Korean director Hong Sang-soo wins grand jury prize for 'The Novelist's Film' at Berlin film fest Korean director and screenwriter Hong Sang-soo and South Korean actress and production manager Kim Min-hee stand on stage with the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize for the film 'So-seol-ga-ui Yeong-hwa' (The Novelist's Film) during the awards ceremony at the 72nd Berlinale Film Festival in Berlin, Feb. 16. AFP-Yonhap Korean director Hong Sang-soo won the grand jury prize at this year's Berlin International Film Festival, Thursday (KST), for his latest film, "The Novelist's Film.”At the award ceremony streamed online, the director's 27th feature was awarded the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 72nd Berlin festival, which kicked off in-person Feb. 10.It is the third year in a row that auteur Hong has won a Silver Bear at the Berlinale, following his best director honor for the drama "The Woman Who Ran" in 2020 and the best screenplay prize for "Introduction" last year."I really didn't expect this big prize. I'm very surprised. Thank you all the jury members for your apFeb 17, 2022
Choi Min-sik says his new film 'In Our Prime' parallels 'Good Will Hunting' Actors Choi Min-sik, right and Kim Dong-hwi in a scene from the film "In Our Prime" / Courtesy of Showbox By Kwak Yeon-sooActor Choi Min-sik, who is returning to the big screen three years after “Forbidden Dream,” described his upcoming film “In Our Prime” as poignant, heartfelt and much like “Good Will Hunting.” Choi plays genius mathematician Lee Hak-sung, who defected from North Korea to the South and chooses to work as a janitor at a high school. There, he meets Han Ji-woo (Kim Dong-hwi), a student who has trouble fitting in due to social hierarchy.When Hak-sung's talents are discovered, Ji-woo asks him to be his mentor. Through math lessons, the two social outcasts form a close bond. The events of the film unfold as Hak-sung becomes more and more involved with Ji-woo.Director Park Dong-hoon explained that his first impression of the script was that it was an intriguing observation on human interaction. “When I first went through the script, a scene came up to mFeb 15, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Director's Cut Awards to be held virtually on Feb. 24 By Kwak Yeon-sooThe poster for the 20th Director's Cut Awards for Film and Series / Courtesy of the Directors Guild of KoreaThe 20th Director's Cut Awards for Film and Series will be held virtually on Feb. 24 after cancelling the 2020 and 2021 events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The nominees include films and series released since 2020.Unlike other film awards, the Director's Cut Awards selects nominees and winners through votes from Korean directors only. The awards ceremony will be held without a red carpet, tuxedos or gowns.The Directors Guild of Korea announced that it has added two new categories to reflect the growing interest in Korean content. The two categories are Drama Series, which became popular on streaming services during the pandemic, and Best International Film Director. “We newly established the Best International Film Director category to find out what kind of international films Korean filmmakers are interested in,” the organizers said. The nominees for the category this year are Ryusuke Hamaguchi for “Drive My Car” (2021), Chloe Zhao for Feb 10, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Netflix rom-com 'Love and Leashes' raises questions about social norms From left, actor Lee Jun-young, director Park Hyun-jin and actress Seohyun pose at the press conference for Netflix's film “Love and Leashes” in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Netflix By Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Park Hyun-jin of romantic comedy film “Love and Leashes” explained that she decided to adapt a Naver webtoon titled “Moral Sense” (also the Korean title of the film) for the screen because it combines elements of humor, romance and gender issues.In the upcoming Netflix film, Seohyun plays Ji-woo, a young woman who rejects the traditional roles that society imposes on women. One day, she stumbles upon her co-worker Ji-hoo's (Lee Jun-young) secret peculiarities after mistakenly opening a package that belongs to him. The two enter a contractual relationship as partners in consensual play to fulfill each other's sexual fantasies.“The story deals with the subject of sexual preference, but doesn't include suggestive language or reference. To me, Ji-woo sounded like a chFeb 8, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Director Hong Sang-soo, actress Kim Min-hee to attend Berlin Film Festival Director Hong Sang-soo, left, and actress Kim Min-hee / Korea Times fileBy Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Hong Sang-soo and actress Kim Min-hee will attend the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival (also known as the Berlinale) to promote their film, which is set to compete in the event this month, industry sources said Wednesday. This visit will mark their first public appearance in two years since they attended the Berlinale in 2020 to promote Hong's “The Woman Who Ran,” which earned the Silver Bear for best director.In January, Hong's 27th feature, “The Novelist's Film,” was invited to vie for the Gold and Silver Bears at the film festival, which is scheduled for Feb. 10-20. It is the third consecutive year that Hong's film has been invited to screen in the competition category of the Berlinale. The director won the Silver Bear for best screenplay for “Introduction” in 2021.