Ulju Mountain Film Festival kicks off 10-day run in Ulsan A car arrives at the drive-in opening screening of the fifth Ulju Mountain Film Festival, a nature and adventure themed international film festival, at the Yeongnam Alps Complex Welcoming Center in Ulsan, 415 kilometers southeast of Seoul, Oct. 23. YonhapThe Ulju Mountain Film Festival (UMFF) kicked off Friday, bringing together a selection of over 120 nature and adventure themed international movies and documentaries via online streaming and drive-in screenings.The film festival, based in the mountainous county of Ulju in the southeastern city of Ulsan, began its 10-day run by commencing online streaming of 128 films from 43 countries on its website at midnight Thursday.The UMFF also held an in-person drive-in screening of the American short documentary "United States of Joe's" at of the Yeongnam Alps Complex Welcoming Center as this year's opening event. Now in its fifth year, the UMFF decided to hold this year's event primarily through streaming due to concerns over COVID-19. A total of 14 outdoor drive-in screenings will be held throughout the run.Of the submitted films, 26 worksOct 24, 2020
'House of Hummingbird' wins two prizes at 29th Buil Film Awards Jung Yu-mi, left, and Lee Byung-hun / Courtesy of Management Soop and BH EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooKim Bo-ra's “House of Hummingbird” won the best film and best screenplay awards at the 29th Buil Film Awards, held alongside the Busan International Film Festival, Thursday. A poster for “House of Hummingbird” / Courtesy of Atnine FilmBest director went to Jung Ji-woo for “Tune in for Love.” “The Man Standing Next,” which has been selected to compete for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, won the best actor for Lee Byung-hun and best supporting actor for Lee Hee-jun.The latter film is a political thriller that centers on the last 40 days before the Korean Central Intelligence Agency director assassinated then President Park Chung-hee in 1979. Jung Yu-mi won the best actress for “Kim Ji-young, Born 1982,” adapted from Cho Nam-ju's best-selling novel of the same name. The best supporting actress went to Lee Re for her role in zombie blockbuster “Peninsula.”“Deliver Us From Evil&rdOct 23, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
INTERVIEW Eugene returns to film after 11 years due to motherhood Eugene after an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Wednesday. /Courtesy of Road PicturesBy Kwak Yeon-sooSinger-turned-actress Eugene says her new film “Paper Flower” is about finding hope in the middle of despair. The title refers to a Korean funerary tradition of placing paper flowers inside a coffin to pay tribute to the deceased.Returning to the silver screen for the first time in 11 years since horror flick “Yoga,” she chose an independent film over a big-scale commercial film because the film's message resonated with her.Her foresight has proven true, as the film already won two awards ― the Platinum Remi Award and Best Actor Award for actor Ahn Sung-ki ― at this year's WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival. In “Paper Flower,” Eugene plays Eun-sook, a single mother who lives with her daughter No-el and never loses her smile even in harsh times. “Director Koh Hoon wanted Eun-sook's character to be overdramatic and bright, to the point where she sounds eccentric, so that her pain and sorrow could be better reflectedOct 23, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
INTERVIEW Filmmaker explores pressure of Korea's rigid beauty standards A scene from the film “Mirror” / Courtesy of Christina YoonBy Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Christina Yoon's short film “Mirror” explores Korea's “unrealistic” beauty standards which make women desperate to achieve aesthetic perfection. Although the movie is about Korean women, Yoon said the topic she deals with is a universal problem that anyone can empathize with.The 12-minute film tells the story of Yeona Song (played by Spring Kim), a female Korean immigrant who is self-conscious because of a large scar on her right cheek.She wears a face mask to hide the scar. At the height of insecurity, she decides to visit an unlicensed beauty clinic in Queens, New York, to remove the scar. However, she is encouraged to consider changing her entire face, and she faces the dilemma to either undergo plastic surgery or to accept the skin she's in.Yoon explained that she has always been fascinated by the masks people put on for society, creating a dichotomy between one's inner self and outer appearance. “As a Korean American woman, I felt this on many levels as aOct 22, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
'The Man Standing Next' chosen as Korea's 2021 Oscars entry A political thriller depicting the intense power struggle among former President Park Chung-hee's top aides before one of them assassinated him in 1979 will represent South Korea in next year's Oscars.The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) said Thursday that it has chosen "The Man Standing Next" out of 13 films as the country's entry for the best international feature film category of the 93rd Academy Awards.The selection came after South Korean director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" swept four awards, including best picture and best international feature film, at this year's Oscars.Directed by Woo Min-ho, "The Man Standing Next" chronicles the 40 days of a secretive power struggle among the aides before Park was shot to death at a safe house in Seoul by his chief intelligence officer Kim Jae-kyu, whose motive for the killing is still debated. Park is one of the most controversial figures in modern South Korean history, being the head of a military dictatorship while at the vanguard of the miraculous development of the country's economy at the same time. "'The Man Standing Next' is an attractivOct 22, 2020
