary school teacher who falls in love with a Korean-Japanese jewelry designer played by Mirai Yamamoto. Set in both Korea and Japan, the film also features main theme music by Korean R&B trio SG Wanne Be.

The film is the second to feature a Korean-Japanese romance theme with a Hallyu male lead, following last year's "Virgin Snow", starring LEE Joon-ki. The film is slated for release in Japan March 8.

Nigel D'Sa (KOFIC)...| More

Asian Movies Dominate Theaters This Week

Source | 2007/11/02 | Permalink |

Time now to check this week's new movies.
There's the film version of a bestselling Korean comic book about master chefs and two collaborations between Korean and Japanese filmmakers.
Lee Jeewon has our preview.
"Le Grand Chef", this is a movie for gourmets.
Two apprentices at renowned Korean restaurant Unamjung compete to become the head chef.
Although their food looks and tastes divine, judges at the contest fall out of their chairs poisoned from fish prepared by the apprentice, Sungchan.
The other candidate, Bongju, wins while Sungchan quits cooking altogether.
But fate brings them together again this time for a bigger title.
The film is based on a popular Korean comic strip which later was published as a comic book with 540-thousand copies sold.

Heavyweights in the Korean and Japanese film industries come together in "Virgin Snow".
It's love at first sight for characters played by Lee Joon-ki and Aoi Miyazaki.
But will they end up together despite the language barriers...| More