“Challengers” (US) Opened April 24 Sports/Romance Directed by Luca Guadagnino Tennis player-turned-coach Tashi successfully makes her husband a world-famous champion. But tension soon surfaces in the couple as her ex-boyfriend Patrick, who is also her husband's former best friend, appears on the tennis court. “The Roundup: Punishment” (South Korea) Opened April 24 Crime/Action Directed by Heo Myung-haeng Detective Ma Seok-do (Ma Dong-seok) uncovers a connection bet

Film May 3, 2024

JEONJU, North Jeolla Province -- “Inside Out 2,” the sequel to the 2015 hit animation on a charming, intelligent journey through the emotions of adolescence, adds four new feelings to mix: anxiety, envy, ennui and embarrassment. Kelsey Mann, director of the film, and Mark Nielsen, a producer on “Inside Out 2,” joined a press conference following footage to introduce the new characters and messages of the upcoming movie. The event was held on the sidelines of the 25th Jeon

Film May 2, 2024

JEONJU, North Jeolla Province -- Japanese filmmaker Sho Miyake's gentle drama, “All the Long Nights,” opened the 25th Jeonju International Film Festival in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, on Wednesday. Speaking at a press conference following the screening, Miyake shared his intentions behind the film adaptation of the novel of the same title by Maiko Seo. "I was attracted to the characters in the original story, not because of the (panic disorder symptoms from which) they s

Film May 1, 2024

More than a library Throw yourself into the endless rows of bookshelves filled with various kinds of books. Located in Jung-gu, Seoul, near major transportation hub Seoul Station, Sohn Kee-chung Culture Library is a calm, peaceful library surrounded by a beautifully landscaped park and a walking track. In fact, you might even skip the library and just go for a leisurely stroll there. The library reopened in 2021 after an extensive renovation. The library, now spanning over 771 square meters, has

Culture April 26, 2024

“The Roundup: Punishment” (South Korea) Opened April 24 Crime/Action Directed by Heo Myung-haeng Detective Ma Seok-do (Ma Dong-seok) uncovers a connection between a drug trafficking app’s developer and an illegal casino cartel, which is all under the control of an alliance of Former special forces agent Chang-gi (Kim Moo-yul) and genius IT CEO Dong-chul (Lee Dong-hwi). “Kung Fu Panda 4” (US) Opened April 10 Comedy Adventure Directed by Mike Mitchell Po becomes t

Film April 26, 2024

South Korean rookie director Lim Yoo-ri’s short film, “Forest of Echoes,” has been invited to the 77th Cannes Film Festival. Her 22-minute-long movie will compete in the La Cinef section, which awards three prizes among 18 movies selected by the jury for the 27th edition of La Cinef. The winner will be announced on May 23. This particular section discovers the works of film students. This year saw 2,263 works submitted by students of film schools all over the world. “This

Film April 25, 2024

“The Roundup: Punishment,” the fourth installment of the country’s most successful crime action franchise, features two new villains. Because the audience still remains captivated by the first installment’s Jang Chen (Yoon Kye-sang), an ethnic Korean gangster from Harbin who collects debts, and the second installment’s psychopathic serial killer, Kang Hae-sang (Son Suk-ku), many moviegoers are anticipating something new from the new villains, hoping perhaps they&#

Film April 24, 2024

Director Jeong Ji-hye, 29, depicts in great detail an ordinary woman in her 50s in her feature film debut “Jeong-sun.” The concept was based on Jeong's year-long experience working part-time at a food packaging factory -- the same setting where the protagonist Jeong-sun works and faces an unexpected event. “While working at the factory, I became close with many middle-aged women who worked there. I could hear their life stories and about the environment they were in,&rdquo

Film April 23, 2024

Actor Gang Dong-won turns a meticulous mastermind behind plots that appear to be accidents in his upcoming crime drama flick, “The Plot.” “The Plot” follows Young-il, played by Gang, who believes that all kinds of accidents can be manipulated. Next to him are his security master, Jackie (Lee Mi-sook), disguise master, Wol-cheon (Lee Hyun-wook) and youngest teammate, Jeom-man (Tang Joon-sang), who sincerely support Young-il’s plotting the scheme. But their solidity a

Film April 22, 2024

The director of the Netflix series “Goodbye Earth,” which was put in the middle of controversy ahead of its release after actor Yoo Ah-in was indicted on drug charges in October, said he never doubted the series would make it to screens. “Although there was a significant amount of time for waiting, I never doubted that this series would not be revealed. It was fate to come out to the world and meet the audience,” director Kim Jin-min told reporters during a press conferen

Film April 19, 2024

Actor Bae Doo-na, who stars as sword master Nemesis in Netflix original “Rebel Moon -- Part Two: The Scargiver,” said she suggested costume and makeup ideas for this mega-scale Hollywood project. Director Zack Snyder, who has also helmed “Justice League” and “300,” has stressed several times before that Bae’s character, Nemesis, is rooted in Korean identity. “In the original script, Nemesis didn’t wear anything particularly Korean, such as a

Film April 19, 2024

“Kung Fu Panda 4” (US) Opened April 10 Comedy Adventure Directed by Mike Mitchell Po becomes the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace and now he needs to train a new warrior, although he is not ready for it. But the emergence of a shape-shifting sorceress pushes Po to team up with a quick-witted corsac fox and move on. “The First Omen” (US) Opened April 3 Horror Directed by Arkasha Stevenson Young American woman Margaret (Nell Tiger Free) heads to Rome to devote her

Film April 19, 2024

South Korean auteur director Park Chan-wook said he focused on adding comedic elements to his latest series, “The Sympathizer.” The HBO original series, which is currently streaming via Coupang Play, is based on the 2016 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same title by Vietnamese-American author Viet Thanh Nguyen. "To add a cinematic methodology to a series production, it was important for me to set up a special narrative and add humor when it comes to the ironic, paradoxical s

Film April 18, 2024

The first flush, or the very first plucking of a tea plant’s harvest season, yields tea of the highest quality. In Korea, green tea made with the first pluckings is known as "ujeon nokcha," highly prized for its sweet, soft and subtle flavor. When the tea leaves are harvested indicates the quality of the tea, among other factors. The first pluckings of the year are of the highest quality because the nutrients stored in the plants are highly concentrated by the time spring arrives

Food April 18, 2024

First-time director Kim Se-hui's “Following” is a mystery thriller that depicts the secretive life of a voyeur and a pretentious attention-seeking social media influencer. Byun Yo-han stars as real estate agent Gu Jeong-tae, who follows influencer Han Sora, played by Shin Hae-sun. Lee El stars as detective Oh Young-ju investigating a death related to Jeong-tae and Sora. “Jeong-tae is a kind of character who is really hard to explain in words. That’s why we produced a

Film April 17, 2024