Veteran actor Ahn Sung-ki denies poor health rumors Actor Ahn Sung-ki / Korea Times fileBy Park Ji-wonVeteran actor Ahn Sung-ki, 68, denied rumors that he is seriously ill, saying he is fine and media claims concerning his health are exaggerated. He said he is now resting at home and is in good condition. Rumors about his health started to circulate after he disappeared from the public eye for several days. He was hospitalized for 10 days due to fatigue, according to media reports. In an interview with media outlet Starnews, Tuesday, Ahn confirmed that the cause of his hospitalization was fatigue. “I was released two days ago and am in good condition…. But my doctor told me to get some rest and I plan to follow that advice,” he said. The actor said he has been observing the media hype about his health. “I read online news articles which were exaggerated … Throughout the summer, I worked far too hard while shooting the upcoming film Hansan: The Rise of The Dragon. Plus, our home underwent renovations recently to which I paid a lot of attention. Also, I exercised too hard for an hour or so on the day I waOct 21, 2020By Park Ji-won
Gong Yoo and Park Bo-gum's 'Seo Bok' to release in December Posters for the sci-fi film “Seo Bok.” / Courtesy of CJ ENMBy Lee Gyu-leeThe new sci-fi film “Seo Bok,” starring Gong Yoo and Park Bo-gum, is set to hit theaters in December. The film's distributor CJ ENM announced the news Wednesday with teaser posters of the two lead actors. “We haven't pinpointed on the date exactly, as situations like COVID-19 might affect our schedule,” the distributor told The Korea Times. “But we are aiming the premiere date for the beginning of December.”The sci-fi action flick is one of this year's long-awaited films as it is the first time the two heartthrob actors have appeared together. Directed by Lee Yong-ju, known for the award-winning “Architecture 101,” the story revolves around terminally ill former intelligence agent Ki-hun (Gong), who encounters genetically mutated human clone Seo Bok (Park), who holds the secret of eternal life.With many people seeking to obtain that secret, the two are dragged into conflict.Oct 21, 2020By Lee Gyu-lee
CGV to close 30 percent of its theaters due to pandemic slump A sign on display at CGV Myeongdong Branch advises the suspension of business due to the prolonged fallout from COVID-19 pandemic, in this March file photo. / Korea Times fileBy Kwak Yeon-sooCGV, the country's largest multiplex operator, said Monday it will reduce 30 percent of its cinemas as the pandemic continues to slam the movie industry.As part of its restructuring plan, the chain will close 35 to 40 theaters, which accounts for nearly 30 percent of its theaters nationwide, within three years. The opening of new branches will be delayed or called off, as the company's revenue is estimated to have fallen nearly 70 percent from a year earlier, a reflection of the struggles domestic movie theaters have been facing since COVID-19 hit the country in February. As for existing branches, the company will introduce a more flexible policy such as limiting the number of screenings depending on the film lineup and estimated audience size. For instance, some theaters are considering closing during weekdays and opening only on weekends to improve operational efficiency. The move comes as filmOct 19, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Atlanta police make arrest in actor's shooting death Antonio Demetrice Rhynes surrenders to an APD drone with officers outside his apartment in Atlanta in this Oct. 16 photo taken from video and released by the Atlanta Police Department. AP Thomas Jefferson Byrd. imbd.com Atlanta police announced Friday that they have made an arrest in the shooting death of actor Thomas Jefferson Byrd. Homicide detectives obtained a warrant for the arrest of 30-year-old Antonio Demetrice Rhynes, Wednesday, on a felony murder charge based on evidence and tips from the public, and officers arrested him early Friday morning, Officer Steve Avery said in an email.Rhynes will be taken to the Fulton County jail once he's processed, Avery said. It wasn't immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could comment on his arrest.Police declined to release any further information, saying the investigation remains open and actOct 17, 2020
Tickets on sale for Busan International Film Festival By Kwak Yeon-sooA poster for the 25th Busan International Film Festival. / Courtesy of BIFFTickets for the 25th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) that runs from Oct. 21 to Oct. 30 are on sale, but some screenings have already sold out. Sales opened at 2 p.m. Thursday but were disrupted for an hour due to strong demand for the limited number of tickets available. Each invited film will be screened only once during the festival and the number of theaters screening them has been reduced from 37 to six.This year's lineup features 192 films from 68 countries. Among the highlights will be the screening of Pixar's “Soul,” which will be shown in Asia for the first time.Tickets for “Soul,” Kiyoshi Kurosawa's “Wife of a Spy,” which won the Silver Lion for best director at this year's Venice International Film Festival, and Lee Isaac Chung's “Minari,” which won the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival, have sold out.“More than Family,” in which f(X) member Krystal plays a pregnant collegeOct 16, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
