A heartwarming family movie revolving around young patients in the children’s ward, “Two Heart” began shooting on Jan. 2, production companies Miro Vision and Studio Santa Claus Entertainment said Friday. Starring Jung Man-sik and On Joo-wan, the film is expected among industry insiders to become the next touching drama film on the scale of “Miracle in Cell No. 7” for its heartrending storyline. Comedy-drama “Miracle in Cell No. 7,” released in 2013, sol

Film Jan. 6, 2023

“The First Slam Dunk” (Japan) Opened Jan. 4 (Adventure/Comedy) Directed by Takehiko Inoue Based on the Slam Dunk manga series written and illustrated by Takehiko Inoue, the animated sports film follows Ryota Miyagi, a high school student who plays the point guard at the school’s basketball team and his journey to win the basketball championship at a nationwide basketball competition. “Gentleman” (South Korea) Opened Dec. 28 Crime/Action Directed by Kim Kyung-won

Film Jan. 6, 2023

Director Lee Soo-seong released his second zombie movie “Gangnam Zombie” Thursday, 13 years after he filmed “Mr. Zombie.” The zombie apocalypse had been an omnipresent element in almost all types of arts from video games to music and movies, long before it pervaded Korean movies and dramas and became a prolific genre. And in recent years, zombies in films and dramas such as “Train to Busan,” “Kingdom” and “All of Us are Dead” have becom

Film Jan. 5, 2023

Jeonju International Film Festival will support the global distribution of local indie films with a new program this year. According to the festival organizing committee, the Work in Progress program will be established this year as part of the festival’s 15-year-running networking program for indie art filmmakers, called Jeonju Project. While the committee already operates a networking program dedicated to documentary films under its K-DOC Class program, the latest program will invite f

Film Jan. 4, 2023

“Moon Man,” a Chinese sci-fi comedy film which was adapted from the Korean webtoon “Moon You” by Cho Seok, follows the original’s familiar plot of a stranded survivor, but takes a unique turn that different generations can enjoy. Sticking to the webtoon storyline, “Moon Man,” centers on Dugu Yue, played by Chinese comedy star Shen Teng, who is accidentally stranded in a lunar research facility after an asteroid destroys Earth and believes he is the last

Film Jan. 4, 2023

Eleven years after playing an idol singer-turned-radio DJ in rom-com “Love On-air,” actor Lee Min-jung returns to the big screen, this time as a devoted and loving wife. In “Switch,” which hits theaters Wednesday, Lee plays Soo-hyun who suddenly has to financially support her husband and A-list actor Park Kang (Kwon Sang-woo) gets in a taxi on Christmas Day and wakes up the next day as his manager, Joo Yoon (Oh Jung-se). “I think I’m 80 percent like Soo-hyun,

Film Jan. 3, 2023

Director Jung Ju-ri's drama thriller, “Next Sohee” starring Bae Doo-na, will be released in local cinemas in February. “Next Sohee” is director Jung’s newest release since “A Girl at My Door” (2014) which was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. "Next Sohee" sees Jung reunited with Bae after "A Girl at My Door," and features Kim Si-eun as the other protagonist. This is Kim's full-length

Film Jan. 2, 2023

The year that just ended was all about finally seeing a number of movies that began production prior to the pandemic. Despite better-than-expected ticket sales, having so many options to watch comfortably at home led many film buffs and moviegoers to stay inside. How will upcoming movies this year impact ticket sales at the cinema? From Hollywood’s megasized projects to a variety of local films finally meeting audiences after enduring setbacks and delays due to the pandemic, following are

Film Jan. 1, 2023

For Kim Byoung-jin, chief executive chef of the three Michelin-starred restaurant Gaon, 2023 will be a new year like no other. It will be his first year outside the kitchen. After 20 years of raising Korean fine dining to a new level, one of the most famous Korean “haute cuisine” restaurants Gaon is closing Jan. 1, albeit temporarily, for reorganization. Kim, who is also the president of the Gaon Society, which operates a number of fine dining restaurant brands in Korea, will also

Food Jan. 1, 2023

“Gentleman” (South Korea) Opened Dec. 28 Crime/Action Directed by Kim Kyung-won Private detective Ji Hyun-soo (Ju Ji-hoon) pretends to be a prosecutor in order to find his missing client, fight evil crimes and track down outlaws masterminded by Kwon Do-hoon (Park Sung-woong), the head of a large law firm. Together with merciless prosecutor Kim Hwa-jin (Choi Sung-eun), Ji works on solving a murder case to prove his innocence after he is falsely accused of being the killer. Hero (Sou

Film Dec. 30, 2022

Filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho, who directed the first Korean zombie-thriller to attract more than 10 million viewers at local cinemas, is returning with the new sci-fi film “Jung_E.” Yeon’s new dystopian action thriller is set in the 22nd century, when humans and AI robots exist only in outer space due to climate change. After a civil war breaks out in the post-apocalyptic era, humans at an AI research lab endeavor to develop the warrior AI robot Jung_E and clone its brain to win the

Film Dec. 29, 2022

Most of Kim Sea-kyeong’s career as a chef was cooking American cuisine in the US, but one thing he dreamed of for a long time was reinterpreting Korean food -- what he calls his “soul food” -- the way he had mastered through Western recipes. “After working many years in the US with locals, I came to notice that what people aren’t familiar with is the way Korean food is enjoyed, such as side dishes, the experience can be made better through the concept of ‘bans

Food Dec. 27, 2022

This past year has been extraordinary for the film industry, finally set free from some of the constraints and anxieties of the coronavirus pandemic. A number of brilliant projects wowed and excited moviegoers, but ticket sales failed to return to pre-pandemic levels, suggesting that sluggish sales for local cinemas may linger into 2023. However, this does not diminish hope for even better films set to be released next year. Here is a recap of the South Korean film industry in 2022. Sequels br

Film Dec. 27, 2022

“Avatar: The Way of Water” (US) Opened Dec. 14 Action Directed by James Cameron The sequel to 2009's “Avatar” tells the story of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Ney'tiri (Zoe Saldana) leaving their home and exploring regions of Pandora to fight a difficult war against humans. The film has brought the protagonists back with their three children for “a new kind of” family story, according to Walt Disney, and is largely set in water, also introducing

Film Dec. 24, 2022

Award-winning director Park Chan-wook’s romance thriller “Decision to Leave” has made it to the 2023 Oscars shortlist for international feature films, according to the event organizer Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science. A total of 15 films were chosen to advance to the next round of voting for the 95th Academy Awards, which is slated to take place on March 12 at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Prior to the ceremony, the Academy typically announces a shortlist of 10 to 15 fi

Film Dec. 22, 2022