'The Battleship Island' wins award in Spain's Sitges Film Festival

South Korean historical action film "The Battleship Island" has won the best feature-length film in a competition category of the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, the film's local distributor said Sunday.The movie by director Ryoo Seung-wan earned the top honor in the Orbita section for introducing most notable films of the year and honoring a title chosen by the jury composed of audiences. In the category, the Korean movie competed against such films as Takeshi Kitano's "Outrage Co

Oct. 15, 2017

Upbeat but tainted by scandal: Roundup of Busan Film Fest weekend

BUSAN -- The 22nd edition of the Busan International Film Festival, running through Oct. 21, was in full swing over the weekend. Cinemagoers say the overall mood had been significantly more festive than that of the previous year, when a political struggle and boycott clouded the festival. “The programming is richer, and you can tell how much effort went into planning,” said Park Yoon-seon, 28, who worked at BIFF four years ago and attends every year. “There are more films, more guests and more i

Oct. 15, 2017

[Newsmaker] President Moon promises support for Busan film fest in surprise visit

 BUSAN -- President Moon Jae-in on Sunday addressed the political turmoil that has shaken the Busan International Film Festival in recent years, in a surprise visit to the festival.　“No other international culture and arts event has had the success of BIFF. It’s become one of the world’s top five film festivals and Asia’s signature film festival,” Moon said at the Busan Cinema Center.　“It’s developed this much and has made Busan a city of film. But it pained me to hear that BIFF has shrunk due t

Oct. 15, 2017

John Woo wants to keep doing action films

BUSAN -- Hong Kong director John Woo and actress Ha Ji-won, who stars in Woo’s latest action thriller “Manhunt,” met with Korean reporters at the Busan International Film Festival.　“I plan to keep doing action films,” said Woo, recognized as a master of the Hong Kong action genre, at a press conference at the Busan Cinema Center on Saturday.　“I think it’s a very appealing type of movie. It makes you feel energy, you can work with lots of different people and it’s a challenge. You can also expres

Oct. 14, 2017

[Video] Viewer responses to virtual reality films at BIFF vary from ‘unbelievable’ to ‘blurry’

BUSAN -- A virtual reality theater is running 36 films at the Busan Cinema Center during this year’s Busan International Film Festival, running through Oct. 21.　Seven booths featuring the Galaxy Gear VR and Oculus Rift have been installed on the first floor of the center. Visitors watch films as they are seated on special chairs that allow them to freely view the films in every direction. Visitors lined up to experience the VR films, which are available for viewing every hour on the hour from 10

Oct. 13, 2017

Darren Aronofsky denounces Harvey Weinstein, addresses criticism on treatment of women in own films

BUSAN -- Director Darren Aronofsky joined the list of Hollywood figures denouncing Harvey Weinstein’s history of sexually harassing actresses at the Busan International Film Festival on Friday. “Sexual abuse of any type anywhere is unacceptable, unlawful, disgusting and needs to be battled by everyone. Men and women have to have absolutely no tolerance for it,” he told reporters at a press conference at the Busan Cinema Center. Bigwig producer Weinstein, who was exposed last week for sexually ha

Oct. 13, 2017

[Herald Interview] ‘Tip of iceberg’: Sundance co-founder speaks out against Weinstein

BUSAN -- Sundance Film Festival co-founder Sterling Van Wagenen joined the growing number of film industry insiders speaking out against film producer Harvey Weinstein, whose long history of sexual harassment has shaken up Hollywood.“I think it’s just the tip of the iceberg,” Sterling told The Korea Herald in Busan on Friday, addressing revelations made by the New York Times and New Yorker as well as numerous actresses. Sterling Van Wagenen speaks with The Korea Herald at Novotel Ambassador Haeu

Oct. 13, 2017

[Weekender] Busan film fest beckons film buffs, star gazers

Since its founding in 1996, the Busan International Film Festival has marked the transition from summer to fall in Korea. Asia’s largest film festival is screening some 298 films from 75 countries from Thursday to Oct. 21 this year. The main categories are New Currents, which awards the two best feature films by up-and-coming Asian directors; Gala Presentation, the screening of works by master filmmakers; and A Window on Asian Cinema, which showcases films that push boundaries by Asian directors

Oct. 13, 2017

Director Park Hoon-jung of 'V.I.P.' wins prize at Fantastic Fest

South Korean filmmaker Park Hoon-jung has picked up a directorial prize at Fantastic Fest 2017 for his latest crime noir "V.I.P.," the film's distributor said Friday.Park won best director in the "Thriller Features" category at this year's Fantastic Fest, an Austin, Texas-based genre film festival, held from Sept. 21-28, according to Finecut. (Yonhap)Starring Jang Dong-gun and Lee Jong-suk, "V.I.P." revolves around a police detective who tracks down a high-profile North Korea defector as the pri

Oct. 13, 2017

Busan Film Fest embarks on 22nd edition with star-studded red carpet

BUSAN -- The 22nd Busan International Film Festival officially opened Thursday evening at the Busan Cinema Center, the mood considerably lighter than last year, when political turmoil and a boycott by Korean filmmakers shadowed the event.Crowds filled the outdoor stage where the opening ceremony took place despite drizzle and wind. The red carpet featured a significantly busier array of celebrities than in 2016, including prominent Korean actors such as Son Ye-jin, Cho Jin-woong and Moon So-ri.

