Busan film festival promises full-scale return with big-name guests From left, Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) programmer Nam Dong-chul, BIFF Director Huh Moon-young, BIFF Chairman Lee Yong-kwan and BIFF Director of the Asian Contents & Film Market Oh Seok-geun speak at an online press conference, Wednesday. Courtesy of the BIFFBy Kwak Yeon-sooReturning to its full scale after two years of scaled-down events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 27th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) will be a showcase of some truly exceptional Asian cinema.A total of 243 films from 71 countries will be screened over 10 days from Oct. 5 to 14, its organizer said, Wednesday. Guests attending this year's festival include renowned Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai, who will be honored with the Asian Film Actor of the Year Award. Six of his films, including “Happy Together” (1997), “In the Mood for Love” (2000) and “2046” (2004), will be screened during the festival.Other major names include Japanese filmmakers Kore-eda Hirokazu with his Korean-language debut film, “Broker,” and Miike Takashi, whose KoreanSep 7, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Oscar-winning Troy Kotsur hopes to 'open floodgates' for deaf actors Troy Kotsur, Oscar winner of the best supporting actor for his role in "CODA," poses in the press room at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, March 27. AP-Yonhap'CODA' actor named honorary ambassador of World Federation of the Deaf 2023 congressBy Kwak Yeon-sooOscar-winning actor Troy Kotsur suggested that deaf actors follow their dreams and passion, saying they deserve more opportunities. During his visit to Korea on the occasion of being named the promotional ambassador of the 19th World's Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), he talked about his long road to stardom. “Throughout my career, I've gone through many trials and tribulations. In the past, I faced financial struggles and had communication issues with fellow cast members. Most of all, it was really hard to break into the mainstream. However, I somehow managed to grab an opportunity and break the barrier as a deaf actor,” he said in sign language during a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday. The actor made history as the first deaf man to win an Oscar for his performance in 2021's “CODA,”Sep 6, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
INTERVIEW Actor Yoo Ah-in talks balancing comedy, heart in 'Seoul Vibe' Actor Yoo Ah-in in a scene from the film "Seoul Vibe" / Courtesy of NetflixBy Kwak Yeon-sooActor Yoo Ah-in has established himself as an icon for youth culture, first by appearing in the coming-of-age TV series “Sharp” (2003-2006). Then, he starred as a rebellious teen in “Punch” (2011), an ill-fated crown prince in “The Throne” (2015) and a poor farm boy in “Burning” (2018), among many others. However, the actor said that at the age of 36, he is no longer a representative of the youth and doesn't see himself as one. “As much as I try to maintain a young mindset, I would love to see younger actors take up the stage and become the new icons for the youth,” Yoo said during an interview with The Korea Times held via Zoom, Monday.In the new Netflix film “Seoul Vibe,” Yoo plays skillful driver Dong-wook, who is the de-facto leader of a group of young drivers and mechanics called the Sangye-dong Supreme Team. Set in 1988, during the Seoul Olympics, the film revolves around Dong-wook and his team who are hired to infiltSep 6, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Decision to Leave' invited to more international film festivals A scene from the suspense romance film “Decision to Leave” / Courtesy of CJ ENMBy Lee Gyu-leeDirector Park Chan-wook's suspense romance film “Decision to Leave,” which won him the Best Director Award at this year's Cannes Film Festival, has been invited to two more international film festivals ― the BFI London Film Festival and Fantastic Fest. The film's distributor, CJ ENM, announced Sunday that the film, which has been sweeping various film festivals globally since the Cannes win, has added two more to the list. The film will compete at the 66th BFI London Film Festival, set to be held from Oct. 5 to 16. It will also have its U.S. premiere at Fantastic Fest, scheduled for Sept. 22 to 29. Park will also receive a lifetime achievement award at the event for making acclaimed films, such as "Old Boy" (2004), "Thirst" (2009) and "The Handmaiden" (2016). The genre-bending “Decision to Leave” revolves around detective Hae-joon (Park Hae-ill) and a mysterious Chinese immigrant named Seo-rae (Tang Wei), who is the wife of a murder victim. Despite the natuSep 5, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
INTERVIEW Moon Jeong-hee plays sympathetic villain in female-led thriller 'Limit' Actress Moon Jeong-hee in a scene from the film “Limit” / Courtesy of JNC Media Group By Kwak Yeon-sooActress Moon Jeong-hee said she enjoyed playing a villain with a genuine if twisted motivation in the female-fronted crime thriller “Limit.”“Limit” follows the story of So-eun (played by Lee Jung-hyun), a police detective who goes undercover to help two parents locate their abducted child. She then finds herself in a tense psychological battle with the kidnapper after finding out that her son, too, has been abducted. Moon plays Hye-jin, the menacing and unlikeable leader of the ring that kidnaps children for organ trafficking. The 46-year-old actress said she chose to look at Hye-jin from a different perspective as she found the character to be someone who fights to protect herself and her brother, both victims of domestic abuse.“Hye-jin is a very different type of villain because she has a clear motivation for committing a crime. It's to protect herself and those Sep 2, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
