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
'Candlelight Revolution' discusses costs of bad leadership, impeachment of Park Geun-hye A scene from the documentary film, “Candlelight Revolution” / Courtesy of JUGIJA Co.LLC.By Kwak Yeon-soo“Candlelight Revolution,” a documentary about the mass protests that played a major role in toppling former President Park Geun-hye, will premiere on Feb. 10, just a month before the March 9 presidential election.The controversial timing of the release of the documentary has raised eyebrows among conservative politicians for being potentially political. However, the directors ― freelance journalist Joo Jin-woo and actor Kim Eui-sung, though liberals who regularly discuss their views on social media ― deny that claim, emphasizing the film's purpose of educating the importance of choosing good leadership.“One day in the summer of 2018, I was listening to the radio and I heard Rep. Woo Sang-ho (of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea) telling behind-the-scenes stories of the politics surrounding the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye. They were so intriguing that I suggested that Joo make a film based on these unknown stories,” Kim said dJan 24, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' swings to sixth-highest grossing movie in history with $1.69 billion globally Jacob Batalon, left, Zendaya, center, and Tom Holland attend the “Spider-Man: No Way Home” media event at the Old Sessions House in London, Dec. 5, 2021. EPA-Yonhap Add another notch on "Spider-Man: No Way Home's" long list of box office achievements.Over the weekend, Sony's comic book adventure became the sixth-highest grossing movie in history with $1.69 billion at the global box office (not adjusted for inflation). It passed "Jurassic World" ($1.67 billion) and "The Lion King" ($1.66 billion) to secure that spot.Now in its sixth weekend of release, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" returned to the No. 1 slot in North America, adding $14.1 million between Friday and Sunday, along with $27.7 million overseas. The superhero epic, starring Tom Holland as Marvel's neighborhood web-slinger, opened in December and has generated $721 million at the domestic box office and $970.1 million internationally.Outside of the United States, where "No Way Home" ranks as the fourth-biggestJan 24, 2022
Political films to hit theaters ahead of 2022 presidential election A footage of Kim Dae-jung delivering a speech in the documentary film “President” / Courtesy of Blue Film WorksBy Kwak Yeon-sooWith only seven weeks before the 20th presidential election, political films are flooding the market in an effort to keep voters engaged and enraged.Most prominent is Byun Sung-hyun's star-studded “Kingmaker,” inspired by a mysterious political strategist in the 1960-70s named Eom Chang-rok who worked for former President Kim Dae-jung, serving under him from 1998 to 2003.A string of political documentaries aim to take advantage of the heightened political climate. “President” traces Kim's meteoric rise through footage of his impassioned speeches calling for democracy and an end to the military dictatorship, punctuated with current-day interviews given by his close aides. It follows the timeline of Kim's first presidential race from 1971 to becoming the first opposition to win the presidential election in 1997 on his fourth run. He won the Nobel Prize in 2002 for his reconciliation efforts with North Korea. “Kim becameJan 21, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Director Joung Yumi's 'House of Existence' selected for Berlinale Shorts By Kwak Yeon-sooThe poster for the film, “House of Existence” / Courtesy of KOFICDirector Joung Yumi's “House of Existence” was selected for the Berlinale Shorts competition of this year's Berlin International Film Festival, the Korean Film Council said Friday. The 72nd edition of the film festival is scheduled for Feb. 10-20. There have been 20 other short films selected for the competition, including: “A Story for 2 Trumpets” by Amandine Meyer and “Retreat” by Anabela Angelovska. Joung's films have been invited to the Berlinale three times so far. Two of her earlier works, “Math Test” (2010) and “Love Games” (2013), competed in the Shorts Competition. Her eight-minute animation tells the story of what happens when our belief systems collapse. Using a “house” as a metaphor to represent one's inner mind, the artist shares how the process of shattering one's rigid ego is painful, but can lead to the discovery of something new and meaningful amid the ruins. Joung gained international acclaim after direcJan 21, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Political drama, pirate film set to compete at holiday box office Actor Seol Kyung-gu in a scene from the film "Kingmaker" / Courtesy of Megabox Plus MFigure Two domestic movies will hit local theaters next week to lure film buffs and holiday shoppers ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday."Kingmaker" and "The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure" will open Wednesday, three days before the five-day Lunar New Year holiday begins. The first day of the new year based on the lunar calendar falls on Feb. 1 this year.The political film "Kingmaker" depicts the subtle relationship between Kim Woon-beom (Seol Kyung-gu), an opposition party candidate who dreams of becoming president, and Seo Chang-dae (Lee Sun-kyun), a capable election strategist who leads behind-the-scenes election campaigns for Kim, in the 1960s.It is motivated by a famous but mysterious election tactician in the 1960-70s, Eom Chang-rok, who worked for Kim Dae-jung, who became the country's president in 1998 after a decades-long political career.Director Byun Sung-hyun'Jan 21, 2022
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' sets new pandemic box office record A scene from the film "Spider-Man: No Way Home" / Courtesy of Sony PicturesBy Lee Gyu-leeMarvel's latest superhero flick “Spider-Man: No Way Home” has surpassed 7 million ticket sales, setting a new highest ticket sales record in the local box office since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.The action blockbuster movie, which debuted Dec. 15 last year, has garnered 7.01 million ticket sales grossing about 70.4 billion won ($59.1 million) as of Thursday morning.The previous ticket sales record since the beginning of the pandemic was the Korean action crime film “Deliver Us from Evil,” which sold about 4.36 million tickets, grossing 38.6 billion won ($32.4 million).Jon Watts, who directed "Spider-Man: Homecoming" (2017) and "Spider-Man: Far From Home" (2019), finishes with the third and last of the Spider-Man trilogy following Peter Parker (Tom Holland) as it is revealed to the public that he is the superhero. When he seeks to make the world forget his identity with the help of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), he puts himself in the middle of a multiJan 20, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
'Parasite' director preparing to adapt sci-fi novel into film with Warner Bros. Filmmaker Bong Joon-ho / Korea Times fileOscar-winning filmmaker Bong Joon-ho will likely come back with an English-language movie based on an unpublished U.S. science-fiction novel on clones, with Hollywood star Robert Pattinson likely in a starring role, U.S. media outlets reported Thursday.According to Deadline and other news media, the Korean director is preparing to adapt Edward Ashton's upcoming novel "Mickey7" into a film with Warner Bros.Robert Pattinson, one of the most-sought after actors in Hollywood, is in talks to star in the untitled film, likely written, directed and produced by Bong, they added."Mickey7," which will be published in the first quarter of this year, is about a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Nifheim who refuses to be replaced with another clone, called Mickey 8.Bong was interested in filming an adaptation of "Mickey7" after being offered the manuscript of the unpublished book around the end of last year, according to news reports.The film would be Bong's first project since "Parasite," which swept four Oscar prizeJan 20, 2022
