'A Taxi Driver' wins best picture at Daejong Film Awards

"A Taxi Driver," a local box office hit about a pro-democracy uprising in the country, won best picture at the 54th annual Daejong Film Awards on Wednesday.The movie, directed by Jang Hoon, is inspired by the real-life story of a Seoul taxi driver who takes the late German correspondent Jurgen Hinzpeter to the southwestern provincial city of Gwangju for a large offer of money and witnesses the horrors of the bloody military crackdown on the pro-democracy people's uprising of May 1980. Hinzpeter,

Oct. 26, 2017

Showbox expands to North America, Indonesia

Korean film distributor and producer Showbox is branching out into the North American and Indonesian markets. 　Showbox will be co-producing and investing in the Hollywood thriller “The Widow” and the Indonesian rom-com “Forever Holiday in Bali,” the company announced Wednesday.Through direct investment in the films, Showbox also aims to gain footing as a global content investment company, it said. “The Widow,” a thriller featuring a young woman living in New York named Frances, and her chance en

Oct. 25, 2017

Choi Min-sik, Lee Ha-nee play lovers in ‘Heart Blackened’

In the upcoming crime drama “Heart Blackened,” veteran actor Choi Min-sik plays the wealthy, elderly fiance of a young celebrity singer, played by Lee Ha-nee. Choi, who most recently starred in “The Mayor,” plays the unfathomable conglomerate owner Im Tae-san who at once values wealth above all and is deeply infatuated with the singer. “(That character) truly believes in the value of money, that it is everything. That is how the world actually works, and he is a character who has succeeded in th

Oct. 25, 2017

Song Kang-ho says ‘Drug King’ is unique film

Actor Song Kang-ho called his upcoming project “Drug King” unprecedented in Korean cinema.　“I think (people) will discover a unique aspect that hasn’t been seen in any genre of Korean cinema,” Song said in a press release Tuesday.　In the crime thriller, Song will star as Lee Doo-sam, a character based on a real-life infamous drug kingpin in the 1970s. The film is helmed by Woo Min-ho, who previously directed the hit 2015 political thriller “Inside Men.” Song most recently starred in director Jan

Oct. 24, 2017

'The Fortress' sold to 28 foreign countries

The South Korean period drama "The Fortress" has been sold to 28 countries around the world, including the United States, Japan and Singapore, the film's local distributor said Tuesday.The film starring Lee Byung-hun, Kim Yoon-seok and Park Hae-il follows the 47 days spent by King Injo of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and his officials in Namhan Mountain Fortress, on the southern outskirts of Seoul, to escape the invasion by China's Qing Dynasty in the winter of 1636.Directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk

Oct. 24, 2017

CJ CGV to open 33 cinemas in Russia by 2020

CJ CGV, South Korea's largest cinema chain, will advance to the Russian market for the first time as a foreign theater chain.CJ CGV signed a contract Monday with Russian land developer ADG Group in Seoul to set up a joint venture in Hong Kong with registered capital amounting to US$30 million. The South Korean company will acquire a 70 percent stake.Under the contract, the two companies will run 33 theaters and 160 screens in Moscow by 2020. (CJ CGV)"Through this contract, we have secured a base

Oct. 24, 2017

'The Outlaws' again dominates box office, soon to hit 5 mln viewers

The crime action film "The Outlaws" defeated newcomer "Geostorm" to remain atop the weekend box office for the second straight week.The Korean film sold 787,242 tickets, bringing its total haul to 4.97 million, according to the Korean Film Council, a state agency for promoting Korean films.Directed by Kang Yoon-sung and starring Ma Dong-seok and Yoon Kye-sang, "The Outlaws" has maintained its box-office lead for 15 straight days and is expected to surpass the 5 million mark in attendance Monday.

Oct. 23, 2017

Film festivals galore

A number of film festivals with themes as diverse as animation and elderly life are taking place in the coming weeks, starting with the Bucheon International Animation Festival, one of Asia’s key animation events.The 19th BIAF, which runs through Tuesday, opened with the Asian premiere of French director Benjamin Renner’s “Ernest & Celestine.” 　 "Ernest & Celestine" (Bucheon International Animation Festival)The international competition section will see seven films including Sunao Katabuchi’s “I

Oct. 22, 2017

Busan film festival audience up 17% to top 190,000

The number of attendees at this year's Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) increased about 17 percent from last year to top 190,000, its organizer said Saturday.The 22nd BIFF opened in Busan on Oct. 12 and closed its 10-day run after featuring 299 movies from 69 countries which have been shown on 32 screens at five theaters in the southern South Korean port city. World and international premieres reached 99 and 31, respectively.(Yonhap)In a closing news conference, the BIFF organizing commi

Oct. 21, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Mother!(US)Opened Oct. 19Psychological horror. Directed by Darren Aronofsky A couple lives inside an idyllic country mansion surrounded by fields. The wife (Jennifer Lawrence) is a homemaker intent on fixing up the rustic house, content on living in isolation amid nature. The husband (Javier Bardem) is a once-famous poet with writer’s block, struggling to find inspiration for the next story. A visitor, a doctor and fan of the poet’s work (Ed Harris) visits the couple’s home one day. The poet wel

