'It's Okay to Not Be Okay' star Oh Jung-se returns with powerful social drama Actors Oh Jung-se, left, and Yoo Da-in pose after a press conference for the film “I Don't Fire Myself” held in Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Jin Jin PicturesBy Kwak Yeon-sooWriter-director Lee Tae-gyeom said he wanted depict the plight of powerless workers and tackle the issue of labor abuse in his new film “I Don't Fire Myself.”“When I was going through tough times after being turned down repeatedly for projects, I came across a news article about a middle-aged woman who was dispatched to the countryside for no good reason and endured humiliation,” Lee said during a press conference for the film, Tuesday. “I realized that for all of us, work is a matter of survival. The more time you spend at the workplace, the more you may feel like your work is your life. That's why a sudden layoff leads to an increased risk of suicide. I wanted to address this issue in our film,” he added.Inspired by a true story, the upcoming film is a tale of employees who stand up against injustice in the workplace while they are on the verge of being laid off. Jan 20, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Red Velvet's Irene to make silver screen debut in February Irene of K-pop act Red Velvet and actor Shin Seung-ho star in the upcoming film “Double Patty.” Courtesy of kth, Pan CinemaBy Dong Sun-hwaIrene of K-pop girl group Red Velvet is slated to make her big screen debut in February with the coming-of-age movie “Double Patty.” The film's trailer featuring Irene, who plays aspiring anchorwoman Lee Hyun-ji, was unveiled Monday. In the clip, Lee bumps into Kang Woo-ram, a former ssireum (traditional Korean wrestling) athlete, who visits the hamburger restaurant she is working at. Rookie actor Shin Seung-ho plays Kang.The movie will portray how Lee and Kang encourage each other while going through tough times in their lives. Directed by Baek Seung-hwan, “Double Patty” intends to send a message of hope to the audience. The film was initially scheduled to hit local theaters last year, but its release was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Jan. 15, Irene made her second apology on fan community Lysn over a bullying scandal involving a stylist, which erupted last October. “I apologize for cauJan 19, 2021By Dong Sun-hwa
Bear Grylls goes on safari in trailer for Netflix interactive special Bear Grylls. Capture from Bear Grylls' FacebookBear Grylls is teaming up with Netflix on a new interactive special.The streaming service shared a trailer Friday for “Animals on the Loose: A You vs. Wild Interactive Movie.”The preview follows Grylls, an adventurer and television personality, while on safari in South Africa. Grylls is tasked with tracking down wildlife that have mysteriously escaped from a sanctuary.Viewers will make decisions during the film, such as whether Grylls climbs a tree or hides under a van to escape a lion, which impact the course of the adventure.Animals on the Loose is based on Grylls' Netflix interactive series, “You vs. Wild,” which premiered in 2019.Deadline said Grylls will also star in a second interactive special.Animals on the Loose premieres Feb. 16.In addition to “You vs. Wild,” Grylls is known for such series as “Man vs. Wild” and “Running Wild with Bear Grylls.” “Running Wild with Bear Grylls” moved to the National Geographic Channel for its fifth season, which ended in JanuJan 16, 2021
'Parasite' director Bong Joon-ho to head Venice film festival jury Director Bong Joon-ho poses in the press room with award for Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language for "Parasite" during the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 05, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. AFP-YonhapSouth Korean director Bong Joon-ho, whose "Parasite" movie won the Academy Award for Best Picture last year, was named Friday as jury president of the 2021 Venice Film Festival. "I'm ready to admire and applaud all the great films selected by the festival. I'm filled with genuine hope and excitement," Bong said in a statement issued by festival organizers. Festival director Alberto Barbera said Bong would be the first South Korean jury president, and saluted him as "one of the most authentic and original voices in worldwide cinema." "Parasite," a dark comedy about the gap between rich and poor, made history as the first non-English-language movie to win an Oscar for Best Picture. It also picked up three other statuettes at the Academy Awards for Best Director, Best International Feature and Best Original Screenplay. The Venice Film Festival iJan 15, 2021
Film 'Minari' to hit local theaters in March Film “Minari” set for release in Korea in March. Courtesy of PancinemaBy Lee Gyu-leeDirector Lee Isaac Chung's award-winning film “Minari” is set to open in local theaters in March. Pancinema, the distributor of the film, confirmed its release Friday and also introduced the movie's first Korean-language poster. "Minari” portrays the life of a South Korean immigrant family ― Jacob (Steven Yeun), his wife Monica (Han Ye-ri), mother (Youn Yuh-jung), and children ― trying to start anew in the United States. The family moves to a remote farm in Arkansas, hoping to pursue their own American dream through farming. But as they try to settle into their new environment, they encounter different struggles in their lives.Chung's semi-autobiographical film, based on his own upbringing, has received significant acclaim since its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January last year. Since then, it scored a total of 31 international awards, including best original screenplay at the San Diego Film Critics Society Awards, and 74 nominations. Actress Youn Yuh-Jan 15, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
