Korean Oscar-winning actor Youn Yuh-jung has been the focus of attention for the past week as the subject of a retrospective series at The Academy Museum in Los Angeles.
Youn came to the attention of many late in her career playing the grandmother role in Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari.” But her entertainment history dates back to one of Korean cinema’s golden eras and a screen-scorching 1971 debut in legendary director Kim Ki-young’s “Woman of Fire.”
“Youn refused to compromise her practice to serve the patriarchal systems which dominate the majority of mainstream cinema in Korea. As an iconic figure and role model to many actors in Korea, Youn continues to push boundaries in her incredible scope of storytelling, routed through her bold and forthright perception of each character she portrays,” says the Academy’s notes to the seven-film series.
What that fails to convey is Youn’s down-to-earth pragmatism,...
Youn came to the attention of many late in her career playing the grandmother role in Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari.” But her entertainment history dates back to one of Korean cinema’s golden eras and a screen-scorching 1971 debut in legendary director Kim Ki-young’s “Woman of Fire.”
“Youn refused to compromise her practice to serve the patriarchal systems which dominate the majority of mainstream cinema in Korea. As an iconic figure and role model to many actors in Korea, Youn continues to push boundaries in her incredible scope of storytelling, routed through her bold and forthright perception of each character she portrays,” says the Academy’s notes to the seven-film series.
What that fails to convey is Youn’s down-to-earth pragmatism,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Indie icon Kim Gordon, whose excellent solo album “The Collective” dropped last week, is this month’s featured film curator for Galerie, the new online film club launched by Indian Paintbrush. Below, Gordon shares a deeply personal curation of eight films that influence and reflect audio, visual art, and personal style. While best known as a musician and cofounding member of Sonic Youth, Gordon’s art has long stretched into multiple other disciplines, with film being just one.
“Morvern Callar,” dir. Lynne Ramsay, 2002
I love the way Lynne Ramsay uses sound dynamics. In this movie the music is like another character. The mixtape that her dead boyfriend made and left for her (saying “Keep the music to yourself”) becomes a thread throughout the film. He is the music — it not only keeps him alive for her but replaces him.
“Clouds of Sils Maria,” dir. Olivier Assayas, 2014
The relationship in this...
“Morvern Callar,” dir. Lynne Ramsay, 2002
I love the way Lynne Ramsay uses sound dynamics. In this movie the music is like another character. The mixtape that her dead boyfriend made and left for her (saying “Keep the music to yourself”) becomes a thread throughout the film. He is the music — it not only keeps him alive for her but replaces him.
“Clouds of Sils Maria,” dir. Olivier Assayas, 2014
The relationship in this...
- 3/13/2024
- by Kim Gordon
- Variety Film + TV
The Fantasia International Film Festival will be celebrating its 27th edition with a whiplashing program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 20 through August 9, 2023, taking place at the Concordia Hall Cinema, with additional screens at the Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée.
The festival’s full lineup will be announced in early July. In the meantime, Fantasia is excited to reveal a selected first wave of titles and happenings.
Bright Spotlights On South Korean Cinema Illuminate Fantasia’s 27th Edition
Since the selection of Kang Je-gyu’s Gingko Bed at Fantasia’s 1998 edition, the festival has become one of the premiere destinations for South Korean cinema. Over the years, Fantasia’s audience has had the opportunity to discover several essential Korean auteurs: Bong Joon-ho (Barking Dogs Never Bite), Park Chan-wook (Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance), Kim Ji-woon (The Quiet Family), Hwang Dong-hyuk (Miss Granny), and Yeon Sang-ho (The King Of Pigs) among many others.
The festival’s full lineup will be announced in early July. In the meantime, Fantasia is excited to reveal a selected first wave of titles and happenings.
Bright Spotlights On South Korean Cinema Illuminate Fantasia’s 27th Edition
Since the selection of Kang Je-gyu’s Gingko Bed at Fantasia’s 1998 edition, the festival has become one of the premiere destinations for South Korean cinema. Over the years, Fantasia’s audience has had the opportunity to discover several essential Korean auteurs: Bong Joon-ho (Barking Dogs Never Bite), Park Chan-wook (Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance), Kim Ji-woon (The Quiet Family), Hwang Dong-hyuk (Miss Granny), and Yeon Sang-ho (The King Of Pigs) among many others.
- 5/12/2023
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
The 27th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival is set to run from from July 20th through August 9th at the Concordia Hall Cinema in Montreal, with additional screens at the Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée – and today the festival announced the first wave of titles that will be screening there this year! The festival runners promise this edition of the show will deliver “a whiplashing program of screenings, workshops, and launch events”, with a spotlight on South Korean cinema, a Canadian trailblazer Award being presented to Larry Kent, and World Premiere screenings of new films from the likes of Larry Fessenden, Xavier Gens, Jenn Wexler, The Adams Family, and Victor Ginzburg. They’ll also be hosting the International Premieres of Tsutomu Hanabusa’s blockbusters Tokyo Revengers 2 – Part 1 & 2.
2023 marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between Canada and the Republic of Korea, so Fantasia is teaming up with the Korean...
2023 marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between Canada and the Republic of Korea, so Fantasia is teaming up with the Korean...
- 5/11/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The Fantasia International Film Festival will be celebrating its 27th edition with a whiplashing program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 20 through August 9, 2023, taking place at the Concordia Hall Cinema, with additional screens at the Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée.
The festival’s full lineup will be announced in early July. In the meantime, Fantasia reveals a selected first wave of titles and happenings.
Here’s the press release:
Bright Spotlights On South Korean Cinema Illuminate Fantasia’s 27th Edition
Since the selection of Kang Je-gyu’s Gingko Bed at Fantasia’s 1998 edition, the festival has become one of the premiere destinations for South Korean cinema. Over the years, Fantasia’s audience has had the opportunity to discover several essential Korean auteurs: Bong Joon-ho (Barking Dogs Never Bite), Park Chan-wook (Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance), Kim Ji-woon (The Quiet Family), Hwang Dong-hyuk (Miss Granny), and Yeon Sang-ho...
The festival’s full lineup will be announced in early July. In the meantime, Fantasia reveals a selected first wave of titles and happenings.
Here’s the press release:
Bright Spotlights On South Korean Cinema Illuminate Fantasia’s 27th Edition
Since the selection of Kang Je-gyu’s Gingko Bed at Fantasia’s 1998 edition, the festival has become one of the premiere destinations for South Korean cinema. Over the years, Fantasia’s audience has had the opportunity to discover several essential Korean auteurs: Bong Joon-ho (Barking Dogs Never Bite), Park Chan-wook (Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance), Kim Ji-woon (The Quiet Family), Hwang Dong-hyuk (Miss Granny), and Yeon Sang-ho...
- 5/11/2023
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
This fast-moving yarn about a woman balancing contract killing with raising a teenage daughter has flair and depth to spare
Like a lot of topline Korean films, this prestige action thriller is a little too long at 137 minutes, but it’s consistently entertaining throughout, and quite well-suited given the length to being viewed on a streaming platform. Viewing in chunks works quite well, especially since the dialogue zips by so quickly that if you don’t speak Korean you may need to rewind to read the subtitles – and they’re actually worth reading here, which is not something you can always say about a film with this much martial arts and fisticuffs.
Jeon Do-yeon stars as Gil Bok-soon, a middle-aged single mother to teen daughter Jae-yeong (Kim Si-a). Jae-yeong and the yummy mummies at the private school Jae-yeong attends think Bok-soon is some kind of executive for an events company,...
Like a lot of topline Korean films, this prestige action thriller is a little too long at 137 minutes, but it’s consistently entertaining throughout, and quite well-suited given the length to being viewed on a streaming platform. Viewing in chunks works quite well, especially since the dialogue zips by so quickly that if you don’t speak Korean you may need to rewind to read the subtitles – and they’re actually worth reading here, which is not something you can always say about a film with this much martial arts and fisticuffs.
Jeon Do-yeon stars as Gil Bok-soon, a middle-aged single mother to teen daughter Jae-yeong (Kim Si-a). Jae-yeong and the yummy mummies at the private school Jae-yeong attends think Bok-soon is some kind of executive for an events company,...
- 3/30/2023
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
Within the Korean film industry, Jeon Do-yeon is both a big star and a deeply respected actor’s actor. In over 25 years on-screen, she has appeared in scores of K-dramas and over 20 films, including numerous titles now considered modern Korean classics. Now, she’s poised for greater global exposure as the star of Netflix’s forthcoming action drama Kill Boksoon, a film that blends everything international audiences have come to love about Korean cinema: wit, genre invention, powerful performances, slick production values and a bit of the old ultra-violence.
Soon after her breakthrough on the small screen in the 1990s, Jeon quickly earned a reputation as a uniquely chameleonic film actress, inhabiting a diverse range of characters — from a doctor (A Promise, 1998) to a school girl (The Harmonium in My Memory, 1999), an adulterous wife (Happy End, 1999), a dreamy bank teller (I Wish I Had a Wife, 2001), a time traveler (My Mother,...
Soon after her breakthrough on the small screen in the 1990s, Jeon quickly earned a reputation as a uniquely chameleonic film actress, inhabiting a diverse range of characters — from a doctor (A Promise, 1998) to a school girl (The Harmonium in My Memory, 1999), an adulterous wife (Happy End, 1999), a dreamy bank teller (I Wish I Had a Wife, 2001), a time traveler (My Mother,...
