Bucheon Intl. Animation fest brings healing to pandemic-weary audiences

The 23rd Bucheon International Animation Festival began its five-day run Friday in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, with events held both online and offline at the Korea Manhwa Museum and CGV Bucheon. In 2017 the festival became the very first in South Korea to be officially accredited by the host of the Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science. With a mission to enrich the animated film genre and expand its presence in Asia, the BIAF features a general competition section that

Oct. 24, 2021

‘Hellbound’ posters offer sneak preview of upcoming fantasy thriller

Netflix released two poster images for its original series, “Hellbound,” on Friday, drumming up excitement for the upcoming project. “Hellbound,” a fantasy thriller directed by Yeon Sang-ho, is an adaptation of an animation and webtoon of the same title. The series features supernatural events in which random people receive a text message saying they will be sent to hell. Supernatural beings like grim reapers deliver final judgment on people according to their past deed

Oct. 22, 2021

Don Lee says ‘Eternals’ will warm people’s hearts

Korean American actor Don Lee, better known as Ma Dong-seok in Korea, says that he will return to the cinema with a heartwarming Marvel film in “Eternals.” “The film centers around the people of different races from around the world getting together to form a new family. The audience will be drawn to the touching stories of the film,” Lee said during an online press conference with a group of reporters Friday morning. “It was a surprising experience to become fr

Oct. 22, 2021

Ma Dong-seok utilizes his action, boxing skills to re-create Gilgamesh in "Eternals"

South Korean actor Ma Dong-seok, also known as Don Lee, said Friday that his character Gilgamesh in the upcoming superhero movie "Eternals" reflects his unique personality and signature action style. "Since the zombie thriller 'Train to Busan' (2016) was released about five years ago, I've received some offers from Hollywood," he said during an online press conference with Korean media. "A few years ago, I got a call from a casting director of 'Eternals' after I lost so

Oct. 22, 2021

'Squid Game' gets two nominations at Gotham Awards

South Korea's sensational survival drama "Squid Game" has been nominated in two categories at an annual US awards ceremony for lower-budget indie movies and TV series. According to the nominations of the 2021 Gotham Awards released Thursday (US time), "Squid Game," a Netflix original, was listed in the section of Breakthrough Series – Long Format (over 40 minutes), along with five other TV series, including Amazon Studios' "Small Axe" and HBO Max's "It's

Oct. 22, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Venom: Let There Be Carnage (US) Opened Oct. 13 Action Directed by Andy Serkis Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) struggles to adjust to life as the host of the alien Venom. One day, serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson) escapes from prison after becoming the host of Carnage, a chaotic spawn of Venom. With Kasady and Carnage on the loose, the city turns to chaos. Stillwater (US) Opened Oct. 6 Thriller Directed by Tom McCarthy  Bill (Matt Damon) visits France to meet his daughter Allison (A

Oct. 22, 2021

[Herald Interview] ‘My Name’ gave me a chance to improve as an actor: Han So-hee

For Han So-hee, 26, taking a role in the Netflix series “My Name” made her improve as an actor with a wide range. “I thought the audience, including my fans, wanted to see the sides of Han So-hee that are already very familiar to them with the previous dramas like ‘The World of the Married’ and ‘Nevertheless’. But I wanted to find and show different sides of Han So-hee,” the actor said during an online interview with a group of reporters Wednesday

Oct. 21, 2021

[Herald Interview] ‘My Name’ director excited by show’s global popularity

The director of Netflix’s “My Name,” Kim Jin-min, was surprised to hear about the growing popularity of the mystery crime series. “While I expected some questions and comments, I was surprised that the viewers interpreted my work in very creative ways, speculating on the reasons for a character’s behavior. One way or the other, all of these are a way of showing interest in the series. For that, I would like to thank all the ‘My Name’ fans,” the di

Oct. 19, 2021

'Venom 2' tops 1m admissions on its first week in South Korea

"Venom: Let There Be Carnage" has dominated the South Korean box office in its opening weekend, topping 1 million total admissions, box office data showed Monday. The sequel to 2018's "Venom" sold a combined 778,000 tickets over the Friday to Sunday period, bringing its combined total to over 1.1 million since its release last Wednesday, according to data from the Korean Film Council. It is the third film this year to surpass the 1 million mark in its first week of release,

Oct. 18, 2021

26th BIFF holds closing ceremony on Friday

The 26th Busan International Film Festival wrapped up its 10-day run on Friday at the Busan Cinema Center, with the closing ceremony hosted by two Korean rookie actors -- Lee Jun-hyuk and Lee Joo-young. This year‘s BIFF, which opened Oct. 6, screened 223 films from 70 countries offline at six selected theaters in Busan. This change was significant as the BIFF organizer held a much scaled-down event last year in light of COVID protocols. Each film was also screened only once at the Busan

