Jecheon festival to present film concerts A scene from the 2001 film “One Fine Spring Day” / Courtesy of SidusBy Kim RahnA poster for 1982's “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” / Courtesy of Universal PicturesFilm concerts, where film screenings are accompanied by original scores played by a live orchestra, will be presented at this year's Jecheon International Music & Film Festival (JIMFF), the organizer said, Tuesday. The Film in Live program will be offered on the evenings of Aug. 12, 13 and 14 during the six-day festival that starts on Aug. 11.Films to be screened in the program include “One Fine Spring Day” (2001) starring Lee Young-ae and Yoo Ji-tae and directed by Hur Jin-ho, with music produced by Cho Sung-woo; the 2011 Korean animation “Leafie: A Hen into the Wild” directed by Oh Sung-yoon with music by Lee Ji-soo; and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982) directed by Steven Spielberg with music by John Williams, marking the 40th anniversary of its release.It will be the world's first film concert featuring Korean films, and the JIMFF plans to hold such events eJul 5, 2022By Kim Rahn
Korea box office tops 15 mil. admissions in June People visit a cinema in Seoul, June 1. YonhapKorea's box office reported 15 million admissions for June, marking the largest monthly tally for over two years, data showed Monday.A total of 15.5 million people went to theaters last month, up 6.3 percent from 14.6 million a month earlier, according to the data compiled by the Korean Film Council.It is the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that the monthly audience numbers topped the 10 million level for two straight months.And the June figure marked the highest since 16.84 million from January 2020 ― the last full month before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.The number of attendance fell to a record low of 970,000 in April 2020, while several millions of people came to theaters in ensuing months during the pandemic.Homegrown and foreign big hits led the upbeat performance last month.The action comedy "The Roundup" topped the June box office, with 5.2 million moviegoers. The sequel to the 2017 hit "The Outlaws" had garnered a total of 12.2 million admissions as of Monday, becoming the 14th most-watched film of all time in Korea.The AmerJul 4, 2022
Lee Jung-hyun returns to big screen after becoming a momBy Kwak Yeon-soo Actress Lee Jung-hyun / Courtesy of Pine Tree Entertainment Just four months after giving birth to her first child, actress Lee Jung-hyun will return to the big screen as a police detective in the crime thriller “Limit” (working title).Directed by Lee Seung-jun, the action thriller film revolves around So-eun (played by Lee), 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.The actress, who welcomed the birth of her daughter in April, recently portrayed a supporting character in “Decision to Leave,” as the wife of male protagonist Hae-jun (played by Park Hae-il). Director Lee, who is well-known for “The Spy: Undercover Operation” (2013), said he found inspiration in true child abduction cases. “I just found it so troubling that many abducted children were unable to return to their parents. I hope So-eun's desperate pursuit of the kidnapped Jul 3, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Moon Geun-young to make directorial film debut at BIFAN Actress-director Moon Geun-young / Courtesy of Cree Company By Kwak Yeon-sooActress Moon Geun-young is making her directorial debut this year with three short films that will be showcased at the 26th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN), Korea's largest annual genre film festival.Her creative project consists of three short films ― “Abyss,” “The Stage” and “Be In My Dream” ― that will be screened in the XL section of BIFAN, which will be held July 7-17 in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province.“Abyss,” which stars Moon, revolves around a woman who falls deeper into the abyss at the moment she thinks she has broken her limits. “The Stage” follows a woman who keeps finding her way back to the stage again and again despite many obstacles. “Be In My Dream” centers on a man handling grief and loss after saying goodbye to a loved one.Moon previously admitted that she had never expected this transition to happen.“I didn't go into directing with any ideas of where I'd Jul 3, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Cha Eun-woo eyes starring role in 'K-Pop: Lost in America' Singer-actor Cha Eun-woo / Courtesy of Fantagio By Kim RahnSinger-actor Cha Eun-woo is considering taking a role in a film about K-pop that will be jointly made by Korean and Hollywood producers.Cha's agency, Fantagio, said Friday that Cha is positively considering joining the movie, “K-Pop: Lost in America,” as he was offered to play the role of a K-pop group member. It said whether he will take the role will be confirmed after scheduling and contract details are set.“K-Pop: Lost in America” will revolve around a K-pop boy group that mistakenly lands in Texas two days before its global debut performance in New York. With no money and no time, the group members struggle to make it to New York.The film has drawn a lot of attention since the production outline was made public last year, as it will be co-produced by Hollywood producer Lynda Obst and CJ Entertainment Vice Chairwoman Miky Lee. Korean director Yoon Je-kyoon, known for “Haeundae” (2009) and “Ode to My FathJul 2, 2022By Kim Rahn