- 2/18/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
London East Asia Film Festival (Leaff) is back with a diverse programme from East and Southeast Asia, including international and UK premieres. Seven strands runs throughout the festival: Official Selection, Competition, Documentary Competition, Actor Focus: Lee Jung-Jae, Filmmaker Focus: Cinematographer Mark Lee, Classics Restored and Halloween Horror Special.
The festival screenings and events will take place at five venues around London. Following the Opening Gala at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on 19th October, Leaff will continue for 11 days at Odeon Luxe West End, the Cinema at Selfridges, Chiswick Cinema and the Cinema Museum in London! Squid Game star, Lee Jung-Jae will be attending Leaff for the Opening Gala screening of “Hunt”.
Leaff aims to champion the growing collaboration in East Asian filmmaking with a philosophy that marks a shift in the cinematic landscape of East Asia, and moves away from cultural and cinematic borders. The Festival vision is to bring a much wider,...
The festival screenings and events will take place at five venues around London. Following the Opening Gala at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on 19th October, Leaff will continue for 11 days at Odeon Luxe West End, the Cinema at Selfridges, Chiswick Cinema and the Cinema Museum in London! Squid Game star, Lee Jung-Jae will be attending Leaff for the Opening Gala screening of “Hunt”.
Leaff aims to champion the growing collaboration in East Asian filmmaking with a philosophy that marks a shift in the cinematic landscape of East Asia, and moves away from cultural and cinematic borders. The Festival vision is to bring a much wider,...
- 9/25/2022
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Jo Eun-ji is a South Korean actress and director. She debuted in the gritty Im Sang-soo film “Tears”, and has since become better known for her supporting roles on film and television, such as in “The President’s Last Bang”, “My Scary Girl”, “Forever the Moment”, “The Concubine” and “The Villainess”. She was also the leading actress in the indies “Driving with My Wife’s Lover”, and “Sunshine Love”. “Perhaps Love” is her debut feature film on the director chair.
“Perhaps Love” screened at Udine Far East Film Festival
I loved the convoluted and ingenious stories and the complicated lives of all the characters in your film and I was wondering if you participated to the script and how.
There was already a script in place, and I was revising that script but the original script was very much focused on the character of Hyun and Yu-jin, so I developed...
“Perhaps Love” screened at Udine Far East Film Festival
I loved the convoluted and ingenious stories and the complicated lives of all the characters in your film and I was wondering if you participated to the script and how.
There was already a script in place, and I was revising that script but the original script was very much focused on the character of Hyun and Yu-jin, so I developed...
- 5/4/2022
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Espionage action film marks directorial debut of ‘Squid Game’ star Lee Jung-jae.
South Korea’s Megabox Plus M is launching its Cannes sales slate led by Midnight Screenings title Hunt, directed by Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae in his directorial debut.
Having starred in numerous TV and film titles such as Im Sang-soo’s The Housemaid, selected for Cannes in 2010, the actor will now be eligible for the festival’s Camera d’or with his first feature as a director.
His period espionage action film stars Lee with Jung Woo-sung as two unit chiefs in the Korean Central Intelligence Agency.
South Korea’s Megabox Plus M is launching its Cannes sales slate led by Midnight Screenings title Hunt, directed by Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae in his directorial debut.
Having starred in numerous TV and film titles such as Im Sang-soo’s The Housemaid, selected for Cannes in 2010, the actor will now be eligible for the festival’s Camera d’or with his first feature as a director.
His period espionage action film stars Lee with Jung Woo-sung as two unit chiefs in the Korean Central Intelligence Agency.
- 4/19/2022
- by Jean Noh
- ScreenDaily
Im Sang-soo, the director of controversial films such as “A Good Lawyer’s Wife”, “The Housemaid” and of course “The President’s Last Bang” making a life-affirming buddy road movie featuring two unlikely fugitives? Stranger things have happened in the last few years but thankfully, “Heaven: To the Land of Happiness” is among the surprises of the pleasant variety.
“Heaven: To the Land of Happiness” is screening at Asian Pop-up Cinema
Nam-sik works as an orderly at a hospital where he steals expensive medicines for his Fabry’s disease. On the day that he is found out to be stealing, he meets Prisoner 203, an elderly inmate who has been brought to the hospital, where he is told that his brain tumor has worsened and that he has no more than two weeks left. As Nam-sik accompanies 203 to the toilet, he witnesses the inmate attempting an escape and, with his own freedom...
“Heaven: To the Land of Happiness” is screening at Asian Pop-up Cinema
Nam-sik works as an orderly at a hospital where he steals expensive medicines for his Fabry’s disease. On the day that he is found out to be stealing, he meets Prisoner 203, an elderly inmate who has been brought to the hospital, where he is told that his brain tumor has worsened and that he has no more than two weeks left. As Nam-sik accompanies 203 to the toilet, he witnesses the inmate attempting an escape and, with his own freedom...
- 3/13/2022
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
Asian Pop-Up Cinema: Season 14 will present 28 films in downtown Chicago and the north suburbs, with select films available for online streaming. The joint virtual and in-person festival opens March 13 and runs through April 10.
The diverse lineup celebrates the best of Asian cinema from South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Taiwan. Programming highlights include work from female filmmakers and an in-person special guest appearance from Sunday LEAGUEdirector Yi Sung-il.
Season 14 opens with the Midwest Premiere of Heaven: To The Land Of Happiness (AMC Niles 12) from director Im Sang-soo. Korean stars Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) and Park Hae-il (War of the Arrows) lead this crime comedy as two terminally ill men on one last, unexpected journey of their lives. The international premiere of sports comedy Sunday League will follow, a heartwarming story of a former rising soccer star who reluctantly coaches a ragtag team of amateur players. Writer/director Yi is...
The diverse lineup celebrates the best of Asian cinema from South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Taiwan. Programming highlights include work from female filmmakers and an in-person special guest appearance from Sunday LEAGUEdirector Yi Sung-il.
Season 14 opens with the Midwest Premiere of Heaven: To The Land Of Happiness (AMC Niles 12) from director Im Sang-soo. Korean stars Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) and Park Hae-il (War of the Arrows) lead this crime comedy as two terminally ill men on one last, unexpected journey of their lives. The international premiere of sports comedy Sunday League will follow, a heartwarming story of a former rising soccer star who reluctantly coaches a ragtag team of amateur players. Writer/director Yi is...
- 3/4/2022
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
Let’s be honest: 2021 was one of the worst years Korean cinema had in recent times. One would’ve hoped that they would have built upon the brilliant couple years that 2019 ad 2020 were but sadly that wasn’t to be. The pandemic situation did not help, with many production houses deciding to pull scheduled releases, halting production or waiting on things to calm down before releasing some projects that have big money riding on them. Even on the indie cinema front, which actually thrived in 2021 due to the lack of mainstream releases, did not manage to impress with what little out there was.
Things however do seem to be on the up with this year, as a few postponed releases are finally getting rescheduled and seeing theatrical releases. New releases are also being talked about and promotional material for some long gestating projects is also being circulated. Without further ado,...
Things however do seem to be on the up with this year, as a few postponed releases are finally getting rescheduled and seeing theatrical releases. New releases are also being talked about and promotional material for some long gestating projects is also being circulated. Without further ado,...
- 2/19/2022
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
Asian Pop-up Cinema Announces
Opening, Centerpiece, And Closing Films
Bright Star Award Recipient And Special Guest For Season 14
Asian Pop-Up Cinema today announces the spotlight Marquee films scheduled for the 14th Season, March 13- April 10. Additionally announced is, Kai Ko as the recipient of the festival’s Bright Star Award, and the first movie director special guest to attend the festival since the pandemic started during Season 10.
Korean star power from Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) and Park Hae-il (War of The Arrows) will open Season 14 with the Midwest Premiere of Heaven: In The Land Of Happiness from Im Sang-soo, director of The Housemaid (2010) and The President’s Last Bang. ‘Heaven’ is about a journey of two terminally ill men making a heart-throbbing finale of their lives.
Director Sung-il Yi will attend his International debut of Sunday League, a sports comedy about a once-rising high school soccer star reduced to coaching children,...
Opening, Centerpiece, And Closing Films
Bright Star Award Recipient And Special Guest For Season 14
Asian Pop-Up Cinema today announces the spotlight Marquee films scheduled for the 14th Season, March 13- April 10. Additionally announced is, Kai Ko as the recipient of the festival’s Bright Star Award, and the first movie director special guest to attend the festival since the pandemic started during Season 10.
Korean star power from Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) and Park Hae-il (War of The Arrows) will open Season 14 with the Midwest Premiere of Heaven: In The Land Of Happiness from Im Sang-soo, director of The Housemaid (2010) and The President’s Last Bang. ‘Heaven’ is about a journey of two terminally ill men making a heart-throbbing finale of their lives.
Director Sung-il Yi will attend his International debut of Sunday League, a sports comedy about a once-rising high school soccer star reduced to coaching children,...
- 2/18/2022
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
“The Novelist’s Film,” which Wednesday earned Korean director Hong Sang-soo the Grand Jury Prize in Berlin, has scored multiple rights deals.
