S. Korean actor Song Kang-ho selected to Cannes' jury

South Korean actor Song Kang-ho has been named a jury member of this year's Cannes Film Festival, industry sources said Friday. The "Parasite" star recently accepted an offer to join the competition jury of the 74th edition of the world's most prestigious film festival, according to the sources. The full list of the jurors led by American filmmaker Spike Lee will be announced next week. Song will be the fifth Korean to be a member of Cannes' jury, following director Shin Sang-ok in

June 11, 2021

Mise-en-Scene Short Film Festival to celebrate 20th anniversary with special events

The country’s annual festival of short films is back, after an announcement earlier this year that it would be discontinued. Defying the odds, the 20th Mise-en-Scene Short Film Festival will run June 24 to June 30. Some changes have been made to the weeklong event, however, as the ongoing pandemic batters the film industry. This year’s festival will not have competition categories. Instead, the festival will screen 20 films that made a mark in the event’s two-decade history

June 11, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (US) Opened June 3 Horror Directed by Michael Chaves In 1981, 8-year-old boy David Glatzel (Julian Hilliard), possessed by a demon, stabs his father’s leg. Demonologists Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) try to help the boy but it is not easy. During an exorcism, Arne Johnson (Ruairi O’Connor), boyfriend of David’s sister, invites the demon to enter his body instead of David’s. Cruella (US) Opened May 26 Drama

June 11, 2021

Rare Korean films from Japanese colonial era restored

Korean short films made during the Japanese colonial period can now be viewed online. Four short films -- “Geulloui Kkeuteneun Ganani Eopda,” “Ondol,” “Gyeongseongsosik” and “Manjueseoui Jeontu” -- discovered through KOFA’s Cinematheque KOFA Restoration project were converted into a digital format and made available on the Korean Classic Film YouTube channel and Korean Film Archive’s KMDb website. The 19-minute film titled “Geu

June 8, 2021

Lotte Cinema to raise ticket prices again from July

Bad news for moviegoers -- watching films will get more expensive at Lotte cinemas from July 1 onwards. The ticket prices are going up by 1,000 won, six months after the multiplex chain raised fees in December, claiming the move was necessary to keep the business afloat amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Moviegoers who want to watch 2D films at Lotte cinemas will now have to pay 13,000 won for their tickets during weekdays and 14,000 won on weekends. “We are sorry to announce the change in o

June 8, 2021

S. Korea's 11 intl. film fests call for release of Myanmar filmmaker

South Korea's 11 international film festivals on Tuesday called for the release of a Myanmar filmmaker who was recently arrested in the military-controlled Southeast Asian country. "The festivals strongly condemn the ongoing violence in Myanmar and urge the release of the producer, Ma Aeint," the 11 organizations led by the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) said in a statement. "Furthermore, we ask all the related authorities to protect her safety and civil rights fairly.&

June 8, 2021

F9 becomes 3rd movie to top 2m admissions this year

"F9," the latest chapter in the "Fast and Furious" series, has become the third title to attract more than 2 million moviegoers in South Korea in 2021, box office data showed Monday. The action blockbuster drew 173,000 people over the Friday-Sunday period, bringing its combined total to 2.05 million, according to the data from the Korean Film Council. It is the third film released in 2021 to hit 2 million in the country, following the Disney-Pixar fantasy animated film &quo

June 7, 2021

[Herald Interview] Adoptee filmmaker shocked by reality of Korea's single moms

For filmmaker Sun Hee Engelstoft, who was born in South Korea in 1982 and sent to Denmark for adoption when she was 4 months old, it was shocking to witness the reality facing unmarried mothers in Korea. “In the West and where I grew up in Denmark, there is this idea that all Korean women just easily give away their children because there are so many adoptees,” Engelstoft said during an interview with The Korea Herald. Korea has sent more than 200,000 children abroad since the 195

June 6, 2021

Na Hong-jin’s Thai-Korean film ‘The Medium’ coming to theaters in July

Na Hong-jin, who has directed multiple South Korean thrillers and met with both commercial and critical success, is coming out with a new Thai movie in July, according to local distributor Show Box on Thursday. In September last year, the Korean film distributor announced that Na had teamed up with popular Thai filmmaker Banjong Pisanthanakun to make “The Medium,” a horror film set in rural Thailand. “The Medium” shows three months in the life of a family that has inher

June 5, 2021

Hong Sang-soo's 'In Front of Your Face' marks his 11th entry to Cannes

South Korean renowned director Hong Sang-soo will visit the Cannes Film Festival again with his 26th feature, "In Front of Your Face." According to the festival's 2021 official lineup announced Thursday, "In Front of Your Face" was listed in Cannes Premieres, a new section dedicated to works from well-established filmmakers. Hong was invited with nine other filmmakers, including Arnaud Desplechin of "Deception," Mathieu Amalric of "Hold Me Tight," Andr

