Brexit satire draws big laughs at Berlin fest

An uproarious British satire shot during the Brexit referendum drew big laughs at the Berlin film festival Monday, with Sally Potter using a stellar cast for “a light and loving look” at a “broken England.” From left: British actor Timothy Spall, US actress Patricia Clarkson, Irish actor Cillian Murphy, British director Sally Potter, Swiss actor Bruno Ganz and British actress Kristin Scott Thomas pose during the photo call for “The Party” during the 67th annual Berlin Film Festival, in Berlin, G

Feb. 14, 2017

‘Single Rider’ posters show cheery So-hee, teary Lee Byung-hun

New posters for the upcoming film “A Single Rider” starring Lee Byung-hun, Gong Hyo-jin and Ahn So-hee were revealed by its distributor Warner Bros. Korea on Sunday.　The new poster shows a teary-eyed Lee Byung-hun portraying Kang Jae-hoon, a bankrupt stock firm manager, who loses everything after investing in an insolvent bond. In the film, Kang leaves for Australia, where his wife, Soo-jin, played by Gong Hyo-jin, is preparing to move onto a new life. Unable to approach her, Kang disappears.　Th

Feb. 13, 2017

Mobster and cop find themselves behind bars in ‘Prison’

Han Suk-kyu and Kim Rae-won share a common hobby -- fishing. Talking about their teamwork on the upcoming film “Prison” in an interview released by Showbox, the film’s distributor, Monday, the two actors said they bonded over fishing.“We’ve talked a lot about life and acting while fishing together over the years,” said Han. “We always wondered when we would be able to work together,” said Kim. Han Suk-kyu (left) and Kim Rae-won star in “Prison.” (Showbox)“What I lacked, Kim made up for, and what

Feb. 13, 2017

'Fabricated City' tops weekend with strong 896,606 debut

The Korean action film "Fabricated City" collected 896,606 viewers last weekend, rising to No. 1 on the local box office, data showed Monday.The latest by "Welcome to Dongmakgol" director Park Kwang-hyun, "Fabricated City" surpassed the 1 million mark in attendance Sunday, the fourth day of its run, according to figures from the Korean Film Council. (CJ E&M)Starring Ji Chang-wook, Shim Eun-kyung and Ahn Jae-hong, the film is about a jobless young gamer who is jailed after being framed as a rape-

Feb. 13, 2017

Tucci warns Trump could have ‘devastating’ impact on arts

BERLIN (AFP) - Hollywood actor and director Stanley Tucci said Donald Trump‘s administration could have a “devastating” impact on the arts and “civilized society,” as he unveiled his new biopic at the Berlin film festival Saturday.Tucci (“The Devil Wears Prada”) presented “Final Portrait,” a depiction of Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti’s twilight months in Paris, when he painted American writer James Lord in 1964.The movie stars Australian Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush as the temperamental sculptor

Feb. 12, 2017

In Oscar docs, an explosion of voice and style

NEW YORK (AP) - If you’re looking for the most vibrant corner of the Oscars, look no further than that once musty and staid category: best documentary feature. Nowhere else do you find such a variety of form, of perspective and of storytelling. While Hollywood has in recent years been busy turning into a superhero factory, the more diverse documentary world has been exploding with an unmatched richness of experimentation and creativity. The stars might be in other categories, but the heat is in

Feb. 9, 2017

Berlin film fest gets into swing with biopic ‘Django’

BERLIN (AFP) - The Berlin film festival opens Thursday with the world premiere of “Django,” a biopic about Gypsy-jazz great Django Reinhardt focused on the little-known story of his family’s persecution by the Nazis.The French production is one of 18 movies vying for the coveted Golden Bear, which will be awarded Feb. 18 by a jury led by Hollywood director Paul Verhoeven (“RoboCop”, “Elle”).“Django” marks the directorial debut of Etienne Comar, a screenwriter and producer behind hits such as “Of

Feb. 9, 2017

In Berlin with woman at center of scandal

Director Hong Sang-soo is making his third foray to the Berlinale, or Berlin International Film Festival, with the film “On the Beach at Night Alone,” which stars his alleged lover Kim Min-hee.The seemingly autobiographical film features Kim as the lead character who wanders a seaside town in torment over an affair with a married man, according to Internet Movie Database, though its international distributor Finecut did not confirm the plot. 　The film is scheduled to be screened on Feb. 16. Hong

Feb. 8, 2017

‘Bluebeard’ invited to film fests

“Bluebeard,” a thriller directed by Lee Su-yeon starring Cho Jin-woong, has been invited to three prominent international film events -- the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, the Far East Film Festival held in Udine, Italy, and the Hawaii International Film Festival.Brussels film festival programmer Freddy Bozzo called it a suspenseful movie with a striking climax, while programmer Sabrina Baracetti of the Udine festival said the film had significant tension, according to reports.H

Feb. 8, 2017

Hottest tickets at the Berlin film festival

BERLIN (AFP) - The Berlin film festival, one of Europe‘s top cinema showcases, gets under way Thursday, bringing a parade of stars to its famed red carpet.Nearly 400 movies will be screened during the 11-day gathering. Here’s a preview of highlights from the Berlinale, now in its 67th year, that are already generating buzz.Portraits of the artist Right from opening night, the festival will throw a spotlight on biopics and documentaries that explore famous creative lives. Etienne Comar‘s debut fe

