What animated film's BIFF competition debut meansAnimation is no longer a peripheral genre in contemporary cinema, as it gains ground in the global film industry. Across Asia, animated features topped the box office in both China and Japan last year. Globally, Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters" became a cultural phenomenon. It proved that animated storytelling infused with Korean motifs can captivate worldwide audiences. This global shift will be reflected at the upcoming Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), where animated works are prominently featured across various sections. At the center of this trend is "Long Long Night," an animated feature adapted from a bestselling Korean children's novel. It made history as the first animated title ever selected for BIFF's main competition lineup since the section was established last year. Jung Han-seok, director of the festival, said the selection caught even the festival's program committee by surprise. "This is only the second year we have run the competition section, and an animated film has already made it in," Jung said during a press conference in Seoul on Monday. "This is something we14h agoBy Baek Byung-yeul
Busan film fest ticket sales to begin Sept. 17Ticket sales for events of the annual Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) will begin this month, with schedules for movie screenings set to be disclosed later this week, organizers said Wednesday. Tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as events such as outdoor and overnight screenings and conversations with invited actors, will begin at 2 p.m. on Sept. 17, according to the BIFF organizing committee. Tickets for all other film screenings will begin at 2 p.m. on Sept. 21, with the overall schedule set to be disclosed at 5 p.m. Friday next week, it added. All ticket sales will be available through BIFF's official website, with the exception of remaining and cancelled tickets and a small number of tickets set aside for visitors aged 65 and older and the disabled. The 31st edition of BIFF, the country's biggest film fest, is slated to run Oct. 6-15 in the southeastern city of Busan.15h agoBy Yonhap
Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love' aims for top prize at Venice film festKorean auteur Lee Chang-dong's latest feature "Possible Love" is set to vie for the Golden Lion at this year's prestigious Venice International Film Festival that begins Wednesday. The film will compete alongside 20 other features nominated for the main Competition section at the 83rd edition of the festival that runs in Venice through Saturday next week. "Possible Love" is Lee's first feature film in eight years following the critically acclaimed "Burning" (2018) and has been selected as the Korean Film Council's pick to represent Korea at the Oscars. The new film, starring a star-studded cast, including Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong, follows the subtle feelings and relationship between a laid-off worker and his wife and a documentary maker and her affluent husband. The invitation marks Lee's return to the film festival after 24 years, following the romance drama "Oasis" (2002). The film won the Silver Lion for best director and the FIPRESCI critics award, while lead actress Moon So-ri won the Marcello Mastroianni Award presented to emerging actors. Meanwhile,21h agoBy Yonhap
31st BIFF spotlights animation, international iconsThe 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) will shine a light on animated films while bringing an impressive array of global cinema icons and top Korean stars to the coastal city next month. Running from Oct. 6 to 15, Asia's premier film festival will present 246 official invitations from 59 countries. The scale makes it the largest event since 2019, reflecting the festival's elevated global standing. BIFF earned A-list accreditation from the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) earlier this year, solidifying its standing among 17 elite global festivals alongside festivals like the Toronto and Berlin International Film Festivals. In addition, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences selected Busan as one of six festivals to send top award winners directly to the International Feature Film category. Park Kwang-su, chairperson of the festival’s organizing committee, emphasized the significance of these milestones. "We introduced the competition section last year and it is making steady progress in its second year," Park said. "The festival is recei1d agoBy Baek Byung-yeul
Korean films set for back-to-back release after 'The Odyssey,' 'Spider-Man' hypeA cornucopia of Korean films are set to hit local theaters in September as films rush to bank in on the Chuseok holiday and exceed the big-screen success of Hollywood hits "The Odyssey" and "Spider-Man: Brand New Day." The slate is full and diverse, with six major Korean films set to open throughout September, ranging from the Korean remake of the Hollywood hit "The Intern" (2016) to modern auteur Lee Chang-dong's first feature in eight years. Kicking off the roll is director Lee Ji-won's poignant family drama "Portrait of a Family," set for release Wednesday. Starring Ryu Seung-ryong, Ha Ji-won and Kim Si-a, the film portrays the solidarity that reunites a fractured household following an unexpected incident. Ryu and Ha appear as a former baseball star and former top actress couple, whose seemingly happy marriage collapses after the sudden appearance of the former's extramarital daughter Dong-ju, played by Kim. On Sept. 16, the Korean remake of the "The Intern" that starred Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway will hit the theaters, with veteran actor Choi Min-sik and Han So-hee taking thei2d agoBy Yonhap
