Here’s the complete schedule for the 2015 edition of the London Korean Film Festival. Details are correct at time of going to press, but experience indicates that there might be some last minute changes. Always check the official website, koreanfilm.co.uk, for up-to-date details. I know I’m a bit of a grumbler, but this year I … [Read More]
Category: General film news (page 5)
Welcome to the London East Asia Film Festival
A new Film Fest is coming to town. Slotting neatly in between the BFI London Film Festival and the KCCUK’s London Korean Film Festival, the initial edition of the London East Asian Film Festival runs 23-25 October. It is organised by Ms Jeon Hye-jung, who this year moved on from the KCCUK where among other … [Read More]
Korean films at the 2015 BFI London Film Festival
The programme for the BFI London Film Festival has been announced and as usual there’s a decent Korean representation. It’s great that Assassination is coming, though I was secretly hoping that it was going to open the London Korean Film Festival in November, giving the organisers an excuse to bring over Jeon Ji-hyun as star … [Read More]
KWK Talk: The Vengeful Ghost in Korean cinema, with Colette Balmain, 6 Aug
Colette Balmain has made Asian Horror cinema – with particular reference to Korea and Japan – something of her speciality, and so her talk as part of Kingston Welcomes Korea comes highly recommended. This is the second of two talks that focus on particular aspects of contemporary Korean culture, the first being Deborah Smith’s literary … [Read More]
Great news: 94 “lost” films rediscovered
I’m prepared to trust Im Kwon-taek’s judgement about the quality of his 14th film that is in the batch of lost films just donated to the Korean Film Archive – Battlefield and Mistress as a title doesn’t sound promising. He made similar comments about his early output when he spoke during his London retrospective back … [Read More]
Looking back at 2014: Entertainment news
In the second of four retrospective articles, we recall some of the entertainment stories that caught our eye in 2014. Good year for: Popular TV drama My Love from the Star had an impact beyond its 21 episode span. The lead female character, played by Jeon Ji-hyun, managed to boost sales of trenchcoats in Korea, … [Read More]
Commentary on The Interview
LKL has been an Interview-free zone, mainly for the reason that we always thought that the film was not a very good idea. But for the sake of pulling together in one place the links to the most interesting commentary on the film, the two best quotes, in the two most interesting articles, come from … [Read More]
LKFF 2014: the conversations
The London Korean Film Festival is not just about getting acquainted with the latest in Korean movies. It is also an opportunity to meet some of the people behind those movies – actors, directors and producers. Opportunities for engaging with these film professionals vary: for an ever-growing group of aficionados there is the offer of round-table … [Read More]
LKL’s latest must-see film of the LKFF 2014: The Road Called Life
It’s taking a while to go through the LKFF 2014 programme to prioritise those films which I simply *have* to go to see. So thanks to Frances Yoo from Studio Meditation with a Pencil for alerting me to the title that instantly has gone from “when I get round to it, I’ll look to see … [Read More]
Cho Young-wuk on waltzes, playgrounds and working with Park Chan-wook
An in-depth look at film composer Cho Young-wuk, his creative process and long-standing collaboration with Park Chan-wook. From the iconic Oldboy score to live performances and audience Q&A in London, the article explores how music shapes mood, character and cinematic identity. [Read More]
Im Kwon Taek’s Hwajang selected to close 2014 LKFF
It’s tremendously good news that the closing gala screening of the London Korean Film festival 2014 is Im Kwon Taek’s 102nd film, Hwajang (western title: Revivre). It synchronises nicely with the KCCUK’s focus on literature this year, as it is based on a short story by Kim Hoon. More importantly, it’s a film that has … [Read More]
Korean films at the 2014 BFI London Film Festival
There’s rather a good haul of Korean movies at the BFI London Film Festival this year, including a Hong Sang-soo which looks a little different from the usual, a treat for fans of the remarkable Bae Doona, a charming animation and a “tense, kinetic and darkly funny neo-noir”. Tickets go on sale on 18 September. … [Read More]
Im Kwon-taek: In search of perfection
Drawing on interviews and Q&As, this piece reflects on Im Kwon-taek’s vast career, from early genre films to Seopyeonje and beyond, examining tradition, literature, Buddhism, and his lifelong pursuit of cinematic perfection. [Read More]
Dance videos, tasteless films and hair promotions – different ways to annoy the DPRK authorities
It’s not just the Americans and the Brits who annoy the North Korean establishment with their irreverant lèse-majesté. Now the Chinese are doing it too. So far the video has been left online: And a reminder of the two other things that recently got the DPRK establishment annoyed: an upcoming American comedy film, and a … [Read More]
Korean Screen Culture Conference 2014: draft programme
With thanks to Dr Chi-Yun Shin, here is the provisional programme for the Korean Screen Culture Conference at Sheffield Hallam University on 13-14 June 2014. This follows the two successful conferences at SOAS in 2012 and 2013. Go up there early and catch Sheffield Doc/Fest 2014 (June 7-12). The Conference is at SHU’s City Campus … [Read More]
East Asian Screen Studies Symposium at Kings College London
Coinciding with the Chinese Visual Festival 2014, an interesting screen studies symposium is coming our way: East Asian Screen Studies Symposium King’s College London, 16 May 2014 You are invited to register for a free one-day symposium on East Asian Screen Studies at King’s College, London on the 16th May. As you can see below … [Read More]