'Shoplifters' filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda to helm first Korean film By Kwak Yeon-sooFilmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda / Courtesy of CJ Entertainment“Shoplifter” filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda is set to direct his first Korean film, tentatively titled “Baby, Box, Broker.” This will be Kore-eda's second film set outside Japan, following “The Truth,” which was shot in French and English.The star-studded cast includes Song Kang-ho of Oscar-winning “Parasite,” Bae Doo-na of epic sci-fi film “Cloud Atlas” and Gang Dong-won of zombie blockbuster “Peninsula.”The film centers on “baby boxes” that are left out for people to anonymously drop off their unwanted babies. “'Broker' is a story about baby boxes,” Kore-eda said. “I'm currently working on the script that revolves around three great actors. I hope to create a thrilling, heartwarming and emotional film,” said Kore-eda.“This film, like my latest French-language film 'The Truth,' will be set outside my home country and native language. I've been exploring questions like 'What can I share with the audienAug 27, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Type-cast bad guy, Yoon Je-moon stars as warm character in 'Fukuoka' Actor Yoon Je-moon / Courtesy of Indie Story By Kwak Yeon-sooActor Yoon Je-moon recalled that filming nostalgic drama “Fukuoka” was refreshing because he was able to throw away his usual character of a villain and transform into that of a kind and warm-hearted man.In the film, Yoon plays Je-moon, a second-hand bookstore owner, who is dragged along on a trip by longtime customer So-dam (Park So-dam) to Fukuoka to meet his long estranged friend Hae-hyo (Kwon Hae-hyo).The two parted ways 28 years earlier after falling in love with the same girl, who eventually left both of them. Hae-hyo moved to the girl's hometown of Fukuoka to look for her, but never saw her again. Struggling to get over his ex-girlfriend, Hae-hyo has been running a bar in the Japanese city and growing old alone, just like Je-moon.Despite initial bickering, the two men and So-dam travel across the city and reflect on their past, wondering if things would have turned out differently if they had made dAug 26, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Deliver Us From Evil' tops box office for 20 days “Deliver Us From Evil.” Courtesy of CJ EntertainmentBy Dong Sun-hwaCrime-action movie “Deliver Us From Evil” has topped the local box office for 20 days as of Monday, according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). The council said the movie attracted 30,408 filmgoers on Monday, outdoing the comedy-action film “Okay! Madam” (15,368) and the Japanese anime movie “Crayon Shin-chan: Honeymoon Hurricane ― The Lost Hiroshi ―” (5,780).But daily box office sales were only 63,788, largely due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) flare-up in Korea. Since Deliver Us From Evil hit local theaters on Aug. 5, it has sold more than 4.13 million tickets as of Monday. It is the year's second movie to draw an audience of more than 4 million after “The Man Standing Next” reached the milestone on Feb. 1. The film follows the story of hitman In-nam ― played by Hwang Jung-min ― who is chased by villain Ray ― played by Lee Jung-jae. The pair co-starred in the 2013 hit crime drama "New World."Hong Won-chan, who was behind the success of the thriller "OfficeAug 25, 2020By Dong Sun-hwa
Israel opens floating cinema for virus-safe viewing Israelis watch the movie "Paddington" while sitting in pedal boats at the “sail-in” floating cinema in Tel Aviv's Hayarkon Park on August 20. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP)Moviegoers boarded boats floating on the shimmering waters of a Tel Aviv lake on Thursday for a test screening at Israel's first “sail-in” cinema.With indoor film theatres shut because of coronavirus restrictions, the Tel Aviv municipality launched the floating cinema to allow residents to catch a movie in the open air while still keeping a safe distance from each other.The floating cinema provided seating aboard 70 pedal and rowing boats set in the Yarkon Park lake, two meters apart to maintain social distancing, Tel Aviv municipality said.An aerial view shows Israelis watching the movie "Paddington" while sitting in pedal boats at the “sail-in” floating cinema in Tel Aviv's Hayarkon Park on August 20. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP)Two films will be screened every evening during the last week of August, the municipality said. Thursday's screening, attended by about 200 people, was a pilAug 21, 2020
'Evil' beats 'Peninsula' to become most watched summer film of 2020 This still image provided by CJ Entertainment shows a scene from South Korean action thriller "Deliver Us From Evil," starring Hwang Jung-min (R) and Lee Jung-jae. YonhapThe South Korean action thriller "Deliver Us From Evil" has emerged as the most-watched film at the country's box office this summer, outpacing the performance of homegrown zombie apocalypse movie "Peninsula," data showed Thursday.The number of combined viewers for "Evil," starring Hwang Jung-min and Lee Jung-jae, reached 3.87 million as of early Wednesday, surpassing the 3.79 million aggregate tally for "Peninsula," according to the data by the Korean Film Council.For the entire year to-date, "The Man Standing Next," starring Lee Byung-hun, remains the top grossing movie, with 4.75 million combined viewers from its theatrical release in January.Whether "Evil" can sustain its momentum throughout the rest of the summer, however, remains unclear, as the government has place toughened social distancing guidelines in the greater Seoul area amid a rapid growth in the number of COVID-19 transmissions.The cinema industry isAug 20, 2020
