The 28th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival is holding a special exhibition on celebrated South Korean actor Son Ye-jin. She is the sixth actor to have a retrospective exhibition at BIFAN. Other luminaries in the Korean film industry such as actors Choi Min-sik, Jeon Do-yeon, Jung Woo-sung, Kim Hye-soo and Sol Kyung-ku have been previously highlighted in BIFAN exhibitions. The 28th BIFAN kicks off July 4 and runs through July 14. Titled “Unrivaled Son Ye-jin” (direct trans

Film May 20, 2024

Actor Byun Yo-han, whose appearance in “The Book of Fish” (2021) and “Hansan: Rising Dragon” (2022) left the audience with resonating, serious acting, has returned to the silver screen with an unlikable, somewhat perverted character in “Following.” The mystery thriller centers on a real estate agent named Gu Jeong-tae (Byun), who has a strange if not perverse habit of peeping into other people’s lives. Whether it’s a person living next door or a cl

Film May 18, 2024

Two films starring late actor Lee Sun-kyun will posthumously hit theaters this summer, according to movie distributors Friday. "Project Silence," an action thriller by director Kim Tae-gon, is currently under review for theatrical release in July, the movie’s distributor CJ ENM said Friday. The film revolves around Jung-won (Lee Sun-kyun), who is stranded on a collapsed bridge shrouded in thick fog. Ju Ji-hoon appears as a tow truck driver to clear crashed cars from the bridge. T

Film May 17, 2024

Netflix Korea announced Friday an expanded education program for creators aimed at establishing a high-quality content production ecosystem and discovering and nurturing local talents. Titled “Grow Creative,” the program will run throughout the year to teach the latest production technologies and offer insights into market trends to aspiring content creators and VFX technicians. Netflix Korea has run workshops targeting local industry insiders since 2022 but it is the first time that

Film May 17, 2024

“Late Night with the Devil” (Australia) Opened May 8 Horror/Thriller Directed by Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes Things go horribly wrong during the live broadcast of a successful variety late-night talk show Night Owls in 1977, as the show’s host Jack Delroy invites special guests for the occult-themed episode on Halloween. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (US) Opened May 8 Action/Sci-fi Directed by Wes Ball A young ape goes on a journey many years after the re

Film May 17, 2024

Over the past decade since the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster, which claimed nearly 300 lives of high school students on a field trip, numerous documentaries on the tragedy have been made. In contrast, there have been just a few feature films, likely because this genre requires a careful and sensitive approach to dramatizing of the disaster. In “When We Bloom Again,” which has the Korean title “On the Day when Cotton Blooms,” (direct translation), the story is told from two di

Film May 14, 2024

While people’s obsession and dependence on social media services have only grown stronger in recent years, social media use can be a double-edged sword. It can be a tool used to gain important information and spread useful tips, or it can be a means to stalk people or even plot a crime. In director Kim Se-hwi’s debut film, “Following,” a real estate agent named Gu Jeong-tae (Byun Yo-han) has a strange if not perverse habit of peeping into other people’s lives. Wheth

Film May 13, 2024

Virgilio Martinez, founder and head chef of Peruvian restaurant Central, was in Seoul last week to share his insights on fine dining culture and offering exquisite experiences to diners. His 16-year-old restaurant topped the World’s Best Restaurant 2023 last year. Sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, the World’s 50 Best Restaurants has reflected the diversity of the world’s culinary landscape since 2002. Martinez was in Korea to take part in Nanro Insight, a global symp

Food May 11, 2024

“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (US) Opened May 8 Action/Sci-fi Directed by Wes Ball A young ape goes on a journey many years after the reign of Caesar, following the War for the Planet of the Apes. Now this journey, which questions everything he's been taught about the past, can determine the future for apes and humans alike. “The Fall Guy” (US) Opened May 1 Action/Comedy Directed by David Leitch A down-and-out stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is called ag

Film May 10, 2024

“Wonderland,” a sci-fi fantasy and romance film set in the near future that deals with relationships, death and life, shows what it is like to communicate using AI technology, director Kim Tae-yong said Thursday. The movie revolves around people reuniting in a virtual world called Wonderland. Tang Wei, Suzy and Park Bo-gum star as those who ask to meet people they loved but cannot meet anymore in the real world. Jung Yu-mi and Choi Woo-shik appear as staff who support the AI service

Film May 9, 2024

Director Ingrid Porkropek’s “The Major Tones,” director Namkoong Sun’s “Time to Be Strong” and director Gong Seon-jeong’s “Farewell” are the winners of the top prizes in the international film, Korean film and Korean short film categories, respectively, at this year's Jeonju International Film Festival. A total of 15 best films in the international competition section, the Korean competition and the Korean short film competition section

Film May 8, 2024

“12.12: The Day,” also known as “Seoul’s Spring” in Korean, and Disney+ sci-fi fantasy series “Moving” won the top honors at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards on Tuesday. Prolific actor Hwang Jung-min, who played the head of the Defense Security Command Chun Doo-gwang in “12.12: The Day,” also snatched the best actor award in the film category. He had been likened to the “Leonardo DiCaprio of Baeksang” for a long streak of missing out

Film May 7, 2024

While ticket sales of the latest crime action franchise “The Roundup: Punishment” continue to climb toward the 10 million mark, filmmakers criticized the film’s monopoly of screens, occupying over 80 percent of all screens in Korea. The film is the fourth installment about hot-blooded detective Ma Seok-do (Ma Dong-seok), who this time is on a mission to nab the head of an illegal casino cartel. With no clear rivals in cinemas following its April 24 opening, the movie quickly ga

Film May 7, 2024

Sports films inevitably have their cliches -- underdog stories, training montages, the inspiring pep talk and, of course, ultimately reaching a satisfying conclusion regardless of the last game's outcome. But just like the sports themselves, the movies offer the audience unpredictable elements and sometimes even a twist on the big screen. A detailed replication of an actual sports scene in a cinematic way is another perk of the genre. Rivalry, adversity and masculinity are common themes to

Film May 4, 2024

JEONJU, North Jeolla Province -- This year’s Jeonju International Film Festival saw its iconic Korean Competition section receive the highest number of submissions ever -- 134 films. While a majority of the submissions focused on female narratives, director Namkoong Sun’s “Time to Be Strong” clearly stood out among the 10 films in competition for the top three awards. The rookie director’s second feature film “Time to Be Strong” follows three retired K-p

Film May 3, 2024