The seventh eclectic and highly personal commemoration of the best of the past year. Personality of the Year Runner up There were plenty of personalities in the South Korean Olympic team, particularly the pistol shooters, archers and the gymnasts. But the athlete that everyone will remember is fencer Shin A-lam, cheated out of a place … [Read More]
Category: General film news (page 7)
The Defector: Escape from North Korea — a new documentary to screen at IDFA Amsterdam
Last year the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam featured the moving South Korean documentary Planet of Snail. This year the interest is north of the border, with a new documentary on North Korean defectors by award-winning film-maker Ann Shin. The Defector: Escape from North Korea Ann Shin, Canada, 2012, color, HDcam, 71′ THE DEFECTOR: … [Read More]
Call for Papers — Years of Radical Change (2): SOAS Conference on Korean screen culture
After a successful seminar earlier this year, SOAS is planning a follow up at the end of May 2013. And in a nod to the ubiquity of a certain tubby singer and his horse dance, the conference organisers seem to be prepared to accept a paper on Korean popular music videos. Call for Papers Years … [Read More]
Comrade Kim Goes Flying at the Busan Int’l Film Fest
Some interesting stuff at this year’s BIFF. Apart from Studio-MWP’s adaptation of Buckwheat Season, there’s a North Korean film being screened there, for the first time since 2003. “Comrade Kim Goes Flying,” was co-directed by a North Korean and two Europeans. (Source: AP / Guardian) [Read More]
Buckwheat Season to get the Green Days treatment at Busan Film Fest
One of Korea’s most famous short stories, Lee Hyo-seok’s Buckwheat Season / When Buckwheat Flowers Bloom (메밀꽃 필 무렵, 1936) is to be brought to the cinema by the creators of Green Days (Korean title 소중한 날의 꿈, 2010). Green Days was LKL’s film of the year 2010 and was the stand-out film at the … [Read More]
Project K – The Korean Film Festival in Frankfurt
For those who have friends in Frankfurt, do pass on the good news that there’s a big K-fest coming up, 12- 14 October. Film, food, music, and a logo that looks very similar to London’s All Eyes on Korea festival. Visit their website and Facebook page. Pieta, Oldboy, Arirang and more. [Read More]
Mosaic Films launch their new project: Nothing to Envy – the animation
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR THE PEOPLE OF NORTH KOREA? An event hosted by Mosaic Films to launch their new project Nothing to Envy Friday, 5 October 2012 from 18:30 to 21:30 (BST) London, United Kingdom We are developing an animated feature film about real lives in North Korea, to be written and directed … [Read More]
The Korean War, To the Starry Island and Spring in my Hometown – Dr Andrew Jackson opens the season of SOAS seminars for the Autumn
The autumn season of Korean studies seminar starts on Friday 12 October with: The Korean War, To the Starry Island and Spring in my Hometown Dr Andrew David Jackson (SOAS, University of London) Date: 12 October 2012 Time: 5:15 PM Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings Room: G50 Abstract Pak Kwangsu’s To the Starry Island (Kŭ … [Read More]
Three Korean victories in Venice
Official Awards: GOLDEN LION for Best Film to PIETA by Kim Ki-duk; ORIZZONTI YOUTUBE AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM to CHO-DE (초대) by Yoo Min-young; Collateral Awards: QUEER LION for the “best film with a homosexual and queer culture theme” to WEIGHT (무게) by Jeon Kyu-hwan. [Read More]
Im Kwon-taek visits London for the Olympics
As part of the VIP delegation visiting from Seoul to launch Korea’s bid for Olympic glory in London 2012, a surprise dignitary was legendary film director Im Kwon-taek. I first caught sight of him at the Korea Shining Bright event at the Victoria and Albert Museum on Monday night, 30 July. I wondered if I … [Read More]
Park Chan-wook’s Night Fishing released on R3 DVD
One of the highlights of last year’s London Korean Film Fest last year, so I’m told, was Park Chan-wook’s iPhone-shot short movie Night Fishing. I just didn’t get a chance to see it. But thankfully it’s out on subtitled Region 3 DVD later this month at YesAsia. It’ll soon be in my shopping cart. (Update … [Read More]
Planet of Snail: “one of the most life-affirming viewing experiences I’ve ever had” says Twitch
If like me you were bored by the recent release of Kim Ki-duk’s self-indulgent documentary and professional suicide note Arirang, you can expect something a lot better from Yi Seung-jun’s documentary Planet of Snail. If the K-pop bash at the Dome this Saturday is not your thing, a civilised time can be had at the … [Read More]
Third Window Films ceases theatrical distribution
Sad news. Third Window Films, who among other things distributed the uncut version of Im Sang-soo’s President’s Last Bang in the UK, has ceased theatrical releases. Twitch has the full story, including the reasons why. [Read More]
Korea Herald gives Im Sang-soo a thumbs-down
The Korea Herald *really* doesn’t like Im Sang-soo’s Taste of Money, currently in competition at Cannes. Hong Sang-soo’s In Another Country with Isabelle Hubert fares better. Full story: http://bit.ly/JskHji [Read More]
Korean film: Years of radical change – free day-long seminar at SOAS
Hot on the heels of their day-and-a-half seminar on Korean music and dance, SOAS presents a free one-day seminar on Korean film. Well-known speakers, interesting subject matter. And time allocation is reasonably generous – each speaker gets an hour, so hopefully things won’t feel rushed as often happens at these events. Make sure you book … [Read More]
Fribourg Fest honours two K-films
Lee Chang-dong’s “Poetry” and Kim Tae-yong’s “Late Autumn” Lee Man-hee remake win awards at Fribourg Int’l Film Fest http://bit.ly/hHIAXU # “Poetry” won the top award, the Regard d’Or, while “Late Autumn” won the Special Mention of the Jury of the International Federation of Film Societies, and the Ex-Change Award, which is a prize selected by … [Read More]