'Fast & Furious' actor Sung Kang turns passion for drifting into directorial debut 'Drifter'Korean American actor Sung Kang brings his years of experience from the “Fast & Furious” U.S. film franchise into his directorial debut, “Drifter,” which recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Before joining the “Fast & Furious” films in 2006 with " The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift," Kang had no real experience with drifting, a car-community subculture built around controlled sideways driving. This exposure led to a lifelong obsession that would eventually culminate in his directorial debut, “Drifter.” The movie, led by Kang, follows a lonesome racetrack custodian with a secret talent for drifting. “I’ve been so fortunate to be part of this global franchise that has introduced me to this amazing audience that has supported us over decades now. I wanted to go deeper and honor that community with my own story and put my own personal truth to the characters and the world that I built in ‘Drifter,’” said Kang. “It’s really a love letter to the car community that has given me a place to belong, especially in the darkest hours of my lSep 25, 2026By Adam Davidson
Korean film 'The Assassin(s)' on track to lead box office during Chuseok holidayThe Korean historical thriller "The Assassins(s)" is poised to lead the local box office during the Chuseok holiday amid a slate of films seeking to bank on holiday moviegoers. The film, starring Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho, accounted for 31 percent of advance ticket sales as of 2 p.m. Wednesday, with more than 238,000 tickets sold, according to the data by the Korean Film Council. Directed by Hur Jin-ho, the film was inspired by the 1974 assassination attempt on then South Korean President Park Chung-hee, which resulted in the death of the first lady. The shooting remains one of the most shocking events in the country's tumultuous modern history. The global megahit "The Odyssey," which ranked No. 2, accounted for 17.1 percent of pre-ticket sales. The Christopher Nolan film has amassed more than 11.2 million admissions here since its release in August to become the second most-watched film at Korean theaters this year, only after the Korean historical drama "The King's Warden." Advance ticket sales for the Korean film "Tazza: Song of Beelzebub," the final sequel of the long-ruSep 24, 2026By Yonhap
Honored by Venice win, 'Possible Love' director seeks audience connection over awardPrior to the local release of Venice-winning feature, "Possible Love," director Lee Chang-dong said Monday that audience reaction to the film is far more important to him than winning an award. Speaking at a press conference in Seoul alongside lead actors Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung, and Cho Yeo-jeong, the veteran filmmaker reflected on his Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize win at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. "I am happy and honored to receive the award, but the prize is merely a result," Lee said during a media screening and press conference in Seoul, Monday. "The more important thing to me was to know how audience would receive my film because Venice was the first place where it met the world." "Possible Love" follows two contrasting couples who meet through a documentary project. Ho-seok (Sul) is a laid-off worker carrying deep emotional trauma, while his wife Mi-ok (Jeon Do-yeon) strives to protect her family’s dignity. On the other side are Ye-ji (Cho), an ambitious documentary filmmaker, and her wealthy husband Sang-woo (Zo). As their lives intertwine, the four individualSep 21, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'The Intern' Korean remake tests legacy of beloved original hitThe Korean remake of "The Intern" claimed the top spot at the local box office, becoming the first domestic film in 50 days to reach No. 1 by dethroning a long-running foreign hit. Released 11 years after the original, the remake drew immediate attention, offering a welcome sense of familiarity to returning fans while appealing to new viewers with its warm emotional tone. However, adapting a polished and widely loved classic carries the weight of high expectations, inviting more measured reviews as inevitable comparisons emerge. Released on Sept. 16, the film held the top position for two consecutive days, ending the weekslong run of "The Odyssey." Early audience response has been positive, generating a 95 percent score on the CGV Golden Egg Index and a 9.0 audience rating at Lotte Cinema. The story explores the office life that unfolds when Gi-ho, an intern with 37 years of professional experience, joins a fashion startup led by Seon-woo, a CEO who rapidly emerged as a breakout entrepreneur just three years after launching. The film was directed by Kim Do-young, known for "Kim Ji-youngSep 21, 2026By Hankookilbo
Korean film 'The Intern' debuts atop weekend box officeThe Korean remake of the Hollywood hit "The Intern" (2015) debuted at No. 1 on the weekend box-office chart in South Korea, snapping a weekslong chart-topping run by Christopher Nolan's epic "The Odyssey," data showed Monday. The Korean film, which opened Wednesday, added 275,186 admissions over the weekend, bringing its total admissions to 403,906 as of Sunday, according to the data released by the Korean Film Council, which compiles admissions from Friday through Sunday for its weekend chart. Starring Choi Min-sik (Ki-ho) and Han So-hee (Sun-woo), who take on the roles played by Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway in the original film, respectively, the remake captures the unlikely bond between a young woman entrepreneur and an elderly intern at her fashion startup. "The Odyssey" remained a major box-office hit, drawing 256,793 admissions over the weekend, bringing its total admissions to 11.2 million. Other Hollywood films also performed strongly, with the horror film "Obsession" adding 131,467 admissions. Its total admissions reached 701,713. The horror blockbuster "Resident Evil: NightSep 21, 2026By Yonhap