Oct. 15, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Stillwater (US) Opened Oct. 6 Thriller Directed by Tom McCarthy Bill (Matt Damon) visits France to meet his daughter Allison (Abigail Breslin), who is five years into serving a nine-year prison sentence. She is in prison for killing her roommate and unfaithful lover Lina while attending university in France. When Bill meets his daughter he discovers that she could be innocent and tries to find a way to prove it with a French woman named Virginie (Camille Cottin). No Time To Die (US) Opened Sept

Oct. 15, 2021

Director Longman Leung hopes to shed light on legendary Hong Kong star Anita Mui‘s life

Director Longman Leung said he hopes to shed light on legendary Hong Kong singer and actor Anita Mui through his film “Anita,” which closes the 26th Busan International Film Festival on Friday. “First of all, I hope that people who grew up with Anita Mui don’t criticize me (after watching the film). Also, I hope that people who are around my age start to miss her,” the director said during an online press conference, organized by BIFF, Wednesday. “Lastly, I h

Oct. 14, 2021

Disney+ to expand partnership with Korean content creators

With the global success of Korean content such as Netflix’s “Squid Game,” streaming companies are expressing heightened interest in working with content creators here. Disney+, which will launch its streaming platform service in Korea on Nov. 12, also said it is ready to expand its partnership with Korean content makers. “Disney is a global entertainment company that has been playing an important role in many regional markets including Korea. Based on this experience,

Oct. 14, 2021

'Venom 2' tops opening day total of 'Black Widow' in S. Korea

"Venom: Let There Be Carnage" has beat the opening day total of "Black Widow," the latest Marvel release, in South Korea, data showed Thursday. The sequel to 2018's "Venom" topped the daily box-office chart by selling 203,263 tickets on the first day of its release Wednesday, according to data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). For comparison, "Black Widow," the most-watched foreign film for this year to date, attracted about 195,000 moviegoers on its

Oct. 14, 2021

Festival dedicated to shorts returns as Gwanghwamun International Short Film Festival

South Korea’s best-known short film festival returns under a new name this year. The 19th Gwanghwamun International Short Film Festival is being held at Cinecube in Jongno-gu, Seoul, from Thursday to Oct. 19. A total of 84 movies from 36 countries will be screened during the festival. Opening the event is Elvira Lind’s “The Letter Room,” about a kindhearted prison officer who is transferred to the mailroom to monitor the prisoners’ correspondence. While doing hi

Oct. 13, 2021

‘Blue Bayou’ director aims to spotlight US policies on adoptees

Director Justin Chon says he created his new film, “Blue Bayou,” to bring attention to “unfair” policies regarding adoptees in the US. “I saw an issue that was happening in the United States that I felt was very unfair,” Chon said at an online press conference held as part of the 26th Busan International Film Festival on Tuesday. As well as directing, Chon appears in the film as protagonist Antonio LeBlanc, an ethnic Korean adoptee raised in a small town i

Oct. 12, 2021

‘Perhaps Love’ promises to be a heartwarming rom-com

The upcoming comedy-drama “Perhaps Love,” directed by Cho Eun-ji, revolves around a bestselling author whose life changes dramatically when he falls in love. “The cast and the crew, including myself, were always laughing while shooting. I actually got a note of warning from the sound recording director because I giggled too much even in a serious scene,” Cho said in an online press conference Tuesday. “We were able to finish our project with a lot of laughs. I am c

Oct. 12, 2021

London Korean Film Festival to be held in November

Korean Cultural Centre UK announced that it will hold the 16th London Korean Film Festival for two weeks from Nov. 4 to 19. The festival organizer said it will screen 35 Korean films of diverse genres including independent films, classic films, animation and shorts. Last year, the annual event was held as an online-offline hybrid festival due to the pandemic, but this year all of the films will be screened at nine local theaters in London. “Escape from Mogadishu” directed by Ryoo

Oct. 11, 2021

[Newsmaker] ‘Squid Game’ pokes at the far side of Korea

　Everyone from the “Squid Game” has good reasons to win it all: 45.6 billion reasons to be exact. But some have problems that are mirrored from real-life version of the society they are in. 　Part of why Netflix’ record smashing hit drama has resonated with so many people is that it is also a social commentary on the actual incidents that had occurred in Korea, and perhaps the problems prevalent in the modern society. 　Young, smart, broke and from N.K. 　Jung Ho-yeon portraye

Oct. 10, 2021

Actress Jeon Jong-seo visits Busan fest with her Hollywood debut film

South Korean actress Jeon Jong-seo said Friday it was a fresh experience to play a wordless character with supernatural powers as a foreign actor in her first English-language film "Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon." "This was my first American project, and it required all actors go through audition," Jeon said during a special talk session at the 26th Busan International Film Festival that kicked off Wednesday. "I also joined the cast through audition. I sent my clips to

Oct. 8, 2021