With Seoul-based Finecut handling the rights sales, the film was licensed to Ama Films for Greece and Cyprus, Mimosa Films for Japan, Atalante Cinema for Spain, Arizona Films Distribution for France and to The Cinema Guild for the U.S.
Finecut also did European Film Market business with “Contorted,” an unorthodox horror about a family tragedy. It pre-sold the title to Thailand’s Sahamongkol Films and to Indonesia’s Pt. Prima Cinema Multimedia).
“Heaven: To The Land Of Happiness,” was licensed by Finecut to Little Monster Films for Australia and, New Zealand, to Twin for Japan, Viva Networks for The Philippines, and to Long Shong for Taiwan. The film is directed by Im Sang-soo and was part of the official selection for Cannes in 2020, when the festival did not take place,...
With Seoul-based Finecut handling the rights sales, the film was licensed to Ama Films for Greece and Cyprus, Mimosa Films for Japan, Atalante Cinema for Spain, Arizona Films Distribution for France and to The Cinema Guild for the U.S.
Finecut also did European Film Market business with “Contorted,” an unorthodox horror about a family tragedy. It pre-sold the title to Thailand’s Sahamongkol Films and to Indonesia’s Pt. Prima Cinema Multimedia).
“Heaven: To The Land Of Happiness,” was licensed by Finecut to Little Monster Films for Australia and, New Zealand, to Twin for Japan, Viva Networks for The Philippines, and to Long Shong for Taiwan. The film is directed by Im Sang-soo and was part of the official selection for Cannes in 2020, when the festival did not take place,...
- 2/17/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Sales also secured of upcoming horror ‘Contorted’ and Im Sang-soo’s ‘Heaven: To The Land Of Happiness’.
Korean sales agency Finecut has closed a raft of deals on three titles led by Hong Sangsoo’s The Novelist’s Film, which won the Berlinale’s Silver Bear grand jury prize yesterday.
The feature “racked up multiple deals as soon as it was announced as a Competition film at the 72nd Berlinale,” according to Finecut, selling to France (Arizona Films Distribution), Greece and Cyprus (Ama Films), Japan (Mimosa Films) and Spain (L’Atalante Cinema). A US deal with Cinema Guild was revealed last night.
Korean sales agency Finecut has closed a raft of deals on three titles led by Hong Sangsoo’s The Novelist’s Film, which won the Berlinale’s Silver Bear grand jury prize yesterday.
The feature “racked up multiple deals as soon as it was announced as a Competition film at the 72nd Berlinale,” according to Finecut, selling to France (Arizona Films Distribution), Greece and Cyprus (Ama Films), Japan (Mimosa Films) and Spain (L’Atalante Cinema). A US deal with Cinema Guild was revealed last night.
- 2/17/2022
- by Jean Noh
- ScreenDaily
The Florence Korea Film Fest is 20 years old this year! The most important Italian festival dedicated to the best of contemporary South Korean cinema will bring again in 2022 films, documentaries, trends and movie stars to Florence from 7 to 15 April at La Compagnia cinema and online on the Più Compagnia and MyMovies platforms.
Here are some anticipations:
To inaugurate the festival, the Italian premiere of “Heaven: to the Land of happiness” by Im Sang-soo, cult director of Korean cinema: a road movie starring Choi Min-sik in the role of a terminally ill inmate who runs away with Park Hae-il (“The Host”) also seriously ill who cannot afford the necessary treatment. The two men meet by chance and decide to leave together for an adventure that will become their journey in search of happiness. Also in the cast Yuh-Jung Youn, Soonja’s the unconventional grandmother from “Minari”.
The long-awaited Italian premiere of...
Here are some anticipations:
To inaugurate the festival, the Italian premiere of “Heaven: to the Land of happiness” by Im Sang-soo, cult director of Korean cinema: a road movie starring Choi Min-sik in the role of a terminally ill inmate who runs away with Park Hae-il (“The Host”) also seriously ill who cannot afford the necessary treatment. The two men meet by chance and decide to leave together for an adventure that will become their journey in search of happiness. Also in the cast Yuh-Jung Youn, Soonja’s the unconventional grandmother from “Minari”.
The long-awaited Italian premiere of...
- 2/3/2022
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
A terminally ill prisoner and a despondent hospital worker steal a hearse stuffed with mob money in “Heaven: To the Land of Happiness.” This combination of odd-couple road movie and crime comedy moves along nicely for about half the running time but loses momentum when sentimentality and drawn-out male bonding take precedence over the film’s more playful components. Well served by the casting of A-list performers Choi Min-sik (“Old Boy”) and Park Hae-il (“The Host”) as the unlikely allies, “Heaven” should be warmly welcomed by local audiences but the latest offering from distinguished South Korean filmmaker Im Sang-soo is unlikely to enjoy the same international exposure as his best-known works, such as “The Housemaid.”
Originally selected for Cannes 2020 but unable to screen owing to the pandemic, Im’s film instead received its world premiere as the opening-night attraction at Busan 2021. A very different proposition from his emotionally spiky and...
Originally selected for Cannes 2020 but unable to screen owing to the pandemic, Im’s film instead received its world premiere as the opening-night attraction at Busan 2021. A very different proposition from his emotionally spiky and...
- 10/8/2021
- by Richard Kuipers
- Variety Film + TV
As an actress, Cho Eun-ji has starred in films including Jung Byung-gil’s The Villainess.
South Korean sales company Contents Panda is launching international sales on Perhaps Love (aka Not On My Lips), the directorial debut of Cho Eun-ji, who is well-known as a character actress from Cannes titles such as Im Sang-soo’s The President’s Last Bang and Jung Byung-gil’s The Villainess.
Described as a sort of comedic, Korean Love Actually, the multi-character romantic comedy stars Ryu Seung-ryong from hit thriller Extreme Job, Oh Na-ra (Because I Love You), Kim Hie-won (Pawn), Lee You-young (Diva), Sung Yu-been (Moonlit Winter) and MuJin-sung.
South Korean sales company Contents Panda is launching international sales on Perhaps Love (aka Not On My Lips), the directorial debut of Cho Eun-ji, who is well-known as a character actress from Cannes titles such as Im Sang-soo’s The President’s Last Bang and Jung Byung-gil’s The Villainess.
Described as a sort of comedic, Korean Love Actually, the multi-character romantic comedy stars Ryu Seung-ryong from hit thriller Extreme Job, Oh Na-ra (Because I Love You), Kim Hie-won (Pawn), Lee You-young (Diva), Sung Yu-been (Moonlit Winter) and MuJin-sung.
- 10/8/2021
- by Jean Noh
- ScreenDaily
Leading Korean film sales agent Finecut has taken international rights to stylish genre actioner “Project Wolf Hunting.” The company will launch it at the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Contents and Film Market which starts at the weekend.
Directed by Kim Hongsun, the film is set on board a cargo ship which is being used to transport dangerous criminals from Manila in the Philippines to Busan, South Korea. An escape attempt leads to a riot which in turn unleashes a sinister force.
Kim is known for delivering stylized genre films including “Metamorphosis” (2019), “The Chase” (2017), and “The Con Artist” (2014). For “Project Wolf Hunting” he has assembled a cast of Korean rising stars including Seo In-guk (“Pipeline” and TV’s “Doom At Your Service”) and Jang Dong-yoon (TV’s “Search” and “The Tale of Nokdu”) as two protagonists, alongside veteran actors Choi Guyhwa and Sung Dong-il in leading roles.
Currently shooting in Korea and The Philippines,...
Directed by Kim Hongsun, the film is set on board a cargo ship which is being used to transport dangerous criminals from Manila in the Philippines to Busan, South Korea. An escape attempt leads to a riot which in turn unleashes a sinister force.
Kim is known for delivering stylized genre films including “Metamorphosis” (2019), “The Chase” (2017), and “The Con Artist” (2014). For “Project Wolf Hunting” he has assembled a cast of Korean rising stars including Seo In-guk (“Pipeline” and TV’s “Doom At Your Service”) and Jang Dong-yoon (TV’s “Search” and “The Tale of Nokdu”) as two protagonists, alongside veteran actors Choi Guyhwa and Sung Dong-il in leading roles.
Currently shooting in Korea and The Philippines,...
- 10/7/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The Busan International Film Festival puts a strong first foot forward this year with its tightly paced and effortlessly entertaining opening film Heaven: To the Land of Happiness, marking a return to form for director Im Sang-soo. Ace Korean cinema veterans Choi Min-sik and Park Hae-il share a terrific on-screen bromance in a road movie filled with laughs and thrills, and lifted by compelling moments of quiet introspection. Oldboy star Choi plays Prisoner 203, jailed several years ago for fraud who now has only a few months left on his sentence. But a trip to the hospital reveals an advanced brain tumor and yields a grim prognosis: he has just two weeks left to live. Nam-sik (Park Hae-il) is a porter at the same hospital,...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 10/7/2021
- Screen Anarchy
The Busan International Film Festival kicked off in South Korea’s bustling southern port city Wednesday night with the world premiere of Heaven: To the Land of Happiness from veteran director Im Sang-soo (The Housemaid).