Yeon Sang-ho expands cinematic universe with gripping family mystery 'Paradise Lost'Fresh off critical acclaim in Toronto, director Yeon Sang-ho’s latest film "Paradise Lost" — a project rooted in a story passed down by his mother — is making its way to home. The psychological thriller centers on So-young (Kim Hyun-joo), a grieving mother whose world is upended when her son, Sun-woo (Bae Hyeon-seong), whom she presumed dead after a camping bus went missing nine years ago, miraculously reappears. The film made its world premiere on Sept. 13 at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival. Following last year's "The Ugly," this marks Yeon's second consecutive year being officially invited to the festival's Special Presentations section — further expanding the ever-growing "Yeon-iverse." Based on the novel "Black Inferno," the plot follows So-young as she relies on an artificial intelligence program called "Children of Paradise" to interact with a digital avatar of her young son just to get through each day. Then comes the shock: Sun-woo returns home alive. While the public erupts over his miracle survival, So-young is gripped by a growing dread. Covered in scars,Sep 18, 2026By Park Jin-hai
Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón headed to Busan Film FestivalAlfonso Cuarón, the visionary Mexican filmmaker behind contemporary masterpieces like "Gravity" and "Roma," is set to make his first-ever visit to Korea for the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). The two-time Academy Award winner for Best Director will headline a star-studded lineup at Asia's premier film gathering, taking place across Busan from Oct. 6 to 15. Known for rewriting the rules of modern filmmaking with his sweeping long takes and immersive storytelling, Cuarón will walk the opening ceremony red carpet, host a highly anticipated masterclass and lead a special Q&A session following an IMAX screening of his 2013 space thriller, "Gravity." Cuarón’s career spans landmark achievements across global cinema. He first captured international acclaim with his raw coming-of-age drama "Y Tu Mamá También" (2001), which won Best Screenplay at the Venice Film Festival. He later reinvented a blockbuster franchise with "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (2004) before staging the visceral dystopian chaos of "Children of Men" (2006). In 2018, his deeply personal blacSep 18, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Why 'The King and the Clown' director took on short-form dramas, often dismissed as cheap entertainmentWhen “My Father’s Table” opened at Lotte Cinema theaters nationwide Sept. 9, it filled only about a third of the screen, right down the middle. Originally intended as a short-form drama for smartphones, the production was shot vertically from the outset. Its 61 episodes, each roughly two minutes long, were then assembled into a 146-minute feature. It marks the first theatrical release of a short-form drama in Korea, with no known precedent overseas. Even more surprising is the name behind it: Lee Joon-ik, the director whose “The King and the Clown” drew more than 10 million moviegoers in 2005. How he came to make a film that occupies just a third of the screen is a story in itself. For next generation of filmmakers “To be honest, choosing to direct a short-form drama made me uncomfortable and a little afraid,” Lee said in an interview at Kidari Studio’s offices in Seoul’s Seongdong District on the film’s opening day. Short-form dramas have taken off in North America and China over the past two or three years. In Korea, however, the format is still widely dismissed as lSep 17, 2026By Hankookilbo
BIFF names Chinese auteur Zhang Yimou as Competition jury chiefRenowned Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou has been tapped as jury president for the main Competition section of the upcoming Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), organizers said Thursday. Zhang will lead a seven-member jury that also includes Chinese filmmaker Bi Gan, Japanese director Kei Ishikawa, Vietnamese producer Tran Thi Bich Ngoc and Korean director July Jung, according to BIFF. Also serving on the jury are Korean actor Choi Hee-seo and Kazakhstani actor Samal Yeslyamova, it added. The jury will choose the winners for the Busan Award among 13 films shortlisted for the Competition section that was first introduced last year. Zhang has won top prizes at prestigious film festivals, including the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival for his directorial debut "Red Sorghum" (1987) and the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival for "The Story of Qiu Ju" (1992) and "Not One Less" (1999). He also received the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for "To Live" (1994). The 31st edition of BIFF, Asia's biggest film fest, will run in the southeastern poSep 17, 2026By Yonhap
Filmmaker Park Hoon-jung wins top prize at French festival with 'Tristes Tropiques'Director Park Hoon-jung's new action noir film "Tristes Tropiques" won the Nouveau Genre Grand Prize, the top honor in the international competition section at the 32nd L'Etrange Festival in France, its overseas distributor Finecut said Wednesday. The prestigious award reinforces the director's standing in the international film circuit following a strong festival run across Europe. The film previously won the Silver Raven in the international competition at the 44th Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival and was officially invited to the 58th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival as well as Germany's 40th Fantasy Filmfest. "Tristes Tropiques" revolves around a group of young assassins trained in a tropical rainforest by a ruthless master. After a pivotal incident shatters their trust, the killers begin to suspect one another and embark on a brutal journey of revenge. The movie blends deep suspense with fast-paced action, keeping the audience glued to the screen. L'Etrange Festival, held annually in Paris every September, is one of France's premier venues for bold and inveSep 17, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