Oct. 12, 2017

Hollywood's long ugly history with sexual harassment

For anyone thinking the days of the so-called casting couch were long gone, this past week has been eye-opening. The growing list of women directing allegations at Harvey Weinstein suggests they never left Hollywood. Here‘s a look at some cases from the past and present. First major sex scandalIn the first scandal to shake Hollywood, the comedian Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle attended a wild party in San Francisco in 1921 that ended in the death of actress Virginia Rappe. Rappe, writhing in pain from

Oct. 11, 2017

Hyun Bin, Yoo Ji-tae team up in ‘The Swindlers’

Hyun Bin and Yoo Ji-tae embark on an unusual partnership in the upcoming film “The Swindlers.” Hyun plays Hwang Ji-sung, a scam artist who only pulls tricks on other scammers. Yoo plays prosecutor Park Hee-soo, who teams up with Hwang to catch another notorious scam artist. “What I talked about the most with the director was how to express the fluidity of the character,” Hyun said at a press conference Wednesday. “The setup that he only scams other scammers was interesting. Hyun Bin (left) and Y

Oct. 11, 2017

[Newsmaker] In polarized society, documentary lends ear to Park supporters

A documentary that sheds light on the ardent defenders of impeached former President Park Geun-hye will hit theaters on Oct. 26 -- the date of her military dictator father’s 1979 assassination. The film’s title is “Mis-President.” When said out loud, the first syllable is intentionally meant to be mistaken for either “miss” or “myth,” director Kim Jae-hwan said a press statement issued Tuesday. 　“I explained to a foreign correspondent friend that the generation that shares the ‘myth’ of Park Chu

Oct. 11, 2017

Korea's film scene not free from allegations of sexual exploitation of women

Hollywood has been shaken by last week’s New York Times expose on major film producer Harvey Weinstein‘s alleged history of sexual harassment of actresses and employees spanning nearly three decades. Weinstein has since been fired from the Weinstein Company, which he cofounded, and actresses, film industry insiders and friends have been voicing their opinions on the issue, condemning or defending the film industry bigwig. The so-called “couch casting,” where actresses are forced to trade sexual

Oct. 10, 2017

Italian film ‘Perfect Strangers’ to be remade by Korean director

Korean director Lee Jae-gyu (also known as J. Q. Lee) will be remaking the 2016 film “Perfect Strangers” by Italian director Paolo Genovese, local media reported Monday.　Lee made his directorial debut in 2014 with the historical drama “The Fatal Encounter,” based on the assassination attempt on King Jeongjo and starring Hyun Bin. He also directed hit television drama series such as 2008’s “Beethoven Virus” and 2012’s “The King 2 Hearts.” 　“Perfect Strangers” (Medusa Film)The original “Perfect St

Oct. 9, 2017

Bae Doo-na, Song Kang-ho finish shooting ‘Drug King’

Filming of the much-anticipated crime flick “Drug King” featuring Bae Doo-na, Song Kang-ho and Jo Jung-suk has wrapped up, according to an Instagram post by Bae on Saturday. Bae uploaded a photo of herself receiving a bouquet of flowers from a member of the filming crew.“That’s a wrap,” Bae captioned the photo. Actor Song is also seen clapping in the picture.  (Bae Doo-na's Instagram)The film set in 1970s Korea traces the story of the infamous drug kingpin Lee Doo-sam, who was a major distributo

Oct. 8, 2017

‘The Fortress’ dominates box office over Chuseok

Historical drama “The Fortress” topped the Korean box office by a wide margin over the Chuseok holiday.　The film amassed 424,409 viewers across the country Saturday, according to the Korean Film Council’s statistics, ranking first place daily for five consecutive days since Tuesday. 　 “The Fortress” (CJ Entertainment)The film directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk tells the story of the 1636 Chinese invasion of Joseon and stars Lee Byung-hun, Kim Yoon-seok and Park Hae-il. It has sold over 2.6 million tick

Oct. 8, 2017

Indie movies to see during the holidays

While family-themed films and blockbuster flicks have traditionally fared well in the holiday box office, some moviegoers may want to peruse more low-key indie pieces during the long Chuseok break, lasting stretching from Sept. 30 to Oct. 9. 　A number of Korean cinemas specializing in indie pieces, such as Indie Space, are offering a selection of delightful small-scale films. “Goodbye My Hero” (Cinema Dal)Unemployed father, young son In “Good Bye My Hero,” a documentary film by director Han Youn

Oct. 4, 2017

[Herald Interview] Why Park Hae-il is called a ‘blank sheet’

Directors have called Park Hae-il a “blank sheet,” an actor who absorbs and completely transforms through the roles bestowed upon him. With boyish features and a difficult-to-fathom aura about him, Korean film fans say he possesses a Janus-like charm, similar to the Roman god of duplicity – you can’t quite tell whether he embodies good or evil. Park says he’s familiar with the description. “Director Yim Soon-rye told me I was like a white canvas that could become any color, after filming ‘Waikik

Oct. 4, 2017