Despite a smaller scale (with theaters at 50 percent capacity) and a mask mandate for all visitors, about 1,200 audience members filled the seats of the outdoor theater of the Busan Cinema Center, the festival’s main screening venue. The event was hosted by South Korean stars Song Joong-ki (Vincenzo) and Park So-dam (Parasite), giving the country its first red carpet ceremony since the coronavirus pandemic began....
Despite a smaller scale (with theaters at 50 percent capacity) and a mask mandate for all visitors, about 1,200 audience members filled the seats of the outdoor theater of the Busan Cinema Center, the festival’s main screening venue. The event was hosted by South Korean stars Song Joong-ki (Vincenzo) and Park So-dam (Parasite), giving the country its first red carpet ceremony since the coronavirus pandemic began....
- 10/7/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Busan International Film Festival kicked off in South Korea’s bustling southern port city Wednesday night with the world premiere of Heaven: To the Land of Happiness from veteran director Im Sang-soo (The Housemaid).
Despite a smaller scale (with theaters at 50 percent capacity) and a mask mandate for all visitors, about 1,200 audience members filled the seats of the outdoor theater of the Busan Cinema Center, the festival’s main screening venue. The event was hosted by South Korean stars Song Joong-ki (Vincenzo) and Park So-dam (Parasite), giving the country its first red carpet ceremony since the coronavirus pandemic began....
Despite a smaller scale (with theaters at 50 percent capacity) and a mask mandate for all visitors, about 1,200 audience members filled the seats of the outdoor theater of the Busan Cinema Center, the festival’s main screening venue. The event was hosted by South Korean stars Song Joong-ki (Vincenzo) and Park So-dam (Parasite), giving the country its first red carpet ceremony since the coronavirus pandemic began....
- 10/7/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho was on hand to present an award to Im Kwon-taek as part of the Wednesday night opening ceremony of the Busan International Film Festival. The in-person event included many of the trappings of past ceremonies, but it was smaller due to reduced numbers and ongoing social distancing precautions.
Held at the huge open-sided Busan Cinema Center venue, proceedings kicked off with a lengthy parade of celebrities and dignitaries along an L-shaped red carpet that resembled an oversized fashion runway.
Ambassadors for Korean fashion brand Artistry were first up, setting the mood for a still glamorous event. They were followed by the directors and cast of selected Korean independent films, by an obviously delighted Japanese director Hamaguchi Ryusuke and three actors from his recent film “Drive My Car.” A smattering of overseas visitors included Sabrina Baracetti from the Udine festival of Asian films in Italy. The New...
Held at the huge open-sided Busan Cinema Center venue, proceedings kicked off with a lengthy parade of celebrities and dignitaries along an L-shaped red carpet that resembled an oversized fashion runway.
Ambassadors for Korean fashion brand Artistry were first up, setting the mood for a still glamorous event. They were followed by the directors and cast of selected Korean independent films, by an obviously delighted Japanese director Hamaguchi Ryusuke and three actors from his recent film “Drive My Car.” A smattering of overseas visitors included Sabrina Baracetti from the Udine festival of Asian films in Italy. The New...
- 10/7/2021
- by Rebecca Souw
- Variety Film + TV
Korean director Im Kwon-taek received the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award from Bong Joon Ho.
In South Korea, the 26th Busan International Film Festival (Bff) opened tonight with a star-studded red carpet and veteran Korean director Im Kwon-taek receiving the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award.
Song Joong Ki, perhaps best known for his starring role in Netflix series Vincenzo, and Park So Dam, known for hers as ‘Jessica’ in Parasite, hosted the ceremony. They announced that director Bong Joon Ho was on hand to present Im with the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award “on behalf of all...
In South Korea, the 26th Busan International Film Festival (Bff) opened tonight with a star-studded red carpet and veteran Korean director Im Kwon-taek receiving the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award.
Song Joong Ki, perhaps best known for his starring role in Netflix series Vincenzo, and Park So Dam, known for hers as ‘Jessica’ in Parasite, hosted the ceremony. They announced that director Bong Joon Ho was on hand to present Im with the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award “on behalf of all...
- 10/6/2021
- by Jean Noh
- ScreenDaily
Youn Yuh-jung, who won the Oscar for best supporting actress in “Minari” earlier this year, will be the subject of a special focus this year at the London Korean Film Festival. The festival will be held as an in-person event Nov. 4-19, 2021.
Youn was this week named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of 2021.
The festival’s special focus on her will include the European premiere of a digitally restoration of Youn’s first role in 1970’s “Woman of Fire,” by iconic filmmaker Kim Ki-young. Also presented in a new 4K restoration and being shown for the first time outside of Korea, is “Angel, Become an Evil Woman,” also directed by Kim, and originally released in 1990.
The festival includes two of Youn’s more recent collaborations with director Im Sang-soo, screening his “A Good Lawyer’s Wife” and “The Housemaid,” which played in competition in Cannes in...
Youn was this week named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of 2021.
The festival’s special focus on her will include the European premiere of a digitally restoration of Youn’s first role in 1970’s “Woman of Fire,” by iconic filmmaker Kim Ki-young. Also presented in a new 4K restoration and being shown for the first time outside of Korea, is “Angel, Become an Evil Woman,” also directed by Kim, and originally released in 1990.
The festival includes two of Youn’s more recent collaborations with director Im Sang-soo, screening his “A Good Lawyer’s Wife” and “The Housemaid,” which played in competition in Cannes in...
- 9/17/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Asia’s largest film festival, the Busan International Film Festival aims to become both more relevant in the wider Asia region and simultaneously more in touch with its local community.
This year, it has been downsized compared with the pre-pandemic era. But its 2021 edition will still weigh in at 223 films (features and shorts) from 70 territories.
All feature films will get multiple in-person screenings across six complexes with a total of 29 screens. That’s an improvement on 2020, when films only screened once in theaters. But restrictions remain: each venue will be limited to 50% capacity and all tickets must be reserved online and in advance.
The 26th edition of the festival is set to run Oct. 6-16, 2021.
New festival director, Huh Moon-young admitted that the coronavirus conditions in Asia-Pacific currently make it “almost impossible” for many visitors from Asia to travel to the festival. He forecast just 20-30 European and U.S.
This year, it has been downsized compared with the pre-pandemic era. But its 2021 edition will still weigh in at 223 films (features and shorts) from 70 territories.
All feature films will get multiple in-person screenings across six complexes with a total of 29 screens. That’s an improvement on 2020, when films only screened once in theaters. But restrictions remain: each venue will be limited to 50% capacity and all tickets must be reserved online and in advance.
The 26th edition of the festival is set to run Oct. 6-16, 2021.
New festival director, Huh Moon-young admitted that the coronavirus conditions in Asia-Pacific currently make it “almost impossible” for many visitors from Asia to travel to the festival. He forecast just 20-30 European and U.S.
- 9/15/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
“Heaven: To The Land Of Happiness,” directed by leading South Korean filmmaker Im Sang-soo, has been set at the opening night title of next month’s Busan International Film Festival
The film was previously selected by the Cannes festival for the 2020 edition that was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The screening on native soil will therefore represent its theatrical premiere.
Structured as a road movie, “Heaven: To The Land Of Happiness” is the story of two men, one an escaped prisoner, who accidentally get their hands on a large amount of money and embark on a journey, dreaming of a comfortable ending to their lives.
Festival organizers described the film as “festive and pastoral” and said that “the harmony created from Im Sang-soo’s outstanding directorial power and excellent acting by Choi Min-sik and Park Hae-il ultimately turns the film into an inquiry about happiness that is warm and beautiful like no other.
The film was previously selected by the Cannes festival for the 2020 edition that was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The screening on native soil will therefore represent its theatrical premiere.
Structured as a road movie, “Heaven: To The Land Of Happiness” is the story of two men, one an escaped prisoner, who accidentally get their hands on a large amount of money and embark on a journey, dreaming of a comfortable ending to their lives.
Festival organizers described the film as “festive and pastoral” and said that “the harmony created from Im Sang-soo’s outstanding directorial power and excellent acting by Choi Min-sik and Park Hae-il ultimately turns the film into an inquiry about happiness that is warm and beautiful like no other.
- 9/2/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Film expected to start shooting in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Seoul-based production and sales company Mirovision has optioned the Korean-language remake rights to French thriller The Big Picture from EuropaCorp.
The original movie is based on Douglas Kennedy’s novel of the same name, which has been the top-selling English novel in South Korea since its publication ten years ago.
Directed by Eric Lartigau in 2010, the EuropaCorp movie based on the book starred Romain Duris, Marina Fois and Catherine Deneuve. The story follows a successful Parisian lawyer who murders his wife’s lover in a jealous rage, then assumes his identity.
The Korean remake is currently being scripted and is expected to start shooting in the fourth quarter of 2018. Mirovision previously produced Im Sang-soo’s The Housemaid (2010), which played in competition at Cannes.
Seoul-based production and sales company Mirovision has optioned the Korean-language remake rights to French thriller The Big Picture from EuropaCorp.
The original movie is based on Douglas Kennedy’s novel of the same name, which has been the top-selling English novel in South Korea since its publication ten years ago.
Directed by Eric Lartigau in 2010, the EuropaCorp movie based on the book starred Romain Duris, Marina Fois and Catherine Deneuve. The story follows a successful Parisian lawyer who murders his wife’s lover in a jealous rage, then assumes his identity.