Film industry cancels events as COVID-19 cases spike again Posters for the action blockbuster “Tenet,” left, and the drama “Fukuoka.” / Courtesy of Warner Bros. Korea and IndiestoryBy Lee Gyu-leeFilm distributors are on high alert again, canceling or postponing scheduled premiere events as COVID-19 cases resurge in Korea. The country has reported three-digit figure counts for the past six days. The latest new infection case number released on Wednesday was 297, the biggest daily rise since early March. As most cases are in the Seoul metropolitan area and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, the government has decided to raise the social distancing level in those areas to Level 2, in a three-tier system, for two weeks from Sunday. Under Level 2, indoor gatherings of 50 or more people and of 100 or more outdoors are restricted.In response to the spike, distributors have canceled media screenings or press conferences, including events for the blockbuster action movie “Tenet” and “Parasite” star Park So-dam's new film “Fukuoka.”Warner Bros. Korea said Tuesday it had canceled Wednesday's mAug 19, 2020By Lee Gyu-lee
Song Joong-ki returns to cinema with 'Space Sweepers' From left, actor Yoo Hai-jin, Song Joong-ki, Kim Tae-ri and Jin Sun-kyu pose at the press conference for the film “Space Sweepers” in Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Merry ChristmasBy Kwak Yeon-soo“Space Sweepers,” featuring a star-studded cast including Song Joong-ki and Kim Tae-ri, is a sci-fi film helmed by Jo Sung-hee, who is widely known for his previous movies “A Werewolf Boy” and “Phantom Detective.”Set in 2092, the film revolves around the crew of The Victory, who have been searching for lucrative space debris. After they spot the humanoid “Dorothy” ― a weapon of mass destruction ― the members make a risky deal.Song appears as the shuttle's pilot Tae-ho while Kim plays Captain Jang. Actors Jin Sun-kyu and Yoo Hai-jin also star in the film, which is the first Korean sci-fi movie set in space.The film is Song's first in three years since “The Battleship Island.” Discussing his character in “Space Sweepers,” Song said during an online press conference Tuesday, “Tae-ho is a desperate pennilessAug 18, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Virus spike pushes Sarajevo Film Festival online The Sarajevo Film Festival will be launched entirely online on Friday after a spike in coronavirus cases forced organizers to cancel plans to stage Europe's first in-person movie fair since the outbreak of the pandemic.Just ten days ago a huge projection screen was set up at a spacious open-air cinema and chairs placed according to physical distance rules. Organizers had said face masks and disinfectant at cinema entrances would be a must.But a sudden rise in coronavirus cases in the Bosnian capital since early July following relaxation of a strict lockdown raised concerns about the safety of audiences, staff and guests.“Even though we were looking forward to the festival with the audience, we decided to kick off without it, taking no risk,” said festival director Mirsad Purivatra.“I think this was the only rational decision,” Purivatra told Reuters.The Sarajevo film festival was founded by a group of enthusiasts in 1995 as an act of defiance against a 43-month siege of the capital by Bosnian Serb forces. It has grown to become the largest film competition andAug 16, 2020
Mystery thriller 'Diva' transforms Shin Min-a From left, actors Lee You-young and Shin Min-a, director Cho Seul-ye and actor Lee Kyu-hyung at an online press conference for “Diva.” / Courtesy of Megabox Plus MBy Kwak Yeon-soo“Diva” is a disturbing, breath-taking thriller that combines mystery with the subject of diving.Shin Min-a, who won hearts in sweetheart roles from previous works, plays Yi-young, an athlete whose life is consumed with diving. One day, she is involved in a car accident with her best friend/rival Soo-jin (Lee You-young). Soo-jin goes missing and Yi-young has to cope with the stress and trauma to win the next competition. However, rumors swirl about Soo-jin, and Yi-young realizes her best friend might not be who she originally thought she was. Yi-young struggles to delve deeper into her friend's well-hidden dark side that threatens to destroy her.Shin said she was excited about returning to the screen after six years since appearing in “My Love, My Bride.” “The script was intense and fascinating,” Shin said during an online press conference in Seoul on Thursday.Aug 14, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Korean crime thriller sold to 56 overseas markets A scene from “Deliver Us From Evil.” Courtesy of CJ EntertainmentThe South Korean crime thriller "Deliver Us From Evil" has been sold to more than 50 overseas markets, according to its distributor on Friday.The film, which has topped the local box office since its release on Aug. 5, was sold to 56 countries and territories, including the United States, Germany, Taiwan and Hong Kong, according to CJ Entertainment.With the movie hitting Taiwanese screens this Wednesday, the distributor said it is in talks with its counterparts to fix the release date in each country.Starring Hwang Jung-min and Lee Jung-jae, the crime action film has attracted 2.7 million moviegoers in South Korea as of Thursday, with a total revenue of 23.4 billion won (US$19.7 million).Directed by Hong Won-chan, the film follows the story of an assassin, played by Hwang, who becomes embroiled in unexpected incidents as a mysterious killer, played by Lee, pursues him to avenge his dead brother. (Yonhap)Aug 14, 2020