'The Odyssey' overtakes 'Spider-Man' as Korea's top overseas movie of 2026Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" has become the highest-grossing foreign film released in Korea this year, surpassing "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" in a box office race that had been running neck and neck for weeks. As of Sunday, "The Odyssey" has drawn 8,471,082 admissions, according to the Korean Film Council, edging out "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," which had previously held the title of top-earning foreign film of 2026 here. Nolan's film crossed the 8 million mark on Friday, just 24 days after its release, faster than "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," which took 26 days to reach the same milestone, and set the record for the fastest run to 8 million box office sales among this year's releases. It has held the top spot in advance ticket sales for 28 consecutive days starting two days before its release, and has topped the daily box office every single day since its Aug. 5 debut, a 25-day streak that shows no signs of breaking. The film's success defies almost every recent trend in the Korean box office. Annual movie attendance remains far below pre-pandemic levels amid the rise of streamingAug 30, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'Squid Game' director returns with 'K.O. Club,' his first film in 10 years“Squid Game” director Hwang Dong-hyuk is set to return to the big screen after 10 years. Production company Firstman Studio announced Thursday that “K.O. Club” was in the works and unveiled a cast lineup that includes Lee Byung-hun and Oh Jung-se. Short for “Killing Oldmen Club,” the film is set in a future where even youth can be bought. It centers on the conflict between the privileged few who wield wealth and power and refuse to step aside, and a younger generation deprived of opportunities from the outset. Hwang previously directed “The Fortress,” “Miss Granny” and “Silenced.” He also made history with the Netflix megahit “Squid Game,” becoming the first person to win the Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding directing for a non-English-language series. “Squid Game” is Netflix’s most popular series of all time across its English- and non-English-language titles. Attention is now turning to what Hwang, now one of the biggest names in global entertainment, will bring to his return to the big screen. The cast is equally notable. Lee, who worked with HwangAug 28, 2026By Hankookilbo
'Squid Game' director returns to big screen with sci-fi thriller 'K.O. Club'Hwang Dong-hyuk, the director behind the global cultural phenomenon “Squid Game,” is making his long-awaited return to feature-length filmmaking with sci-fi thriller “K.O. Club.” Set in a dystopian near-future where the ultra-wealthy can purchase prolonged youth and biological vitality, the film plunges directly into a bitter, high-stakes generational war. The narrative pits an entrenched, elderly elite — who hoard immense wealth and institutional power while stubbornly refusing to step down — against a hopeless younger generation stripped of economic mobility, social security and basic future opportunities. The title “K.O. Club” stands ominously for Killing Oldmen Club,” laying bare the lethal resentments brewing beneath a deeply fractured, age-divided society. Marking Hwang’s first cinematic feature film in a decade following his acclaimed 2017 historical epic "The Fortress," the ambitious project reinforces his longstanding reputation for pairing sharp social critique with gripping, high-concept commercial storytelling. Having previously directed major Korean hitAug 27, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Actor Koo Kyo-hwan turns immortal in 'Reawaken Man: The Red'Director Baek Jong-yeol teamed up with actor Koo Kyo-hwan to adapt the popular webtoon "Reawakened Man" into the action film "Reawaken Man: The Red." The director said he focused on reshaping the original comic's premise into a fast-paced action film about an unemployed youth who gains the ability to revive after death. "The original webtoon has a very famous premise about an ordinary person acquiring a completely extraordinary power," Baek, a former commercial and music video director who previously directed "The Beauty Inside" (2015) and Netflix's "Believer 2" (2023), said Wednesday. "My main focus was figuring out how to effectively reconstruct this narrative within the short runtime of a film medium." "Reawaken Man: The Red" follows Seok-hwan (Koo), an unemployed young man. After dying, he realizes he possesses a supernatural ability to revive 72 hours after death, which makes him the target of a mysterious group. Koo continues his impressive box-office streak following his lead role in director Yeon Sang-ho's "Colony," which hit Korean theaters in May and drew over 5.9 million moviegAug 26, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Lee Chang-dong explores power of human connection in 'Possible Love'Master director Lee Chang-dong says his new feature film "Possible Love" explores how human affection and personal bonds can sustain people through economic hardship and societal pressure. "The movie is literally a story about love," Lee said during a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday. "It goes beyond romantic love to explore the love people experience throughout their lives, asking what kind of love is possible for us and how we can protect it." The story centers on a laid-off worker and his wife who cross paths with a wealthy couple living in a completely different social tier. Mi-ok (Jeon Do-yeon) works at a mask factory, while her husband Ho-seok (Sul Kyung-gu) suffers from severe trauma after losing his job during a violent strike crackdown. Their quiet struggle changes when they meet documentary filmmaker Ye-ji (Cho Yeo-jung) and her husband Sang-woo (Zo In-sung). When Ye-ji invites the struggling couple to Sang-woo's beachfront villa for a joint summer vacation, long-suppressed desires and deep-seated class tensions begin to surface. The project faced severe funding hurdles durinAug 25, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
