Korean filmmaker July Jung awarded French cultural honorKorean director July Jung, whose works have been invited to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, has received a French cultural order, the French Embassy in Korea said Wednesday. Jung was awarded the Chevalier of France's Order of Arts and Letters in a French Night ceremony held in the southeastern city of Busan last week, according to the embassy. The Chevalier is one of three grades that comprise the Order of Arts and Letters, alongside the Commandeur and the Officier. Jung, who made her directorial feature debut through "A Girl at My Door" (2014), has also helmed "Next Sohee" (2022) and "Dora" (2026). All three features were screened at Cannes. Her latest feature, "Dora," is a film co-produced by Korea, France and Luxembourg. Jung said she was initially unsure whether she was eligible to receive the honor, but she then remembered the support she received from the French audiences she had met across the French cities of Paris, Cannes and Strasbourg. "Thanks to their encouragement, I once again realized the power of cinema, in which the lives portrayed in a film could become our own storOct 14, 2026By Yonhap
Yeon Sang-ho tackles AI, human abyss in grief-driven 'Paradise Lost'Director Yeon Sang-ho, best known for his intense genre storytelling, returns with the thought-provoking psychological thriller "Paradise Lost," exploring the complexities of motherhood and human identity in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). "In the era of AI, I believe being human means living in a world of deep thought," Yeon said after the premiere of the movie in Seoul Monday. "AI cannot think deeply, but humans can. I believe humans have a deep, unknown inner world, like a black hole in space. 'Paradise Lost' tries to explore that." The director added his new movie was inspired by a short three-page story written by his mother. The film follows So-young (Kim Hyun-joo), a grieving mother who lost her son Sun-woo nine years earlier, along with 12 other children, on a missing school bus. Seven days after the incident, several children were found dead in a mining town warehouse basement. The search was then called off, leaving her in endless pain. To cope with the loss, So-young interacts with an AI-generated version of her child daily through an augmented reality program called "Oct 12, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'The Assassin(s)' slips to No. 2 at weekend box officeThe Korean film "The Assassin(s)" attracted more than 400,000 admissions over the weekend, despite controversy over its historical details, but slipped to No. 2 at the box office, industry data showed Monday. The film garnered 407,680 admissions over the weekend, bringing its cumulative total to 2,992,544 as of Sunday, according to the Korean Film Council. The council's weekend chart compiles ticket sales from Friday through Sunday. "The Assassin(s)" centers on the 1974 assassination attempt on then South Korean President Park Chung-hee that resulted in the death of the first lady. Blending the actual event with fictional elements, the film has drawn backlash, mostly from conservative critics, over alleged historical inaccuracies. Following its release on Sept. 23, the film had topped the weekend box office chart for two consecutive weeks. It drew 412,004 admissions the previous weekend. The Japanese animation "Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island" topped the chart by a narrow margin, drawing 407,895 admissions and bringing its cumulative ticket sales to 1,281,485. Other KOct 12, 2026By Yonhap
Strong turnout, star power propel 31st BIFF into global spotlightThe 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has drawn record crowds and major global star power at its midpoint, cementing its position as Asia's premier film event. On Sunday, the festival organizer said attendance at BIFF’s official program events, such as outdoor stage greetings, Master Classes Actors House sessions and Open Talks, surpassed 50,000 visitors within its first five days through Saturday. This figure already exceeds the total attendance recorded across all program events during last year’s full festival run, they added. This highlights a sharp increase in public engagement outside movie theaters. The surging interest comes as BIFF celebrates its first edition since being elevated to the International Federation of Film Producers Associations A-List status, solidifying its standing alongside premier global film festivals. By shifting its opening day to Tuesday and adding extra weekend screenings, the festival made it much easier for both movie fans and industry officials to attend. At Tuesday's opening ceremony, the festival brought together world-renowned filmmakOct 11, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Roh Jeong-eui, Show Kasamatsu uncover dark romance in 'Shaving'BUSAN — Director Kim Jung-hoon said he hopes his new psychological thriller “Shaving” will offer catharsis and comfort to viewers dealing with past emotional scars. "Shaving is a daily routine for most men, but if you examine it closely, it is also dangerous and chilling," Kim said during a press conference at Busan Cinema Center at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) on Friday. "It suited the concept of an ordinary couple's daily life turning into something hazardous. I focused on following Su-yeon's emotional arc across genres to reach a sense of catharsis, hoping the film helps people overcome their trauma." The film was invited to the competition section of the 31st edition of the film festival. It also marks Kim’s return to feature filmmaking 13 years after his debut "Tinker Ticker" (2013). The movie follows Su-yeon (Roh Jeong-eui), a horror novelist carrying past trauma, who spends a holiday at a countryside house with her caring boyfriend Shinji (Show Kasamatsu). The peaceful trip turns into a nightmare when Shinji accidentally cuts his face while shaving with anOct 11, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Dad who wept