The Korean remake is currently being scripted and is expected to start shooting in the fourth quarter of 2018. Mirovision previously produced Im Sang-soo’s The Housemaid (2010), which played in competition at Cannes.
- 6/19/2017
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
The Asian Cinema 100 list was released last year at the Biff (Busan International Film Festival), which marked its 20th anniversary with a poll of prominent Asian filmmakers and international critics of Asian film, who were all asked for their top ten of all time.
Japan accounted for 26 films on the list, followed by Iran (19) and Korea (15).
The 15 Korean films are listed below in rank order: Did your favorite make the cut?
1. The Housemaid (1960), joint #10
Directed by Kim Ki-Young, The 1960 version of the erotic thriller The Housemaid is widely considered to be one of the best Korean films of all time.
Featuring a powerful femme fatale character, it was remade in 2010 by Im Sang-Soo.
2. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring (2003), joint #12
“The tranquil beauty of a Korean Buddhist monastery is no match for human cruelty in the stunning Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring.” — New York Magazine.
Directed by Kim Ki-Duk,...
Japan accounted for 26 films on the list, followed by Iran (19) and Korea (15).
The 15 Korean films are listed below in rank order: Did your favorite make the cut?
1. The Housemaid (1960), joint #10
Directed by Kim Ki-Young, The 1960 version of the erotic thriller The Housemaid is widely considered to be one of the best Korean films of all time.
Featuring a powerful femme fatale character, it was remade in 2010 by Im Sang-Soo.
2. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring (2003), joint #12
“The tranquil beauty of a Korean Buddhist monastery is no match for human cruelty in the stunning Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring.” — New York Magazine.
Directed by Kim Ki-Duk,...
- 4/24/2016
- by Lady Jane
- AsianMoviePulse
Rio, I Love You is the third in the “Cities of Love” series begun with “Paris, Je T’Aime” (“Paris, I Love You”), which bring together famous directors and stars to create a series of little romantic stories around one city. The city getting the love-letter this time is Rio, home of the upcoming Olympics. However, despite its impressive list of directors, there is little to impress in “Rio, I Love You.”
Rio, I Love You boasts a more impressive line up of directors that the last one, “New York, I Love You,” but nonetheless continues the series decline in quality from the first one. Directors include Paolo Sorrentino (“Youth”), Fernando Meirelles (“City of God”), and Sang-Soo Im (“The Housemaid”), among others, but none of them shine in this mixed-up film. Rather than having the stories start and end clearly, as in the first two films, several stories make false...
Rio, I Love You boasts a more impressive line up of directors that the last one, “New York, I Love You,” but nonetheless continues the series decline in quality from the first one. Directors include Paolo Sorrentino (“Youth”), Fernando Meirelles (“City of God”), and Sang-Soo Im (“The Housemaid”), among others, but none of them shine in this mixed-up film. Rather than having the stories start and end clearly, as in the first two films, several stories make false...
- 4/15/2016
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
You probably know how these [City], I Love You films work: a collection of directors — and some very prestigious ones, at that — create short films that are set in and, perhaps in some way, defined by the area in question. This is a great idea that most would say has never exactly taken off, considering the tepid reception afforded Paris, je t’aime and New York, I Love You, as well as the absolute lack of attention paid to Tbilisi, I Love You. For better or for worse, there’s now Rio, I Love You, which collects the likes of Paolo Sorrentino, José Padilha, Fernando Meirelles, Guillermo Arriaga, and John Turturro to direct, among others, Harvey Keitel, Emily Mortimer, Vincent Cassel, Jason Isaacs, and Turturro himself.
The latest trailer — which arrives more than 18 months after an initial pair and the film’s premiere — is more promising, if only because it displays...
The latest trailer — which arrives more than 18 months after an initial pair and the film’s premiere — is more promising, if only because it displays...
- 3/1/2016
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
The concept is a good one: gather up some top shelf filmmakers and have them create an omnibus of shorts centered around a particular city. Previously we've seen "Paris, je t'Aime" and "New York, I Love You," and as it goes with the format, some segments are always better than others. Now the focus goes to Brazil for "Rio, I Love You," and the first trailer has arrived. Read More: Interview: Paolo Sorrentino Talks 'Youth,' The Happiest Moment Of Filmmaking, Michael Caine, Sun Kill Moon & More Filmmakers Guillermo Arriaga, Stephan Elliott, Im Sang-soo, Nadine Labaki, Fernando Meirelles, José Padilha, Carlos Saldanha, Paolo Sorrentino, John Turturro and Andrucha Waddington have each crafted shorts taking place in the lively city, and Emily Mortimer, Rodrigo Santoro, Harvey Keitel, Vincent Cassell, Jason Isaacs, Ryan Kwanten and Fernanda Montenegro appear in the...
- 3/1/2016
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Plus: Screen Media picks up Rio, I Love You; Lionsgate to adapt Magic Tree House children’s books; and more…
Bleecker Street will open Matt Ross’ recent Sundance world premiere starring Viggo Mortensen via theatrical roll-out on July 8. Lynette Howell, Jamie Patricof, Shivani Rawat, and Monica Levinson produced the story of an eccentric father to a clan of children in the Pacific Northwest.
Screen Media Films has acquired Us rights from WestEnd Films for the collaborative film Rio, I Love You, the third in the Cities Of Love trilogy featuring Paris Je t’Aime and New York I Love You. Rio, I Love You features ten short stories and their respective transitions of love in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Andrucha Waddington, Paolo Sorrentino, Fernando Meirelles, Stephan Elliott, John Turturro, Guillermo Arriaga, Sang-soo Im, Carlos Saldanha, Jose Padilha, Nadine Labaki, and Vicente Amorim direct a cast that includes Fernanda Montenegro, Emily Mortimer, and Vincent Cassel...
Bleecker Street will open Matt Ross’ recent Sundance world premiere starring Viggo Mortensen via theatrical roll-out on July 8. Lynette Howell, Jamie Patricof, Shivani Rawat, and Monica Levinson produced the story of an eccentric father to a clan of children in the Pacific Northwest.
Screen Media Films has acquired Us rights from WestEnd Films for the collaborative film Rio, I Love You, the third in the Cities Of Love trilogy featuring Paris Je t’Aime and New York I Love You. Rio, I Love You features ten short stories and their respective transitions of love in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Andrucha Waddington, Paolo Sorrentino, Fernando Meirelles, Stephan Elliott, John Turturro, Guillermo Arriaga, Sang-soo Im, Carlos Saldanha, Jose Padilha, Nadine Labaki, and Vicente Amorim direct a cast that includes Fernanda Montenegro, Emily Mortimer, and Vincent Cassel...
- 2/4/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Hunt Even though it played the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, I didn't see Thomas Vinterberg's The Hunt until this year and it is a contender for my year end top ten. In my review I said it's "an emotional drama" that's "every bit a thriller that will have you pounding your fists in rage, both at the situation as depicted on the screen as well as in some of Vinterberg's more frustrating storytelling decisions." It's not an all out perfect film, but it is undeniably great and worth the watch.
Fast & Furious 6 The Fast & Furious franchise continues and with it comes an extended version of Fast & Furious 6 as well as a preview of Fast & Furious 7, or at least what it was going to be depending on whether or not they move forward with the film in the same capacity as originally planned before the untimely death of Paul Walker.
Fast & Furious 6 The Fast & Furious franchise continues and with it comes an extended version of Fast & Furious 6 as well as a preview of Fast & Furious 7, or at least what it was going to be depending on whether or not they move forward with the film in the same capacity as originally planned before the untimely death of Paul Walker.
- 12/10/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Twelve Tamil films will vie for the top awards – Best Feature Film – Producer, Director; Second Best Feature Film – Producer, Director and Special Jury Award for Individual Excellence at the 10th Chennai International Film Festival. The competition section is open only for Tamil films. The festival will run from 13th to 20th December, 2012.
Line up of films in competition:
Aravan by National Award winner Vasanthabalan based on Su. Venkatesan’s novel‘Kaaval Kottam’.
Marina by Pandiraj is a look at the lives of people for whom, Marina beach is practically their home. Pandiraj won the Silver Lotus Award at National Film Awards 2010 for Pasanga (2009).
Mupozhuthum Un Karpanayil by Elred Kumar.
Arrohanam directed by actress-turned-director Lakshmy Ramakrishnan. The film revolves around a missing mother, who suffers from bipolar disorder.
Attakathi a romantic comedy film is directed by Pa. Ranjith.
Mounaguru directed by Santha Kumar. Mounaguru is the story of a misunderstood college...
Line up of films in competition:
Aravan by National Award winner Vasanthabalan based on Su. Venkatesan’s novel‘Kaaval Kottam’.
Marina by Pandiraj is a look at the lives of people for whom, Marina beach is practically their home. Pandiraj won the Silver Lotus Award at National Film Awards 2010 for Pasanga (2009).
Mupozhuthum Un Karpanayil by Elred Kumar.
Arrohanam directed by actress-turned-director Lakshmy Ramakrishnan. The film revolves around a missing mother, who suffers from bipolar disorder.
Attakathi a romantic comedy film is directed by Pa. Ranjith.
