24th Jeonju film festival opens with 'Tori and Lokita' by the Dardennes Actors Jin Goo, left, and Gong Seung-yeon host the opening ceremony of the 24th Jeonju International Film Festival held at the Sori Arts Center in Jeonju, Thursday. YonhapBy Kwak Yeon-sooJEONJU ― The 24th Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF), an annual celebration of indie films, kicked off on Thursday night with the Dardenne brother's immigration thriller, “Tori and Lokita.” The festival will run through May 6.Under the slogan “Beyond the Frame,” the festival will screen 247 films from 42 countries. The opening ceremony was hosted by actors Jin Goo and Gong Seung-yeon. “This year, events will be held in various streets and places to cater to the cinephiles of the city with a delightful cinematic experience. As the slogan says, step beyond the frame and don't be afraid to challenge yourselves. New experiments in cinema will bring a new world,” Jeonju Mayor Woo Beom-ki, who also serves as the chairman of the JIFF's organizing committee, said during the opening event held at the Sori Arts Center, Thursday. Some judges of this year's festival, inApr 27, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
Jang Dong-yoon speaks about challenges of acting in first Korean 'screenlife' film 'Long D' A scene from the film "Long D" / Courtesy of 12 JourneyBy Kwak Yeon-sooFor most of its runtime, “Long D” is just Jang Dong-yoon staring at a computer screen. Jang stars as Do-ha, who tries to get back together with his ex-girlfriend after a breakup.“Long D” follows a young couple dating via webcam after Do-ha's girlfriend Tae-in (Park You-na) moved to the southern coastal city of Geoje to make music. The couple's long-distance relationship starts to fall apart when Do-ha attends a Halloween party, blacks out and ditches his girlfriend at their fifth-anniversary dinner. Tae-in thinks Do-ha cheated on her, so he tries to restore her trust by proving his innocence.This film is primarily told via different types of screens― computers, smartphones and security cameras. “Screenlife” genre stories are told exclusively through the screens of various devices to create a narrative based on the characters' interactions within the digital world. All of the stories play out on Do-ha's monitor with the camera following his cursor's every move. It is co-produced Apr 26, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Return to Seoul' reflects on adoptee's journey of self-discovery From left, director Davy Chou, actors Park Ji-min and Oh Kwang-rok pose during a press conference for the film “Return to Seoul” held at CGV's Yongsan Branch in Seoul, Monday. YonhapBy Kwak Yeon-sooOn the surface, “Return to Seoul” looks like another film about an adoptee's emotional journey to find her biological parents. However, Cambodian French director Davy Chou goes one step further, providing a unique perspective from foreign eyes and focusing on the protagonist's journey of self-discovery.“Return to Seoul” tells the story of 25-year-old Freddie who searches for her birth parents during a spontaneous trip to Korea. The film spans over eight years in a series of episodes in which the Korean-born, French-adopted woman reconnects with her biological family and rediscovers her Korean heritage.Chou explained that his latest project is based on a true story of his friend, who was adopted when she was a baby and raised in France.“In 2011, when I first came to Korea to present a film at Busan International Film Festival, my friend Laure had beApr 25, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
INTERVIEW IU credits 'My Mister' as turning point in her decade-long acting career Singer-actress IU / Courtesy of EDAM EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooSince bursting onto the K-pop scene in 2008, IU has built an incredibly successful career as both a singer and an actress. IU credited the 2018 tvN series “My Mister” as a turning point in her decade-long acting career, adding that it enabled her to play more complex roles. “To me, every character is unforgettable. But I would say Ji-an's character role in 'My Mister' allowed me to take on a diverse slate of projects. In 2013, I starred in KBS series 'Bel Ami.' The show wasn't successful, but the role I played in that drama was a major source of inspiration for my character in 'Dream,'” she said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Thursday. The sports comedy film “Dream” tells the story of a football coach named Hong-dae (Park Seo-joon) training a team of homeless people to compete in the Homeless World Cup. In the film, IU plays the role of a TV director named So-min who wants to make a documentary on Korea's first homeless football team.The singer-actress sApr 24, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
Song Joong-ki and fellow cast of 'Hopeless' excited about Cannes invitation A scene from the film, "Hopeless" / Courtesy of Plus M EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooActor Song Joong-ki and his fellow cast members said they are happy to be invited to the 76th Cannes Film Festival, which is screening their film, “Hopeless,” in the non-competitive Un Certain Regard section. Un Certain Regard features noteworthy films and is considered the most prominent among the out-of-competition sections. Director Bong Joon-ho's “Mother” and director Na Hong-jin's “The Yellow Sea” were screened at Un Certain Regard section in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Song, who will be attending the Cannes Film Festival for the first time, said he is honored to present his project on the global stage. He starred in the low-budget film for free.“I am honored and proud to be invited to the Cannes. 'Hopeless' is a film that was made with pure passion and dedication of everyone involved. I'm excited to watch it with the international audience and I look forward to sharing our thoughts and feelings about the film,” Song said through the film's distribApr 23, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