over daughter's book brings 'Long, Long Night' to BusanAn animated film made by a father who burst into tears while reading his elementary school-aged daughter's book has been invited to the competition section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival. “Long Long Night” is the only animated film among the 13 competition titles. Based on author Ru Ri's 2021 children's book of the same name, the film follows the journey of Norden, the last white rock rhinoceros on Earth, and a young penguin born from an abandoned egg. The original book has sold more than 800,000 copies, becoming a megahit in children's literature and a rare children's story that has also won enthusiastic support from adults. Director Youm Kyu-bock and producer Jung Kyoung-hee discussed the film's four-year journey to the screen at a press conference held Friday at the Busan Cinema Center in the city's Haeundae District. The project began with a book Youm's daughter brought home. Youm said he cried uncontrollably while reading "Long Long Night" to his daughter and became captivated by the friendship between the aging rhinoceros and the young penguin. "I felt I had to maOct 10, 2026By Hankookilbo
'Bedford Park' director tells Korean American story she wanted to seeBUSAN — Stephanie Ahn, director of the American drama film "Bedford Park," said Thursday her longing to see a film that deeply explores the Korean American experience inspired her to make her first feature. The film, which won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Debut Feature at Sundance, portrays an unlikely bond between Korean American physical therapist Audrey (Moon Choi) and Eli (Son Suk-ku), a Korean immigrant who was adopted by a white family. "There are so many Korean American or Asian American stories that have been made that I so admire, and they have certainly opened doors for me as well, but I felt they touched upon the Korean or Asian American experience in sort of a surface level," Ahn told reporters in a group interview held on the occasion of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). "There wasn't a story that reached that made me feel like I was seen personally deep inside," she said. With a keen sense of authenticity, "Bedford Park," does not gloss over the backgrounds or surroundings of the two lead characters, but lays bare their family trauma and personal wOct 8, 2026By Yonhap
'The Assassin(s)' controversy divides viewers at Busan film festivalBUSAN — Amid escalating controversy over the film "The Assassin(s)," visitors at the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) are far from united in their views. Among those aware of the dispute, opinions were split between discomfort and support for creative freedom. The film dramatizes the 1974 assasination attempt on then-President Park Chung-hee, which led to the fatal shooting of then-first lady Yuk Young-soo. Conservative political circles and civic groups accuse it of misrepresenting history, and a defamation complaint against the filmmakers has led to police investigations. The dispute has reached the festival itself. Cast and crew canceled their attendance at BIFF, citing safety concerns, while the culture ministry and the film community called for a strict response to threats against them. Actors Yoo Hae-jin and Lee Min-ho skipped the opening ceremony, and an outdoor stage greeting and a talk program were canceled. The festival said it had no particular position to make on the controversy. On Wednesday, the festival's competition jury members addressed the dispute at aOct 8, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Korean filmmakers urge politicians to let audiences judge amid 'The Assassin(s)' rowBUSAN — Renowned Korean directors and film industry officials on Thursday called for an end to attempts to politicize the historical film "The Assassin(s)" amid a controversy over its historical inaccuracies. Some 20 people, including directors Chung Ji-young and Lee Myung-se, made the call at a press conference in the southeastern city of Busan where the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is under way. "We are concerned over the situation in which evaluation of the movie is expanding into a tool for political feuds," they said in a statement. "Audiences, not politicians, should judge." They expressed concerns over presuming the intention of a film without thoroughly watching it and holding directors, actors and production companies accountable, saying such an attitude could hinder creative freedom. Thursday's press conference came a day after the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) said its plan to screen "The Assassin(s)" at the upcoming film fest remains unchanged. "SGIFF respects the creative vision of the filmmakers behind 'The Assassin(s),' which remains the FestivOct 8, 2026By Yonhap
Hirokazu Kore-eda explores weight of creation in 'Look Back'BUSAN — Renowned Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda said his new movie "Look Back" explores a story about the creative struggles and sense of duty that storytellers experience. "When I happened to read the original comics at a bookstore in Tokyo, it hit me with tremendous shock," the Palme d'Or-winning filmmaker said in a press conference at the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). "It prompted me to look back at myself and ask why people write stories, why they create and why I make movies." Adapted from the web comic by Tatsuki Fujimoto, best known as the creator of global hit “Chainsaw Man,” the movie follows two young girls, Fujino (Natsuki Deguchi) and Kyomoto (Aju Makita), who bond over their shared passion for drawing comics before navigating separate paths through their adolescent years. The film features Deguchi and Makita as the older Fujino and Kyomoto, alongside child actors Furi Nanase and Rokka Okada, who depict the characters during their early school years. Kore-eda said casting was a delicate process aimed at selecting actors who are able to effectivelyOct 7, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
