Korean actors jump in on multilingual, global projects A poster for the film “Broker” / Courtesy of CJ ENM By Kwak Yeon-sooAs Korean films and dramas grow in worldwide prominence, English-speaking Korean actors are building parallel careers in Hollywood, as it becomes more common for foreign filmmakers to choose to work with them.Most recently, actors Yoo Yeon-seok and Ye Ji-won starred in French filmmaker Denis Dercourt's mystery thriller “Vanishing,” which was set in Korea. When asked why he took the role, Yoo said, “I was always curious to know what differences there are between local and foreign film productions. I thought speaking English would bring out something different, and it did. I would happily do a film in other languages again.”Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda's drama film “Broker” which will hit theaters in June, features high-profile Korean actors Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won, Bae Doo-na and IU. Produced by CJ Entertainment, the film has been submitted for consideration at this year's Cannes film festivApr 11, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Space Sweepers' nominated for best dramatic presentation at Hugo Awards A scene from “Space Sweepers” on Netflix / Courtesy of Netflix The Korean space opera "Space Sweepers" has been nominated for the 2022 Hugo Awards, a prestigious U.S. award for science fiction or fantasy works.According to an announcement by the Hugo Awards, Thursday (local time), "Space Sweepers," directed and written by Jo Sung-hee, is among the six candidates in the category of Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form.Denis Villeneuve's 2021 sci-fi film "Dune," Disney's musical fantasy "Encanto," David Lowery's epic fantasy "The Green Knight," Marvel Studios' "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" and "WandaVision" are the other five.The section honors theatrical films, television episodes or other dramatized works related to science fiction or fantasy released in the previous calendar year. "Game of Thrones” (season one ― 2011), "Gravity" (2013) and "The Martian" (2015) are previous winners in the category."Space Sweepers," released as a Netflix original last Apr 8, 2022
Seol Kyung-gu, Chun Woo-hee's new film addresses social problem of bullying From left, actor Go Chang-suk, director Kim Ji-hoon and actors Chun Woo-hee and Seol Kyung-gu pose during a press conference for the film, “I Want to Know Your Parents,” in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Mindmark By Kwak Yeon-sooThe cast of “I Want to Know Your Parents” echoed sentiments that their film is an essential and urgent story which may allow audiences to start a “much-needed” conversation about the social problem of bullying.Inspired by a true story, the nerve-wracking drama is set in the cruel world of a top-tier private school. An eighth-grade student kills himself after writing down the names of the students who bullied him. The bullies' parents are then called into the school and a dispute arises regarding the note. Unlike many other films on school bullying that follow a fragile victim or guilt-ridden parents, “I Want to Know Your Parents” is told from the perspective of the perpetrators' parents. It raises questions about the adolescents' and adults' sApr 7, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Films with social criticism to hit theaters Posters for the film “Toxic,” left, and “Take Care of My Mother” / Courtesy of The Contents On, Cinepirun By Kwak Yeon-sooIn the absence of blockbusters, films that feature sharp social commentary and deep thinking will come to theaters this month, as will movies exploring family dynamics.“TOXIC,” based on the popular novel by So Jae-won, revolves around a fatal humidifier disinfectant scandal in Korea that caused at least 1,600 deaths (but unofficially presumed to be as high as 14,000) and affected more than 670,000 people. Kim Sang-kyung plays an ER doctor who investigates his wife's sudden death, as several victims and their families fight a chemical manufacturing corporation to uncover the truth. Lee Sun-bin portrays the victims' lawyer while Yoon Kyung-ho stars as an official at the chemical company.“TOXIC” is about how companies can commit crimes “unintentionally,” causing people to suffer through the air they breathe.“Some 14,000 people were estimated to haveApr 4, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Jeonju film festival to return to normal, highlight Lee Chang-dong's works The organizing committee of the Jeonju International Film Festival holds a press conference in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap By Kwak Yeon-sooThe 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF), an annual celebration of indie films, will open later this month after being held online only in 2020 and on a reduced scale in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. JIFF will take place from April 28-May 7 featuring a total of 217 films from 56 countries and 112 of those films will also be available on the festival's online platform. The opening ceremony will be held at the Sori Arts Center in Jeonju.This year's selection includes 61 world premieres and four international premieres, which include Anders Emblem's Norwegian drama, “A Human Position,” Zhan Kai-di's Taiwanese drama, “Raydio,” and Hyuga Fumiari's Japanese documentary, “Tokyo Kurds.” “This year's JIFF aims to completely restore the festival's celebratory mood. We are looking at using about five local theaters, 19 screens anApr 1, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Jeonju film fest to feature 217 films from 56 countries Organizers of the The Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) speak at a press conference at CGV Yongsan, Seoul, Thursday. YonhapJEONJU ― The Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF), South Korea's largest showcase of indie and art house films, will show 217 films from 56 different countries, as it is set to return to normal two years after the pandemic outbreak, the event's organizers said Thursday.The 23rd edition will kick off its 10-day run on April 28, with the in-person opening ceremony to be held at the Sori Arts Center in Jeonju, some 240 kilometers south of Seoul.JIFF said the sci-fi film "After Yang," directed and written by Korean American Kogonada, will open the festival. The film adaptation of Alexander Weinstein's novel "Saying Goodbye to Yang" had its world premier at the Cannes Film Festival last year.The annual festival will be closed with the French drama "Full Time" by Eric Gravel.Along with the two opening and closing titles, a total of 217 movies, up from the previous year's 186, will be screened in five theaters across Jeonju during the festival. Out of them,Mar 31, 2022
'Spring Day' is hyperreal dissection of dysfunctional family A scene from the film “Spring Day” / Courtesy of Contents Panda By Kwak Yeon-soo“Spring Day,” a movie about a man struggling to come to terms with both his unfortunate past and undesirable present, is a moving and melancholic family drama, according to actor Son Hyun-joo.In the film, Son plays the role of Ho-sung, a reticent and somewhat mysterious man who has been released after serving eight years behind bars. He returns home to find out that his father passed away. The death of his father saddles him with the unexpected responsibility of looking after his troubled brother, Jong-sung (Park Hyuk-kwon), and two children, who despise him for neglecting the family for such a long time.Ho-sung is a devastated man who is still picking through the wreckage of his life, but yearns for a second chance to make things better. He plans to collect condolence money from the guests at his father's funeral and flee. However, things don't work out as he intended as two rival gangsMar 31, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
'It is no mystery that Korean films are everywhere in the world' French director Denis Dercourt / Courtesy of JNC Media Group French director of 'Vanishing' expresses satisfaction at working with Korean actors, staffBy Kwak Yeon-sooWith Korean content on a massive upward trajectory, there has been more collaboration between foreign directors and Korean talent. French filmmaker Denis Dercourt, who directed the multilingual film “Vanishing,” said he was most impressed with how everyone on the Korean production teams he worked with had a deep understanding of cinema and how well-prepared they were even before shooting.“From Korean cinema to music, everything about Korea is important in the world. It was a real pleasure to write a movie set in Korea and work with great actors, producers and technicians,” he said during a recent interview with Korean reporters.“It is no mystery that Korean films are everywhere in the world because they work so hard. I would write an email from Europe even though it is night in Korea, and I would immedMar 28, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Youn Yuh-jung presents supporting actor Oscar in sign language U.S. actor Troy Kotsur, left, accepts the award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for "CODA" from Korean actress Youn Yuh-jung onstage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California, March 27. AFP-YonhapKorean actress Youn Yuh-jung signed the name of Troy Kotsur, the first deaf actor winning an Oscar, in this year's Academy Awards.In the televised ceremony of the 94th edition Sunday (local time), Youn, as last year's best supporting actress, took the stage to present the prize of Actor in a Supporting Role, for which five nominees ― Kotsur of "CODA," Ciaran Hinds of "Belfast," J.K. Simmons of "Being the Ricardos" and Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee of "The Power of the Dog" ― were competing.Starting with the phrase "And the Oscar goes to," she paused and signed Kotsur's name before saying it aloud through the microphone.She handed the statuette to the actor and then quickly took it back in order to help him deliver his acceptance speech with free hands in sign language. She stayed on the stage holding the Oscar until Kotsur finished his speech with an interMar 28, 2022
Everything you need to know about the 2022 Oscars An Oscar statue is seen along the red carpet outside the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, California, on March 26, one day before the 94th Academy Awards. AFP-YonhapThe 94th Academy Awards are set to air Sunday and a long awaited return to Hollywood's glamourous normalcy after a muted ceremony and ratings low last year.Here's everything you need to know about the 2022 Oscars, including how to watch the live show, who's expected to win and what the big controversies are this year. When are the Oscars?The Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 27, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The ceremony is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ABC. Who is hosting the 2022 Oscars?Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes are taking the stage to co-host the ceremony, which has been without an emcee for the past three years. Producer Will Packer said each woman brings something different to the show. Which movies are nominated for best picture at the 2022 Oscars?The 10 movies competing for best picture this year are: ``Belfast''; ``CODA''; ``Don't Look Up''; ``Drive My Car''; ``Dune'Mar 27, 2022