Film director says theme of universal humanity in 'Minari' resonates with American audience A scene from "Minari"Korean American director Lee Isaac Chung said the growing compliments showered on his latest immigrant film "Minari" represents people's faith in humanity that everyone harbors deeply in mind.In an online conversation hosted by Korean American actress Sandra Oh as part of the Korean American Day celebration Wednesday (U.S. time), he said the movie was not just a tale of a Korean immigrant family based on his childhood experience but also a story of an individual struggling with everyday life."(My childhood memories) could also hold a lot of the ideas that I was thinking through about life itself, as a dad, as a husband, and all these different things that I was wrestling with, with my career, and just thinking about America," he said."I just felt like, this is interesting that all of these might be able to come together, using memories as a starting point.""Minari," Chung's fourth feature, depicts the story of a first-generation immigrant family from Korea settling in a remote farm in Arkansas in pursuit of their own American dream, from the view point of a 7-yeaJan 14, 2021
Anthology film 'Today, Together 2' reflects on meaning of family in modern Korea A scene from the short film “Fruits” / Courtesy of Film DabinBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe omnibus movie “Today, Together 2” is a follow-up to the 2019 film “Today, Together” and is comprised of four short films depicting complicated family relationships in modern-day Korea. The films also explores intergenerational issues and counters the long-held ideal of self-sacrificing parents. Instead, the film focuses on how “detached” children overcome the absence of their parents and learn to move on with their lives. Directed by Yang Jae-joon, “Fruits” centers on a father and son who despise each other. Jong-hwan (Ki Joo-bong), a divorced and laid-off dad, is not satisfied with his son Do-jin (Park Se-joon), who repeatedly fails to pass the civil service exam and spends his days sitting in the library. Do-jin is also angry at his father who collects rotten apricots that fall from trees and embarrassingly insists on buying only groceries that are sold at a discount. However, Do-jin reconciles with his dad after witnessing his sadness at his Jan 13, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Korean film director Im Sang-soo to make Hollywood debut Im Sang-sooSouth Korean director Im Sang-soo, whose latest feature "Heaven: To The Land of Happiness" was selected by Cannes last year, will make his directorial debut in Hollywood, a production company here said Monday.He will take the helm of "Soho Sins," co-produced by U.S. production studio 2W Network Entertainment, according to Yeolmae Entertainment.The film is based on the novel of the same title written by Richard Vine, the managing editor of the magazine Art in America. It features the shady underbelly of the New York arts scene through the murder of a wife of a golden couple.Im is now working on dramatizing the story for film with the author, with pre-production likely to start in July, Yeolmae Entertainment said.Hollywood stars Hugh Jackman and Brad Pitt are being considered for lead roles in the 33 billion won (US$30 million) project, it added.Im is one of the most critically acclaimed Korean filmmakers outside the country, with his previous dramas "The Housemaid" and "The Taste of Money" having competed in Cannes in 2010 and 2012, respectively.His latest drama-comedy "HeaJan 11, 2021
Michael Apted, director of 'Up' documentary series, dies Aldrich Award recipient Michael Apted poses at the 65th annual Directors Guild of America Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. on February 2, 2013. REUTERS-YonhapMichael Apted, the acclaimed British director of the ``Up'' documentary series and films as diverse as the Loretta Lynn biopic ``Coal Miner's Daughter'' and the James Bond film ``The World Is Not Enough,'' has died. He was 79.A representative for the Directors Guild of America said his family informed the organization that he passed Thursday night. No cause was given.An incredibly prolific director, Apted's legacy is perhaps most defined by the nine ``Up'' films, which followed the lives of 14 economically diverse British children from age 7 to 63. The project started in 1964 with ``Seven Up!'' the brainchild of the late Canadian filmmaker Paul Almond. Apted served as a researcher on the first film and took over as director seven years later, continuing to check in with the subjects every seven years. ``He turned it into a nice film, but I turned it into a political document,'' Apted said in a DGA Quarterly interview in 2Jan 10, 2021
22nd Jeonju film festival to open in April The 22nd Jeonju International Film Festival slogan / Courtesy of Jeonju International Film Festival organizing committeeBy Kwak Yeon-sooJeonju International Film Festival, scheduled from April 29 to May 8, will host physical screenings for its 22nd edition.Under a new slogan “Film Goes On,” the film festival organizing committee announced Friday that it plans to resume normal operations despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.Last year the organizing committee presented a “hybrid” festival, combining in-theater screenings and online events, and held it over 114 days, which was the longest schedule ever in history. Based on its previous experience, the events and film screenings will be planned meticulously subject to COVID-19 social distancing levels and quarantine measures. The new slogan “Film Goes On” is directed at filmmakers and audiences who have gone through a tough year. It holds a message that “we and the film industry reeling from COVID-19 can overcome it together.” It also represents the committee's strong determination to &ldqJan 10, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