INTERVIEW Yoo Hae-jin, Hyun Bin talk about changes in 'Confidential Assignment 2' The film "Confidential Assignment 2: International," the sequel to the 2017 action film “Confidential Assignment,” is set to hit local theaters on Sept. 7. Courtesy of CJ ENMSequel picks up on team-up between agents from two Koreas, US By Lee Gyu-leeAbout five years after the comedy action film “Confidential Assignment,” about a cooperative operation between a South and a North Korean agent, was a hit, a more action-packed, nail-biting sequel is scheduled to be released on Sept. 7. Yoo Hae-jin plays the role of South Korean detective Kang Jin-tae in the film "Confidential Assignment 2: International." Courtesy of CJ ENMThe new blockbuster film, "Confidential Assignment 2: International," follows North Korean agent Lim Cheol-ryung (Hyun Bin) and South Korean detective Kang Jin-tae (Yoo Hae-jin) reuniting for another mission.Jang Myung-joon (Jin Sun-kyu), a North Korean crime lord who was caught by the FBI, escapes after a shootout on his way to be transferred to Pyongyang from New York. In order to catch the notorious criminal, the two Koreas' agents and FBI agSep 2, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
'Confidential Assignment' action-comedy sequel is entertaining but predictable From left, actors Yoo Hae-jin, Yoon Ah, Hyun Bin, and Jin Seon-kyu pose during a press conference for the movie, "Confidential Assignment 2: International," in Seoul, Aug. 16. YonhapThe 2017 crime action comedy "Confidential Assignment" is about a funny covert collaboration by two police officers from South and North Korea, starring bankable silver screen stars Hyun Bin and Yoo Hae-jin.It gained popularity for well-organized fight action stunts and effective humor based on the ironic contrast between an attractive, good-looking North Korean agent and a homely, clumsy South Korean detective. It drew more than 7.8 million moviegoers.Its upcoming sequel, "Confidential Assignment 2: International," follows the familiar structure with a lot of indirect overlap with the original.The film starts in New York City where North Korean Jang Myong-jun (Jin Seon-kyu), the leader of a North Korean criminal organization, is caught by FBI and set to be transferred to Pyongyang.On their way to the airport, however, FBI officials are attacked by a group of North Korean gangsters in the middle of the ciAug 31, 2022
Film adapted from Korean webtoon becomes hit in China A still from the Chinese sci-fi comedy “Moon Man,” which was adapted from the Korean webtoon titled “Moon You” / Courtesy of Alibaba Pictures, Mahua FunAgeBy Park Han-solSouth Korea's 2016 decision to deploy a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery triggered an immediate backlash from neighboring China, which claimed that the anti-missile system's radar could undermine its security interests.The country responded with economic retaliation against Korea, notably curbing imports of K-pop and Korean movies, dramas and games.To this day, Korean films still have not been able to gain a footing in the Chinese box office. “Oh! Moon-hee,” starring veteran actress Na Moon-hee, was released in December 2021 as the first and only motion picture able to make it into theaters in the country since 2015's “Assassination.”In recent months, instead of screening imported Korean films, the Chinese box office has been witnessing a handful of remakes that have been adapted from Korean webtoons.The sci-fi comedy “Moon Man,” whicAug 31, 2022By Park Han-sol
INTERVIEW 'Seoul Vibe' director wanted to portray different version of Korea's 1980s Netflix original film “Seoul Vibe” follows a group of drivers going undercover. Courtesy of NetflixNetflix's new film draws mixed responses for depiction of pop-culture-based SeoulBy Lee Gyu-leeFilm and television used to portray Seoul in the 1980s as a city in the throes of industrial and urban development with propaganda-themed music ringing through the streets ahead of the 1988 Seoul Olympics. But the depiction of Korea's capital city in Netflix's new original film, “Seoul Vibe,” exudes a different vibe ― from supercharged, vibrant scenes filled with pop-culture to upbeat, fast-tempo hip-hop tracks.Director Moon Hyun-sung / Courtesy of NetflixDirector Moon Hyun-sung, who is known for leading the 2012 sports film, “As One,” said that his latest comedy action film intends to show the different portrayals of the city in that era, adding on a layer of hip-hop flare. “The starting point of the 'Seoul Vibe' project was hip-hop. Because the producer and I like hip-hop so much, we approached it as a culture, rather than just as music. And as we moAug 30, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
'Project Wolf Hunting' director, actors to attend Toronto festival for world premiere Posters for the upcoming action film “Project Wolf Hunting” / Courtesy of The Contents On By Lee Gyu-leeDirector Kim Hong-sun and the lead actors Seo In-guk, Jang Dong-yoon and Jung So-min of the action film, “Project Wolf Hunting,” will attend the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival.The film's distribution company, The Contents On, announced Friday that the director and the cast members will head abroad to attend the film's world premiere on Sept. 16 at the festival, which is set to be held from Sept. 8 to 18 in Toronto, Canada. The hardboiled action film, scheduled to hit local theaters on Sept. 21, has been invited to this year's festival to screen for the Midnight Madness section, which recognizes movies of horror, action, and fantasy genres. Helmed by filmmaker Kim, whose previous works include the 2014 action film, “The Con Artists,” and the 2019 horror film, “Metamorphosis,” the upcoming film revolves around a cargo ship that transports dangerous criAug 27, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