“The Novelist's Film” is the ninth movie the filmmaker has worked on alongside Kim. The black-and-white film revolves around a female novelist who takes a long trip to vFeb 4, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Will film NFTs revolutionize movie merchandising? “The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure” NFTs issued by Lotte Cinema / Courtesy of Lotte CinemaBy Kwak Yeon-sooAs the non-fungible token (NFT) craze is catching on in the art and entertainment industries, a group of film studios and cinema operators are trying to capitalize on the digital asset to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic-driven slump.NFTs are units of data stored on blockchains that verify ownership of unique digital assets. The latest move comes amid growing pressure to make up for lost box office revenue and revive the movie business. Lotte Cinema gifted NFTs to the first 10,000 people who reserved tickets for “The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure.” The winners were given “secret codes” that could be exchanged for the NFTs on the W. Craft website. The cinema chain operator has rolled out various kinds of digital merchandise, such as collectible art cards, AR (augmented reality) action tickets and standing posters. In December, Lotte Cinema joined hands with Warner Bros. to release NFT merchandise to the first 30,000 customers who reserveFeb 3, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Song Kang-ho and director Kim Jee-woon reunite for fifth film Director Kim Jee-woon, left, and actor Song Kang-ho / Korea Times file By Kwak Yeon-soo“Parasite” star Song Kang-ho will reunite with director Kim Jee-woon for the fifth time in “Cobweb” (working title), which is currently in the pre-production stage.Song has starred in four other Kim films ― “The Quiet Family” (1998), “The Foul King” (2000), “The Good, The Bad, The Weird” (2008) and “The Age of Shadows” (2016). The script for “Cobweb” is written by Shin Yeon-shick, who also wrote the screenplay for the sports drama film, “One Win,” scheduled for release in May. In “One Win,” Song will star as an unsuccessful coach who pairs up with a losing female volleyball team that only needs a single win to keep it going.Though the specific plot details for “Cobweb” are scarce, the film aims to go beyond the boundaries of genre, embedding a movie-within-a-movie narrative. Actress Lim Soo-jung, who collaborated with director Kim in “A Tale of Two Sisters” (2003), will star opposFeb 2, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Busan International Film Festival reappoints Chairman Lee By Kim RahnBusan International Film Festival (BIFF) Chairman Lee Yong-kwan speaks in an online press conference, Oct. 30, 2020, the last day of the 25th edition. Courtesy of BIFFThe organizing body of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) said, Jan. 27, it has reappointed its Chairman Lee Yong-kwan to lead the organization and the festival for four more years, during its general assembly at the BIFF Hall in Busan Cinema Center.Lee was the founding member of the festival that kicked off in 1996, and served as deputy programmer, deputy festival director and festival director. After being named the chairman in 2018, he has established BIFF as Asia's most acclaimed film festival by successfully holding the annual event in 2020 and 2021 amid COVID-19 pandemic through tight quarantine measures. “I'll make efforts to meet the expectations of Busan citizens and filmmakers,” Lee said in a press release, adding he would set up a mid-term vision for the festival's leap forward in the next 10 years, together with festival director Huh Moon-yung and the Asian Contents & FilJan 28, 2022By Kim Rahn
'Concrete Utopia' sequel underway with star-studded cast From left, actors Lee Jun-young, Ma Dong-seok and Roh Jeong-eui / Korea Times fileBy Kwak Yeon-soo“The Wilderness” (working title), which is known to be the sequel to the dystopian blockbuster “Concrete Utopia,” is shaping up to have a star-studded cast. Actors Lee Jun-young and Roh Jeong-eui have joined the cast which includes Ma Dong-seok, also known by his English name Don Lee.The roles have not yet been confirmed but production is expected to begin in the first half of this year.“The Wilderness” is a post-apocalyptic dystopian film that follows the lives of a few survivors who are left in an abandoned land after a massive earthquake. Heo Myeong-haeng, the martial arts director of “The Good, The Bad, The Weird” and “New World,” will make his directorial debut with the film.The upcoming film takes place in the same cinematic universe as “Concrete Utopia,” which revolves around a few survivors who gather in an apartment complex after a massive earthquake demolishes Seoul. Fronted by actors Lee Byung-hun and ParkJan 27, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Seohyun of Girls' Generation makes film debut in sexy Netflix rom-com A scene from the Netflix film, "Love and Leashes" / Courtesy of Netflix By Kwak Yeon-sooSeohyun, an actress and member of K-pop act Girls' Generation, said she wanted to explore every facet her job serves up by taking on a new challenge with the unconventional romantic comedy film, “Love and Leashes.”In the upcoming Netflix film, Seohyun plays Ji-woo, who accidentally finds out about her co-worker Ji-hoo's (Lee Jun-young) sexual fetishes, after mistakenly opening a package that belongs to him. The two enter a contractual relationship as partners in consensual play to fulfill each other's sexual fantasies.It is directed by Park Hyun-jin, well-known for her films, “Lovers of Six Years” (2008) and “Like for Likes” (2016).Although it is Seohyun's debut film, this is not the first time for the singer-actress to make an appearance on Netflix. The star was also featured in the TV series, “Private Lives” (2020) and “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo” (2016), which are currentJan 25, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