'Top Gun: Maverick' tops local box offices for 9 consecutive days A scene from the action blockbuster film, “Top Gun: Maverick” / Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Lee Gyu-leeHollywood blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick” is soaring at local box offices, topping the chart for nine consecutive days through Thursday, despite the opening of other anticipated films, including director Park Chan-wook's "Decision to Leave,” which won him the Cannes' Best Director award. The sequel to the 1986 action film, starring Tom Cruise, saw over 146,000 ticket sales on Thursday, raising its total to about 2.18 million tickets.Since opening at the top of the chart on June 22 with over 188,000 ticket sales on opening day alone, the film has since surpassed 1 million in sales in only four days and 2 million in eight days. The aviation action flick follows the legendary naval aviator, “Maverick” (Cruise), 30 years after the original film. He returns to his elite training academy to train a group of aspiring pilots for a difficult mission. The romance film, "Decision to Leave,” debuted in second spot on the chart on its openingJul 1, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
'Elvis' has a lot in common with K-pop music industry: director Baz Luhrmann Director Baz Luhrmann, left, and actor Austin Butler of “Elvis” attend an online press conference with Korean media, Tuesday. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Korea By Kwak Yeon-sooBaz Luhrmann, the writer-director of the musical biopic “Elvis,” explained that Elvis Presley's success paved the way for K-pop idols. In a recent online press conference with Korean reporters, Luhrmann talked about how the cultural icon of the 20th century has a lot in common with the K-pop music industry, in terms of being a teen idol who experienced tension with his manager.“K-pop culture began with Elvis in the 1950s. He was the first ever idol. We become conscious that business is important, but an artist's soul is the most important thing,” he said. The director, well known for his previous films like “Romeo + Juliet” (1996), “Moulin Rouge” (2001), and “The Great Gatsby” (2013), said he wanted to “peel back the rusty old curtain that comes over Elvis's white jumpsuit” and introduce PresleyJul 1, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
INTERVIEW Filmmaker points lens at North Korea's political prison camps A scene from the animated film "True North" (English title), or “Remember Me” (Korean title), which depicts life in a North Korean political prison camp / Courtesy of BoXoo EntertainmentDirector calls for immediate action on human rights abuses in North KoreaBy Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Eiji Han Shimizu has always been interested in compelling human interest stories. Prior to making “True North,” an animated film about a family held captive in a brutal North Korean political prison camp, he has dealt with issues on Tibet, Palestine and other regions infamous for human rights abuses. “True North” follows Yohan, a nine-year-old boy from Pyongyang who is unjustifiably imprisoned after his father is accused of a crime. Yohan's youthful innocence and his belief in the innate goodness of others is gradually washed away from him as he faces the harsh realities of life and death in the camp.“I was purely interested in making a film that can have a positive impact on the world. Prison camps in North Korea are incomparable to any of the other atrocities ocJun 30, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
INTERVIEW Park Chan-wook says 'Decision to Leave' is sexy without sex scenes Filmmaker Park Chan-wook / Courtesy of CJ ENMCannes-winning director defies cliches, stereotypes in new film By Kwak Yeon-sooSince his breakout with “Oldboy,” (2003) which won the Grand Pix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, director Park Chan-wook rose quickly to become the face of Korean cinema on the international scene. From “Joint Security Area” (2000) to “The Handmaiden” (2017), Park's work has encompassed dark humor and heart through insightful storytelling. Known for his distinct visual style and extreme violence, Park has developed a personal signature across his filmography. Due to his unique cinematic vision, Park has been nominated many times for and swept awards at various international film festivals, and his recognition at Cannes earned him the nickname “Cannes Park” in Korea. At Cannes, Park also won the Jury Prize with his vampire horror drama film “Thirst” in 2009 and took home the Best Director award this year for his latest film “Decision to Leave,” totaling three awards.“Decision to LeavJun 29, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Park Hae-il 'honored' to play war hero Admiral Yi Sun-sin in 'Hansan' Actor Park Hae-il in a scene from the film, “Hansan: Rising Dragon” / Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Kim Han-min said the life of Yi Sun-sin (1545-1598), a legendary Korean admiral whose name has gone down in history for his immense courage in naval battles against Japan in the 16th century, was so inspiring that he had to make a film trilogy on the historic figure.“Hansan: Rising Dragon,” which centers on the historic Battle of Hansan Island (1592), is the follow-up to “Roaring Current,” the most-watched film in Korean cinema history with more than 17 million tickets sold. The 2014 war film focused on the Battle of Myeongnyang (1597).“Although 'Hansan' is a sequel, it is set five years before the previous film. The upcoming movie focuses on Yi in his 40s ― his spirit of being a 'seonbi' (which refers to a virtuous scholar who pursued a simple, principled and righteous life during the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom), his wisdom and character,” Kim said during a press conference held at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University iJun 28, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