June 5, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Cruella (US) Opened May 26 Drama, Comedy Directed by Craig Gillespie Estella Miller (Emma Stone) is a rebellious child with a talent for fashion. After Estella causes some trouble in school, Estella’s mom Catherine (Emily Beecham) decides to move to London. On the way, she stops at a party hosted by Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson) to ask for financial assistance. At the party, Estella witnesses her mother being pushed off a cliff to her death by Dalmatians.  Pipeline (Korea) O

June 4, 2021

Tablo co-writes Amazon Studios’ comedy series ‘Neon Machine’

Tablo of South Korean hip-hop band Epik High has penned a new comedy series for Amazon Studios’ with Emmy-winning producer Jason Kim. Tablo has been working on creating the story, with Kim, producer of HBO series “Barry” (2018), over the past two years. He recently concluded a deal with Amazon Studios to create the show, called “Neon Machine,”, according to the Korean Canadian rapper’s agency Hours Entertainment on Monday “Excited to announce my first

June 2, 2021

Local movie theaters to give discount to vaccinated people

South Korean movie theaters said Wednesday that they have started a program to give price discounts to vaccinated people for this month as part of marketing strategies to fill virus-hit empty cinemas. Under the one-month campaign starting Tuesday, those who have received at least one shot of COVID-19 vaccines can buy two tickets at 5,000 won ($4.50) or 6,000 won each at three major multiplex chains, CJ CGV, Lotte Cinema and Megabox. A ticket for a weekday movie screening costs around 12,000 wo

June 2, 2021

Indieground streams 22 indie films from 1990s

The Korean Film Council is hosting special screenings aimed at showing life in 1990s South Korea. A total of 22 short films from the 1990s will be available through the virtual cinema of Indieground, a center created by the state-run Korean Film Council to facilitate distribution of indie and art films. The works selected for “Hello, ’90s” are considered significant in the history of Korean independent film, and offer a glimpse into Korean society in the ’90s. The onli

June 1, 2021

Netflix rom-com ‘Sweet & Sour’ asks, ‘Does love have an expiration date?’

New Netflix rom-com “Sweet & Sour,” directed by Lee Gye-byeok, begins with a cliched but popular question: Does love have an expiration date? “When dating someone there are not just sweet and sour moments. There are also bitter moments. I wanted to show that realistic side in the movie,” the director said during an online press conference Tuesday. Jang-hyuk (played by Jang Ki-yong) and Da-eun (played by Chae Su-bin) are a couple who embark on a long-distance relati

June 1, 2021

CJ CGV to screen evening meditation movies from next week

South Korea's leading cinema chain CJ CGV said Tuesday it will screen two meditation movies starting next week to help people enjoy tranquility in the evening after being busy in the daytime. "Peace of Mind," featuring the beauty of oceans, the sky and space, along with a meditation guide, will be screened from June 9-18, according to CGV. From June 23 to July 2, "Body Scan" will be shown to allow viewers to enjoy self-reflective body movements at movie theaters. The movie

June 1, 2021

[Herald Interview] Director of black comedy ‘Pipeline’ has nomadic mindset

  Veteran director Yoo Ha’s new film, “Pipeline,” has a completely different vibe from his previous hits. While he’s best known for serious crime films such as “Little Odessa,” “Gangnam Blues” and “Spirit of Jeet Keun Do -- Once Upon a Time in High School,” this time he has come out with a black comedy. “I have the mindset of a nomad. I like challenging myself by directing new genres that I haven’t done before,”

May 28, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Pipeline (Korea) Opened May 26 Crime Directed by Yoo Ha Pindol (Seo In-guk), the best pipeline-drilling technician in South Korea, decides to take up an offer from Gun-woo (Lee Soo-hyuk), heir to a large conglomerate, to be part of a dangerous oil heist. For the job, Gun-woo rounds up a team of four thieves -- Jeobsae (Eum Moon-suk), Manager Na (Yoo Seung-mok), Keunsab (Tae Hang-ho) and Counter (Bae Da-bin). Voyagers (US) Opened May 26 Science Fiction Directed by Neil Burger In 2063, the fut

May 28, 2021

S. Korean director Bong Joon-ho listed in French encyclopedia

South Korea's Cannes-winning filmmaker Bong Joon-ho has had his name listed in a renowned French encyclopedia for his cinematic achievements and recognition in the European nation, a report showed Thursday. In the latest edition of "Petit Larousse Illustre," a French-language encyclopedic dictionary launched in 1905, the South Korean director won a page, along with 40 new figures from various sectors like literature, cinema and sports, according to the report by the Korea Creative Con

May 27, 2021

Unsure about box office recovery, Korean film industry delays releases for summer season

Although the local box office shows some signs of recovery before the summer peak season, the pandemic-hit Korean film industry still remains wary of releasing big-budget films in the near future. The South Korean box office recently made a long-waited turnaround thanks to a bullish run by "F9," the latest chapter in the "Fast and Furious" series. Released on May 19, the Hollywood blockbuster posted 400,000 viewers on opening day to set the biggest first-day score since the

May 26, 2021