'The Roundup: No Way Out' to be released in first half of year A poster for the film, "Roundup: No Way Out" / Courtesy of ABO EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-soo“The Roundup: No Way Out,” the third installment of “The Outlaws” series, will be released in the first half of this year.Ma Dong-seok, also known by his English name, Don Lee, will reprise his role as police officer Ma Seok-do, whose team cracks down on members of a Japanese yakuza group that commits crimes in Korea. Actor Lee Joon-hyuk will play the villain and Japanese actor Munetaka Aoki will play a Japanese gangster. Lee Sang-yong will be back in the director's chair following 2022's “The Roundup.”The filming of “Roundup: No Way Out” wrapped up in November, according to ABO Entertainment. “The film is currently in post-production for its release in either late May or early June. It boasts an expanded cinematic universe with more than one villain,” it said in a statement.“The Roundup” became the 13th most-watched film in Korean box office history, topping 12.6 million ticket sales last year. It tells the story of policApr 19, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
Hong Sang-soo's 'In Our Day,' Jason Yu's 'Sleep' to screen at Cannes 2023 A scene from the film, "In Our Day" / Courtesy of Jeonwonsa Film Co.By Kwak Yeon-sooKorean auteur Hong Sang-soo's “In Our Day” and director Jason Yu's “Sleep” have been selected to screen at side events of the Cannes Film Festival.Hong's 30th feature film was chosen as the closing film of Directors' Fortnight selection and Yu's debut feature was invited to Cannes Critics' Week. The two parallel selections run alongside the Cannes International Film Festival, but are operated independently. “In Our Day” follows the story of a woman in her early 40s living at the home of a friend and a man in his 70s living alone. Both have conversations with visiting friends and eat noodles. It stars Kim Min-hee, Song Sun-mi and Ki Joo-bong who are frequent collaborators of Hong. The makers of the film have not yet announced its release date.“For me, it is one of the lightest, most moving and funniest films Hong has made in recent years. The film epitomizes simplicity and minimalism and it deals with the little pleasures in life: food, alcohol, cigarettes, petApr 19, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
INTERVIEW Jeju's 'haenyeo' through eyes of US filmmaker A still from an upcoming documentary featuring the haenyeo of Jeju Island / Courtesy of C. W. Winter'Jeju's haenyeo are strong, competent, gracious and rugged'By Dong Sun-hwaJEJU ISLAND ― Driving loud motorcycles, the “haenyeo” on the southern scenic island of Jeju arrived at the sea to begin their work at 10:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Donning black-and-orange diving suits and flippers, the female divers swiftly grabbed their “tewak” ― orange ball-like flotation devices ― and descended to the depths of the sea to catch various aquatic organisms ranging from abalone to conch. These robust women, who are mostly in their 70s and 80s, do not need any breathing equipment to go 10 meters underwater. They simply come to the surface every two to three minutes to breathe and dive again in a mermaid-like move. They repeat the process multiple times during their four hours of work until they harvest some 10 kilograms of seafood. In bygone days, they were able to catch as much as 50 kilograms, but the harvest volume has seen a dramatic fall recently due to marine pollApr 19, 2023By Dong Sun-hwa
Hong Sang-soo's 'In Our Day' to close Directors' Fortnight at Cannes Film director Hong Sang-soo / YonhapA new film by South Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo will close out the showcase of shorts and features on the sidelines of the Cannes International Film Festival next month.Organizers of the Directors' Fortnight, an independent selection of the Cannes, announced Tuesday that Hong's 30th feature film, "In Our Day," will be screened on the closing night.Directors' Fortnight is scheduled to run from May 13 to 23, while the Cannes festival goes from May 16 to 27.Directors' Fortnight was founded in 1969 to highlight innovative films by emerging directors and more established filmmakers alike.Hong has been invited to the Cannes for the 12th time. "In Our Day" stars his partner Kim Min-hee, Song Sun-mi and Ki Joo-bong ― all of them regulars in Hong films.Hong, an idiosyncratic and divisive filmmaker, won the top prize at Un Certain Regard with "Ha Ha Ha" at the 63rd Cannes in 2010, among a number of international awards to his credit.This year's Cannes festival will feature three other South Korean films: "Cobweb," a new feature by Kim Jee-woon, has been pApr 18, 2023
James Gunn says 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3' is more emotional than its predecessors From left, director James Gunn, actors Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff and Chris Pratt pose during a press conference for the film, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” at Conrad Seoul in Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Kwak Yeon-sooDirector James Gunn said “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” tells an intimate story far more emotional than its predecessors and ends with the focus on Rocket's origin story.“This is the biggest and the smallest 'Guardians of the Galaxy' movie. When I say the smallest, I mean personal. The characters interacting with one another are so emotional. They are so close and intimate and that's much different from other MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) movies,” he told Korean reporters during a press conference for the film at the Conrad Seoul, Tuesday.“Rocket is really important to me because I relate to him a lot. He's an ultimate outsider. When I took this job in 2011 or 2012, it was Rocket's story that drove me to tell the Guardians' story. This movie is an exploration of this sad creature ― how he came to be so angry, where he cameApr 18, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