Mounaguru directed by Santha Kumar. Mounaguru is the story of a misunderstood college...
- 12/10/2012
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
The 17th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (Iffk) has announced its lineup. The festival will run from 7th to 14th December, 2012 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Some of the highlights of the lineup are festival favourites of the year Amour, Chitrangada, Samhita, The Sapphires, Drapchi, Miss Lovely, Me and You, Celluloid Man, and Baandhon.
Fourteen films will screen in the Competition section while seven contemporary films will be screened in “Indian Cinema Now” section.
Complete list of films:
Competition Films
Fourteen feature films from Asia, Africa and Latin America will compete for the coveted “Suvarna Chakoram” (Golden Crow Pheasant) and other awards.
Always Brando by Ridha Behi (Tunisia)
Inheritors of the Earth by T V Chandran (India)
A Terminal Trust by by Masayuki Suo (Japan)
Shutter by Joy Mathew (India)
Today by Alain Gomis (Senegal-France)
The Repentant by Merzak Allouache (Algeria)
Sta. Niña by Manny Palo (Philippines)
Present Tense...
Some of the highlights of the lineup are festival favourites of the year Amour, Chitrangada, Samhita, The Sapphires, Drapchi, Miss Lovely, Me and You, Celluloid Man, and Baandhon.
Fourteen films will screen in the Competition section while seven contemporary films will be screened in “Indian Cinema Now” section.
Complete list of films:
Competition Films
Fourteen feature films from Asia, Africa and Latin America will compete for the coveted “Suvarna Chakoram” (Golden Crow Pheasant) and other awards.
Always Brando by Ridha Behi (Tunisia)
Inheritors of the Earth by T V Chandran (India)
A Terminal Trust by by Masayuki Suo (Japan)
Shutter by Joy Mathew (India)
Today by Alain Gomis (Senegal-France)
The Repentant by Merzak Allouache (Algeria)
Sta. Niña by Manny Palo (Philippines)
Present Tense...
- 11/2/2012
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
The official juries for the 65th Festival del film Locarno have been appointed. The jury for the International Competition will include the American screenwriter, producer and director Roger Avary (Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, 1994; The Laws of Attraction, 2002), Seoul filmmaker Sang-soo Im (A Good Lawyer’s Wife, 2003; The Housemaid, 2010), French director, screenwriter and actress Noémie Lvovsky (La vie ne me fait pas peur, Silver Leopard “Youth Cinema” at Locarno in 1999; Camille redouble, 2012; Benoît Jacquot’s Farewell, My Queen, 2012) and London-based Swiss curator and writer Hans Ulrich Obrist, co-director of the Serpentine Gallery in London since 2006.
The jury president will be Thai filmmaker, screenwriter and producer Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Palme d’or at Cannes in 2010 for Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall his Past Lives). Around twenty feature films will screen in competition.
The president of the jury for the ‘Filmmakers of the Present’ Competition will be the director from Chad Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (Saison sèche,...
The jury president will be Thai filmmaker, screenwriter and producer Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Palme d’or at Cannes in 2010 for Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall his Past Lives). Around twenty feature films will screen in competition.
The president of the jury for the ‘Filmmakers of the Present’ Competition will be the director from Chad Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (Saison sèche,...
- 6/28/2012
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
France's foremost newspaper, Le Monde, published an interesting article entitled Les internautes soulignent un conflit d'interets pour Nanni Moretti, or The Web Surfers Underline a Conflict of Interests for Nanni Moretti about the possible confict of interest between the President of the Jury of the Cannes Film Festival, Nanni Moretti, and the prizewinners. When someone gave me a "tip" ahead of the awards, saying that Moretti's companies, Sacher Films and Sacher Distribuzione, were named after his favorite food, the Austrian Sacher Torte, I took it as a joke. But truth be told, Austrian Michael Haneke's winning film, Amour, was truly great, a deeply moving and inevitably sad story told with more light than I've ever seen in a Haneke film (and I have seen most of them). The redemptive power of love is surrounded with a golden halo giving greater space and more breathing room for inner contemplation than any scene in last year's Palme d'Or winner, The Tree of Life whose message (I think) was the same.
With a jury of four women out of eight members, it's a shame that among the 22 films in Competition, there was not a film by a woman to be seen. If this is a concern to you, as it is to the majority of women in the film business that I've spoken with and to many men as well, you can sign a petition to register your concerns here. You can also read and see the opening comments of the jury here.
I have translated the Le Monde article by Aureliano Tonet here:
The Web Surfers Underline a Conflict of Interests for Nanni Moretti
Every year, as soon as the Cannes awards are announced, scrutinizers of the Festival of Cannes experience heartfelt joy on social networks as they tear apart or vilify the oracle rendered by the jury. This year, the Palm d’Or winner, Michael Haneke for Love, hardly suffered from dispute. Over the internet, criticisms concentrated on the remainder of the prizes allotted on Sunday May 27. Four of six films awarded by the jury chaired by Nanni Moretti are indeed coproductions and/or distributed by the same company, Le Pacte. This includes Reality (Isa: Fandango Portobello) of Matteo Garrone (Grand Prix), The Angels' Share (Isa: Wild Bunch) of Ken Loach (Jury Prize), Post Tenebras Lux (Isa: Mantarraya) of Carlos Reygadas (Best Director), and Beyond the Hills (Isa: Wild Bunch) of Cristian Mungiu (Best Actress Prize and Best Screenplay). In addition, Le Pacte has coproduced the last film of Nanni Moretti, Habemus papam (Isa: Fandango Portobello), that it also distributed in the French cinemas. This company is run by the Jean Labadie, ex-owner of Bac Films. Prior to the founding of Le Pacte in 2008, Bac Films was the historical distributor of films of Nanni Moretti in France. In addition, Le Pacte presented a fifth feature film on the 22nd May which also counted in the official competition, The Taste of the Money (Isa: Daisy and Cynergy Entertainment in So. Korea) of Sang-Soo Im, snubbed by the jury. Contrary to Holy Motors (Isa: Wild Bunch) of Leos Carax, or Rust and Bone (Isa: Flanders Image) of Jacques Audiard, which came out empty-handed, The Angels’ Share and especially Post Tenebras Lux received a very mixed reception on the part of the international press.
It is not the first time that a suspicion of a conflict of interest sullies the decision with a Cannes jury. In 2004, Quentin Tarantino had offered the Palm d’Or to Fahrenheit 9/11 of Michael Moore and both worked with the same producers, Bob and Harvey Weinstein. Five years later, in 2009, Isabelle Huppert had presided over the jury which awarded The White Ribbon of Michael Haneke, who had directed her on several occasions.
In addition to Nanni Moretti, the jury of the Festival of Cannes this year included Hiam Abbas ♀, Andrea Arnold ♀, Emmanuelle Devos ♀, Jean Paul Gaultier, Diane Kruger ♀, Ewan McGregor, Alexander Payne and Raoul Peck.
Aureliano Tonet...
With a jury of four women out of eight members, it's a shame that among the 22 films in Competition, there was not a film by a woman to be seen. If this is a concern to you, as it is to the majority of women in the film business that I've spoken with and to many men as well, you can sign a petition to register your concerns here. You can also read and see the opening comments of the jury here.
I have translated the Le Monde article by Aureliano Tonet here:
The Web Surfers Underline a Conflict of Interests for Nanni Moretti
Every year, as soon as the Cannes awards are announced, scrutinizers of the Festival of Cannes experience heartfelt joy on social networks as they tear apart or vilify the oracle rendered by the jury. This year, the Palm d’Or winner, Michael Haneke for Love, hardly suffered from dispute. Over the internet, criticisms concentrated on the remainder of the prizes allotted on Sunday May 27. Four of six films awarded by the jury chaired by Nanni Moretti are indeed coproductions and/or distributed by the same company, Le Pacte. This includes Reality (Isa: Fandango Portobello) of Matteo Garrone (Grand Prix), The Angels' Share (Isa: Wild Bunch) of Ken Loach (Jury Prize), Post Tenebras Lux (Isa: Mantarraya) of Carlos Reygadas (Best Director), and Beyond the Hills (Isa: Wild Bunch) of Cristian Mungiu (Best Actress Prize and Best Screenplay). In addition, Le Pacte has coproduced the last film of Nanni Moretti, Habemus papam (Isa: Fandango Portobello), that it also distributed in the French cinemas. This company is run by the Jean Labadie, ex-owner of Bac Films. Prior to the founding of Le Pacte in 2008, Bac Films was the historical distributor of films of Nanni Moretti in France. In addition, Le Pacte presented a fifth feature film on the 22nd May which also counted in the official competition, The Taste of the Money (Isa: Daisy and Cynergy Entertainment in So. Korea) of Sang-Soo Im, snubbed by the jury. Contrary to Holy Motors (Isa: Wild Bunch) of Leos Carax, or Rust and Bone (Isa: Flanders Image) of Jacques Audiard, which came out empty-handed, The Angels’ Share and especially Post Tenebras Lux received a very mixed reception on the part of the international press.
It is not the first time that a suspicion of a conflict of interest sullies the decision with a Cannes jury. In 2004, Quentin Tarantino had offered the Palm d’Or to Fahrenheit 9/11 of Michael Moore and both worked with the same producers, Bob and Harvey Weinstein. Five years later, in 2009, Isabelle Huppert had presided over the jury which awarded The White Ribbon of Michael Haneke, who had directed her on several occasions.