Feb. 7, 2017

6 Korean films to be screened at Berlin fest

Six Korean films, including award-winning director Hong Sang-soo's latest movie, will be screened at the Berlin International Film Festival set to kick off this week. (Finecut)Hong's "On the Beach at Night Alone" will be featured in the main competition category, while five others will be shown in noncompetition sections."On the Beach" is Hong's 19th feature film and third foray to Berlin after "Night and Day" (2008) and "Nobody's Daughter Haewon" (2013). It will be Korea's first film to advance

Feb. 7, 2017

Films drift into alternate realities of dreams and games

Two sci-fi thriller films set to hit theaters this month take place in the alternate realities of dreams and games.“Lucid Dream,” opening Feb. 22, stars Go Soo as a journalist whose specialty lies in exposing corruption inside big companies. To recover his kidnapped son, the character uses his ability to remain conscious in a dream state to retrace his memory back three years to the time of the incident.The film also introduces various notions related to the mystery of human sleep, including col

Feb. 6, 2017

'Fabricated City': Losers' thrilling rebellion against irrational world

In this dystopian city reminiscent of George Orwell's "1984," everyone is under complete surveillance by a Big Brother-type villain. He effortlessly manipulates criminal cases and distorts facts, utilizing his connections to those in power, CCTV footage, IT technology and vast amounts of private information of citizens that he gathers in a panic room. (Yonhap)Set in a futuristic Seoul, "Fabricated City" offers a glimpse into the gloomy future in a society controlled by an omnipresent, totalitari

Feb. 6, 2017

'Confidential Assignment' wins second weekend at box office, tops 6 mln in attendance

Hyun Bin (left) and Yoo Hae-jin star in “Confidential Assignment.” (CJ Entertainment)A Korean comedy-action film about an inter-Korean secret police mission ranked No. 1 for the second weekend at the local box office, giving it a 19-day cumulative audience total of over 6 million, data showed Monday."Confidential Assignment" topped the chart for the Feb. 3-5 frame with slightly more than 1 million viewers, according to the real-time based box office tally from the Korean Film Council.Released on

Feb. 6, 2017

Jenkins & Chazelle: The young directors at center of Oscars

NEW YORK (AP) -- At the forefront of this year’s Oscar race are two filmmakers in their 30s with seemingly limitless careers ahead of them: Damien Chazelle, the 32-year-old wunderkind behind “La La Land” and Barry Jenkins, the 37-year-old writer-director of “Moonlight.” The combined nominations of their films amount to 22 even while their ages add up to less than that of Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg. It’s rare for young directors to rise to such heights. If Chazelle, the favorite, were to

Feb. 5, 2017

‘Romiaaaow & Juliet’: John Hurt’s strangest role in cat film

LOS ANGELES (AFP) -- They could have called it “Cats,” if someone hadn’t got there first, for John Hurt’s strangest movie by far is an obscure Shakespeare adaptation placing him opposite 108 feline co-stars.The British knight of the realm played some of cinema’s most iconic characters across 150 movies before his death in January, but even ardent film buffs are unlikely to have seen him in “Romeo.Juliet.”Hurt is the only human in Armondo Acosta’s 1990 movie, playing a Venetian bag lady while the

Feb. 5, 2017

Comedy-action film 'Confidential Assignment' attracts 5 mln viewers

Hyun Bin and Yoo Hae-jin star in a scene from “Confidential Assignment.” (CJ Entertainment)South Korean comedy-action film "Confidential Assignment" topped 5 million in attendance in only 15 days since its release in local theaters, data from a market tracker showed on Thursday.The film passed the milestone to reach 5,046,970 on Wednesday, according to the Korean Film Council, the government agency for the promotion of Korean films.Starring Hyun Bin and Yoo Hae-jin, "Confidential Assignment" gar

Feb. 2, 2017

Kim Tae-ri to join Kang Dong-won, Ha Jung-woo in ‘1987’

Korean actress Kim Tae-ri will join the cast of the upcoming film “1987,” which will depict the pivotal year of the Korean pro-democracy movement.Kim’s agency J,Wide-Company confirmed the actress has been cast for a role in the movie and is expected to soon hold a meeting with the film’s producers to discuss the details.  Kim Tae-ri (J,Wide-Company)The flick will be directed by Jang Jun-hwan, best known for science fiction cult classic “Save the Green Planet.” The star-studded cast includes big

Feb. 1, 2017

Director Hong Sang-soo to attend Berlin film fest possibly with actress Kim Min-hee

Award-winning Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo will attend the Berlin International Film Festival to promote his film set to compete in the event next month, industry sources said Tuesday."On the Beach at Night Alone" was invited earlier this month to compete in the main competition category of the 69th edition of the festival slated for Feb. 9-18."The screening schedules for the film have yet to be fixed," a film industry official said, requesting not to be named. "We understand Hong will attend

Jan. 31, 2017