Oct. 20, 2017

Webtoon-based film ‘Along with the Gods’ sold to 12 countries

The film remake of the webtoon “Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds” has been sold to 12 countries at the Asian Film Market.The film directed by Kim Yong-hwa is a story about a person’s journey into the afterlife and the judgment faced in seven hells, led by the angel of death. It stars Ha Jung-woo, Cha Tae-hyun and Ju Ji-hoon. Ju Ji-hoon (left) and Ha Jung-woo star in “Along with the Gods.” (Lotte Entertainment)A 12-minute highlight reel was screened for buyers at the Asian Film Market to enthu

Oct. 18, 2017

Despair, lack of hope pervades in Asian cinema: Oliver Stone

Director Oliver Stone met with reporters Tuesday at the Busan Cinema Center to discuss his impression of Korean cinema’s current mood. Stone commented on the jury’s review of the New Currents category, of which he is head juror this year.　“The jury saw ten films and I have to say we commented last night and made our choices which will be announced Saturday night. The whole jury commented on the despair and lack of hope that was evident in the ten films we saw, from not only Korea but China, Taiw

Oct. 17, 2017

Female presence strong at Busan Film Fest

Female actors and directors are being spotlighted at the 22nd edition of the Busan International Film Festival this year.For the first time in the festival’s history, both the opening and closing films -- Shin Su-won’s “Glass Garden” and Sylvia Chang’s “Love Education” -- have been helmed by female directors. “Glass Garden” features actress Moon Geun-young as its lead, while “Love Education” tells the stories of Chinese women.BIFF’s leader Kang Soo-youn, a veteran actress and the first female ex

Oct. 17, 2017

Romance titled ‘Let Me Eat Your Pancreas’ grabs attention at BIFF

A romance film titled “Let Me Eat Your Pancreas” has become one of the most talked-about films among festivalgoers at this year’s Busan International Film Festival.The Japanese film directed by Sho Tsukikawa and starring Minami Hamabe, Takumi Kitamura and Shun Oguri, is based on a 2015 novel of the same titled by Yoru Sumino, which became a bestseller in Japan. In the film, the protagonist, a high school student, discovers that his popular classmate Sakura is suffering from a pancreatic disease

Oct. 17, 2017

Hirokazu Kore-eda joins ‘Ten Years’ international spin-off

BUSAN (Yonhap) -- Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda on Monday formally announced his plan to executive produce a Japanese spin-off of the 2015 Hong Kong sleeper hit “Ten Years.”“Ten Years Japan” will compose an international omnibus film project along with “Ten Years Thailand” and “Ten Years Taiwan,” which are already filming in their respective locations.The original “Ten Years” was a dystopian anthology of five short films by young Hong Kong directors which envisaged how Hong Kong would chan

Oct. 17, 2017

[Herald Interview] Virtual reality is the next great art form: Eugene Chung

BUSAN -- Virtual reality has been grabbing attention as the “next big thing” in film. Busan International Film Festival is operating a VR theater this year; Venice’s Biennale became the first major film festival to incorporate an award category for VR films.　Eugene Chung, VR filmmaker and CEO of Penrose Studios, believes the new medium will impact the film industry in profound ways. 　“My entire life I was very interested in the idea of how art forms change over time. But I never thought I’d live

Oct. 17, 2017

Platform Busan hopes to provide community for Asian indie filmmakers

BUSAN -- Independent filmmakers from around Asia have high hopes for the Busan International Film Festival’s newly launched feature Platform Busan, they said Sunday.The platform, in commemoration of the late BIFF executive programmer Kim Ji-seok, seeks to provide a network and community for indie filmmakers throughout Asia, who often struggle from lack of funding and producing in their respective countries. Its blueprint was designed by Kim years before his death. “During a lunch last year, Kim

Oct. 16, 2017

[Video] A look at BIFF’s stars

BUSAN -- The 22nd Busan Film Festival has seen numerous celebrities attending its events this year. Here’s a look at the stars that have been seen in the southeastern portside city so far. Moon Geun-young participates in an open talk with filmgoers about BIFF’s opening film “Glass Garden,” in which she plays an anxious and isolated scientist, at the Busan Cinema Center Sunday. Japanese actress Minami Hamabe, who stars in “Let Me Eat Your Pancreas,” greets audiences at the Haeundae BIFF Village S

Oct. 16, 2017

[Video] Korean novels, webtoons pitched at Asia Film Market

BUSAN -- This year’s Asia Film Market kicked off to a promising start Saturday, with keen interest from Asian buyers and producers seeking out new stories to turn into films. 　Some 1,250 participants are attending this year from 45 countries, up 30 percent from last year. 　Seventy Chinese film executives attended despite dampened Korea-China cultural exchange due to diplomatic disputes over the placement of the US’ Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system in Korea, such as Victori

Oct. 16, 2017

[Herald Interview] Christoph Terhechte says Korean cinema ‘still has surprises’

BUSAN -- Christoph Terhechte, the recipient of this year’s Korean Cinema Award, says he’s become “addicted” to the films of auteur Hong Sang-soo. “It seems like he’s making the same film over and over again, but with beautiful variations, enlarging the picture with every film he makes. You want to see more of his universe,” he tells The Korea Herald in an interview Saturday at the Busan Cinema Center.Terhechte, who since 2001 has been head of programming for the Berlin International Film Festiva

Oct. 16, 2017