In addition to Nanni Moretti, the jury of the Festival of Cannes this year included Hiam Abbas ♀, Andrea Arnold ♀, Emmanuelle Devos ♀, Jean Paul Gaultier, Diane Kruger ♀, Ewan McGregor, Alexander Payne and Raoul Peck.
Aureliano Tonet...
- 6/5/2012
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The Taste of Money Trailer, Do-nui mat Trailer. Sang-soo Im‘s The Taste of Money / Do-nui mat (2012) movie trailer stars Yun-shik Baek, Hyo-jin Kim, Kang-woo Kim, Ju-wan On, and Maui Taylor. The Taste of Money‘s plot synopsis: “Young-jak , who is a private secretary of madam Paik, the center power of Korean conglomerate, witnesses immoral private issues of her [...]
Continue reading: The Taste Of Money / Do-nui Mat (2012) Movie Trailer: Sang-soo Im...
Continue reading: The Taste Of Money / Do-nui Mat (2012) Movie Trailer: Sang-soo Im...
- 5/11/2012
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
Looking at the Cannes Film Festival Competition titles, the top international sales agents are Wild Bunch with with 3 films: The Angel’s Share by Ken Loach, Beyond the Hills by Cristian Mungiu and Holy Motors by Leos Carax. Wild Bunch actually has 12 films in all the festival sections including Critic's Week and not yet counting Director's Fortnight. MK2 follows with 3 in Competition: After the Battle by Yousry Nasrallah, Like Someone in Love by Abbas Kiarostami, On the Road by Walter Salles and 4 in all sections. FilmNation follows with 2 in Compeitition: Lawless by John Hillcoat and Mud by Jeff Nichols.
U.S. has 5 indies in Competition. Wes Anderson’s opening film Moonrise Kingdom (Isa: Focus), Jeff Nichols’ Mud (Isa: FilmNation), Lee Daniels' The Paperboy (Isa: Nu Image/ Millenium), whose last feature Precious screened in Un Certain Regard in 2009, New Zealand director Andrew Dominik’s Killing Them Softly, Australia-born John Hillcoat’s Lawless (formerly titled The Wettest County). If you add Philip Kaufman's Hemingway and Gellhorn (HBO TV) which is out of competition, U.S. has 6.
Thierry Fremaux says, “What I also think is interesting is that none of these films are shot in New York or Los Angeles but rather in the South… they show another America.”
Latin America is represented by Mexico's favorite arthouse director (in Europe at least) Carlos Reygadas and his Post Tenebras Lux. Brazil's Walter Salles has made a French Brazilian English language film of American icon Jack Kerouac (On the Road) which might count on the Latin America scorecard. So. Korea has two films: The Taste of Money by Sang-Soo Im and In Another Country by Sang Soo Hong. No women are represented.
Late Addition (April 30): 1 Female Director Added Out of Competition: Candida Brady whose documentary Trashed (U.K.) has no international representation. That Makes 2 films without international sales representation. Midnight Screenings include The Sapphires by Wayne Blair (Australia), Maniac by Franck Khalfoun (U.S.) (Isa: Wild Bunch) Making 7 U.S. films.
Looking at Un Certain Regard sidebar of the Cannes Film Festival, 17 films hold a berth. 2 female directors are included: French Catherine Corsini of Trois Mondes and French Sylvie Verheyde of Confessions of a Child of the Century. Latin American films include La Playa the debut of Juan Andrés Arango (Brazil, Colombia, France), Después de Lucia by Michel Franco (France, Mexico), Elefante Blanco of Pablo Trapero (Argentina, France and Spain), A Musica Segundo Tom Jobim by Nelson Pereira Dos Santos (Brazil), Villegas by Gonzalo Tobal (Argentina, France, Netherlands).and if you can count the French production 7 Dias en la Habana by directors Benicio del Toro, Pablo Trapero, Julio Medem, Elia Suleiman, Juan Carlos Tabio, Gaspar Noé, Laurent Cantet, that will make a total of 6. 2 American indies are Beasts of the Southern Wild by Benh Zeitlin and The Central Park Five by directors Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David Mcmahon. Late Additions (April 30): Djeca – Children of Sarajevo by Aida Bejic ♀ (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Germany, France, Turkey) Makes 3 female directors, and Gimme the Loot by Adam Leon (U.S.) Makes 3 U.S. indies. Closing night film will be Renoir by Gilles Bourdo (France) (Isa: Wild Bunch)
Looking at the Critic's Week, there are no women in Competition. All 7 Competition films are debuts by males. Two French female directors have films in Special Screenings by themselves in their own exclusive ghetto. Sandrine Bonnaire's second feature (but first fiction feature) J'enrage a son absence (I am Enraged by His Absence) (Isa: Films Distribution), and Alice Winocour's debut Augustine. 2 films are from Latin America: Argentinian Los Salvages (The Wild Ones) and Mexican-Spanish-u.S. coproduction Aqui y Alla. That is the only U.S. film. The sales agent with the most (2) films is Films Boutique. 4 Films have no international sales agents.
Looking at Directors Fortnight, Latin American films take the center stage in honor of the recently deceased Chilean director Raoul Ruiz. His most recent film The Night in Front (La Noche en Frente) will be premiered in a special tribute session.
"We have seen many good films from Latin America," said Fortnight artistic director Edouard Waintrop when introducing the 2012 selection to press in Paris. One of four scheduled debates will focus on Latin American cinema, with Waintrop saying this year's selection was "more sensitive to Latin American cinema than Asian [films]."
Of the 7 Latino films to make the list, two are Chilean -- Ruiz's The Night in Front and Pablo Larrain's No, a Chilean-American film starring Gael Garcia Bernal. The other five come from Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia with 3 films La Playa, La Sirga (both by Burning Blue Productions! ♀) and a short film Jonathan Ceballos' short The Children of the Clouds (Los Ahijiados de las Nubes).
Films from South Korea, China, India, Algeria and Iran, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg are also included in the selection. The United States was involved in the production of three of this year's movies, including Michael Gondry's The We and I, which opens the event.
Noemi Livovsky (Camille Rewinds from France) is one of two women directors! The second which makes hr the 4th in all Cannes Festivals is also the only non-French one. Yulene Olaizola (Fogo) is from Mexico.
For the Rights Roundup, you can begin watching sales of titles in Cannes here, organized by international sales agent. There will be daily updates throughout Cannes. It's interesting to see that sales on several Competition titles have already been made as presales.
Winners of the International Sales Agent with the Most Films in The Different Cannes Selections:
1st Place: Wild Bunch with 12
2nd Place: Pyramide with 5
3rd Place: MK2 with 3 which it also co-produced.
Honorable Mention: FilmNation with 2.
U.S. has 5 indies in Competition. Wes Anderson’s opening film Moonrise Kingdom (Isa: Focus), Jeff Nichols’ Mud (Isa: FilmNation), Lee Daniels' The Paperboy (Isa: Nu Image/ Millenium), whose last feature Precious screened in Un Certain Regard in 2009, New Zealand director Andrew Dominik’s Killing Them Softly, Australia-born John Hillcoat’s Lawless (formerly titled The Wettest County). If you add Philip Kaufman's Hemingway and Gellhorn (HBO TV) which is out of competition, U.S. has 6.
Thierry Fremaux says, “What I also think is interesting is that none of these films are shot in New York or Los Angeles but rather in the South… they show another America.”
Latin America is represented by Mexico's favorite arthouse director (in Europe at least) Carlos Reygadas and his Post Tenebras Lux. Brazil's Walter Salles has made a French Brazilian English language film of American icon Jack Kerouac (On the Road) which might count on the Latin America scorecard. So. Korea has two films: The Taste of Money by Sang-Soo Im and In Another Country by Sang Soo Hong. No women are represented.
Late Addition (April 30): 1 Female Director Added Out of Competition: Candida Brady whose documentary Trashed (U.K.) has no international representation. That Makes 2 films without international sales representation. Midnight Screenings include The Sapphires by Wayne Blair (Australia), Maniac by Franck Khalfoun (U.S.) (Isa: Wild Bunch) Making 7 U.S. films.
Looking at Un Certain Regard sidebar of the Cannes Film Festival, 17 films hold a berth. 2 female directors are included: French Catherine Corsini of Trois Mondes and French Sylvie Verheyde of Confessions of a Child of the Century. Latin American films include La Playa the debut of Juan Andrés Arango (Brazil, Colombia, France), Después de Lucia by Michel Franco (France, Mexico), Elefante Blanco of Pablo Trapero (Argentina, France and Spain), A Musica Segundo Tom Jobim by Nelson Pereira Dos Santos (Brazil), Villegas by Gonzalo Tobal (Argentina, France, Netherlands).and if you can count the French production 7 Dias en la Habana by directors Benicio del Toro, Pablo Trapero, Julio Medem, Elia Suleiman, Juan Carlos Tabio, Gaspar Noé, Laurent Cantet, that will make a total of 6. 2 American indies are Beasts of the Southern Wild by Benh Zeitlin and The Central Park Five by directors Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David Mcmahon. Late Additions (April 30): Djeca – Children of Sarajevo by Aida Bejic ♀ (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Germany, France, Turkey) Makes 3 female directors, and Gimme the Loot by Adam Leon (U.S.) Makes 3 U.S. indies. Closing night film will be Renoir by Gilles Bourdo (France) (Isa: Wild Bunch)
Looking at the Critic's Week, there are no women in Competition. All 7 Competition films are debuts by males. Two French female directors have films in Special Screenings by themselves in their own exclusive ghetto. Sandrine Bonnaire's second feature (but first fiction feature) J'enrage a son absence (I am Enraged by His Absence) (Isa: Films Distribution), and Alice Winocour's debut Augustine. 2 films are from Latin America: Argentinian Los Salvages (The Wild Ones) and Mexican-Spanish-u.S. coproduction Aqui y Alla. That is the only U.S. film. The sales agent with the most (2) films is Films Boutique. 4 Films have no international sales agents.
