Helen, the Baby Fox (Japan)

Opening Aug. 18.

Drama. Directed by Keita Kono. Taichi, a little boy who does not have many friends at school, lives with his mother alone. Soon, his working camerawoman mother moves to another town for a project by herself and makes Taichi to live with her boyfriend, Yajima, while she is gone. As Taichi lives with Yajima, he finds a fox cub alongside a road in the town. Taichi soon finds out the fox is blind, deaf and mute. He names the fox Helen after Helen Keller, and devotes himself in taking care of the animal. Eventually, Helen learns to drink milk on her own, without the help of Taichi. Yet Helen’s health conditions worsen, mostly because of a tumor in her brain.


Rise of the Planet of the Apes (U.S.)

Opening Aug. 17

Action. Directed by Rupert Wyatt. Will Rodman (James Franco), a San Francisco-based scientist whose father (John Lithgow) suffers from Alzheimer’s, develops a cure for the disease and tests it on apes. Rodman takes one of the tested baby chimpanzees, Caesar (Andy Serkis), to his house and starts to live with him. As the time passes by, Caesar’s intelligence level surpasses that of most humans. One day, however, Caesar unintentionally ends up attacking humans while trying to protect Rodman’s ill father, Charles. Authorities order Rodman to place Caesar into a remote cage, where other chimpanzees are housed while being locked up. In the cage, Caesar witnesses how his fellow chimps are being cruelly abused by humans. Deeply disillusioned and enraged, Caesar makes his plan to escape the cage to get Rodman’s Alzheimer’s cure and increase his friends’ intelligence.


Fantastic Journey of the Modern Gayageumer (Korea)

Opening Aug. 18

Documentary. Directed by Choi Seung-ho. Musician Jung Mina, who proudly calls herself as the “modern Gayageumer,” plays Gayageum, Korea’s zither-like traditional string instrument. She works as a phone agent during the day and performs with her Gayageum at Hongdae, Korea’s biggest indie music scene. Her first album, “Sangsamong” was sold over 10,000 copies in 2006. In 2009 summer, Jung decides to go on a 15-day trip to perform on random streets to get inspired to work on her second album. Throughout the trip, Jung performs 23 times-- while travelling some 2,075 kilometers—and makes some unforgettable memories of her lifetime.


Hong Gil-dong 2084 (Korea)

Opening Aug. 18

Animation. Directed by Lee Jeong-in. In 2084, a young man named Hong Gil-dong lives with a little boy named Cheol alone near a city named Yuldo. Gil-dong was abandoned by his older brother Il-dong as a child, and had to live on his own ever since. One day, Gil-dong happens to save the life of Ha-ryeong, a beautiful female warrior who was in danger in the forest. Through Ha-ryeong, Gil-dong discovers the city of Yuldo is about to be attacked by Il-dong and his monstrous followers. Gil-dong makes his way to Yuldo with Cheol and his three other friends, to save the city from his evil brother. Inspired by Korea’s traditional “Tale of Hong Gil-dong,” written in the Joseon Dynasty, this animated film takes place in the future and is expected to give its own interpretation of the original text.


Larry Crowne (U.S.)

Opening Aug. 18

Romance. Directed by Tom Hanks. Larry (Tom Hanks), a mid-aged man who just got fired from his work for lacking a college education, decides to attend a local community college to find more career opportunities. As a divorcée who lives alone, Larry almost lost his house as he couldn’t find another job right away. Yet as he begins his college life, he soon starts to really enjoy what it offers. While making friends with his classmates who are a lot younger than he is, Larry also finds himself falling for Mercedes (Julia Roberts), an unhappy, blunt professor who lectures for his classes. Having purchased a scooter and been hired at a diner kitchen, Larry begins to live in the moment to discover both love and future.