Looking at Directors Fortnight, Latin American films take the center stage in honor of the recently deceased Chilean director Raoul Ruiz. His most recent film The Night in Front (La Noche en Frente) will be premiered in a special tribute session.
"We have seen many good films from Latin America," said Fortnight artistic director Edouard Waintrop when introducing the 2012 selection to press in Paris. One of four scheduled debates will focus on Latin American cinema, with Waintrop saying this year's selection was "more sensitive to Latin American cinema than Asian [films]."
Of the 7 Latino films to make the list, two are Chilean -- Ruiz's The Night in Front and Pablo Larrain's No, a Chilean-American film starring Gael Garcia Bernal. The other five come from Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia with 3 films La Playa, La Sirga (both by Burning Blue Productions! ♀) and a short film Jonathan Ceballos' short The Children of the Clouds (Los Ahijiados de las Nubes).
Films from South Korea, China, India, Algeria and Iran, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg are also included in the selection. The United States was involved in the production of three of this year's movies, including Michael Gondry's The We and I, which opens the event.
Noemi Livovsky (Camille Rewinds from France) is one of two women directors! The second which makes hr the 4th in all Cannes Festivals is also the only non-French one. Yulene Olaizola (Fogo) is from Mexico.
For the Rights Roundup, you can begin watching sales of titles in Cannes here, organized by international sales agent. There will be daily updates throughout Cannes. It's interesting to see that sales on several Competition titles have already been made as presales.
Winners of the International Sales Agent with the Most Films in The Different Cannes Selections:
1st Place: Wild Bunch with 12
2nd Place: Pyramide with 5
3rd Place: MK2 with 3 which it also co-produced.
Honorable Mention: FilmNation with 2.
- 5/10/2012
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
“The Housemaid” or “Hanyo” is a 2010 South Korean erotic thriller directed by Sang-Soo Im and is a remake of the 1960 classic by the same name, that one directed by the late Ki-Young Kim (1919–1998).
It opens with a very distinct shot of a woman dressed in black perched on the edge of a balcony, overlooking the bustling street market below. In obvious distress, she takes one last look before leaping to a certain death.
Having lost the family housemaid, Byung-Sik (Yeo-Jong Yun) hires the young and beautiful Eun-Yi Li (Do-Yeon Jeon) as a replacement. Her duties will include watching over the pregnant Hae-Ra (Seo Woo), becoming a friend and confidant to elementary student Nami (Seo-Hyeon Ahn) and keeping Hoon Goh’s (Jung-Jae Lee) household in order. And thus, she is offered a place to stay within their manor-esque residence.
Unfortunately, Hoon is a hard man to please and as he...
It opens with a very distinct shot of a woman dressed in black perched on the edge of a balcony, overlooking the bustling street market below. In obvious distress, she takes one last look before leaping to a certain death.
Having lost the family housemaid, Byung-Sik (Yeo-Jong Yun) hires the young and beautiful Eun-Yi Li (Do-Yeon Jeon) as a replacement. Her duties will include watching over the pregnant Hae-Ra (Seo Woo), becoming a friend and confidant to elementary student Nami (Seo-Hyeon Ahn) and keeping Hoon Goh’s (Jung-Jae Lee) household in order. And thus, she is offered a place to stay within their manor-esque residence.
Unfortunately, Hoon is a hard man to please and as he...
- 11/4/2011
- by The0racle
- AsianMoviePulse
Senna; Point Blank; The Housemaid; Chalet Girl
The very best documentaries should not only inform and entertain viewers with a working knowledge of their areas of scrutiny but also engage the interest and emotions of those who know little (and perhaps care even less) about the subjects. Recent homegrown examples include Julien Temple's brilliant Oil City Confidential, which proved a satisfying and thoroughly cinematic experience for non-aficionados of Dr Feelgood's brand of "Thames Delta blues"; and TT3D, which found in Guy Martin a voluble mouthpiece for the madness of the Isle of Man motorbike races that almost every year claim lives.
Equally remarkable is the emotional conjuring trick performed by director Asif Kapadia with Senna (2010, Universal, 12), which delves into the world of Formula One racing, arguably the most elitist, non-inclusive sport in the world. In a crucial and telling moment, the film's eponymous enigma reveals a longing...
The very best documentaries should not only inform and entertain viewers with a working knowledge of their areas of scrutiny but also engage the interest and emotions of those who know little (and perhaps care even less) about the subjects. Recent homegrown examples include Julien Temple's brilliant Oil City Confidential, which proved a satisfying and thoroughly cinematic experience for non-aficionados of Dr Feelgood's brand of "Thames Delta blues"; and TT3D, which found in Guy Martin a voluble mouthpiece for the madness of the Isle of Man motorbike races that almost every year claim lives.
Equally remarkable is the emotional conjuring trick performed by director Asif Kapadia with Senna (2010, Universal, 12), which delves into the world of Formula One racing, arguably the most elitist, non-inclusive sport in the world. In a crucial and telling moment, the film's eponymous enigma reveals a longing...
- 10/1/2011
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
Since I’m heading down to Austin for Fantastic Fest in less than a week, I thought I would write up a post with some of my recommendations from last year’s festival. Bonus-Fantastic Fest announced over the weekend that it has opened up an official shop on iTunes, making it even easier to access some of the best offerings from past festivals. The new shop features selections from 2005-2010, and you can rent or buy the titles. Film offerings include Sin City, Wolf Creek, Bug, The Host, Pan’s Labyrinth, There Will Be Blood, Trick ‘R Treat, The Human Centipede, 13 Assassins, Monsters and many more. Visit the Fantastic Fest iTunes page to browse the full selection. Many of the films from last year’s festival are also now available via Netflix or DVD, so you can watch them now. Keep in mind that most of these are very low budget,...
- 9/19/2011
- by Shannon
- FilmJunk
Korean director Sang-soo Im’s The Housemaid, a delightfully tawdry and sensational account of class struggle and sexual misconduct in a rich household (as well as a remake of the 1960 feautre of the same name), first made waves at last year’s Cannes, where it competed for the Palme D’Or. Resident melodrama specialist Justine Smith joins Simon Howell to try and make sense of this insane fable.
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- 5/5/2011
- by Simon Howell
- SoundOnSight
Welcome to the first edition of my new weekly column, where I'll try to shed some light on some lesser-known alternatives to the big movies that are opening in theaters today. Each Friday I'll pick three movies that are available in a variety of outlets that should offer options for movie lovers working under any budget.
I love a trip to the multiplex just as much as the next person, but let's face it, there are plenty of weekends throughout the year when the only new options are (for example) The Roommate and Sanctum -- especially if you've already seen all the Oscar contenders and a Cedar Rapids isn't playing in your area yet. So here are my picks for this weekend:
Cold Weather I first saw Cold Weather in October, where it was my favorite of the dozen or so films I saw at the Chicago International Film Festival.
I love a trip to the multiplex just as much as the next person, but let's face it, there are plenty of weekends throughout the year when the only new options are (for example) The Roommate and Sanctum -- especially if you've already seen all the Oscar contenders and a Cedar Rapids isn't playing in your area yet. So here are my picks for this weekend:
Cold Weather I first saw Cold Weather in October, where it was my favorite of the dozen or so films I saw at the Chicago International Film Festival.
- 2/11/2011
- by Kevin Blumeyer
- Rope of Silicon
Accepting the caveat that we get only the really, really good stuff on our shores, it's hard not to feel like the foreign film market is just doing it better. Anything remotely horrifying or dramatic, Australia and the Asian markets have just been knocking it out of the fucking park. Almost every Korean film I've seen over the last few years has been devastatingly good. Sang-soo Im's The Housemaid is no exception. If you want to see a great example in the vein of Bunuel of the excesses of the upper class, you need look no further than this film. It's an exceedingly well-trod and simple plot: a wealthy executive begins nailing the new nanny and the rest of the family reacts with scheming and manipulation. However, this reaction takes on Machiavellian levels of awfulness. It's like a page plucked straight from the Borgia playbook -- even scrawled with...
- 1/20/2011
- by Brian Prisco
A Korean city square is bustling. Folks window shop, eat out, and party in lavish apartments. Restaurant workers bust their ass to meet the demand, taking shots in-between flipping whatever's on the grill. A young woman stands on a balcony, gazing at the crowds before ending her life with a fall. Some stop to look, some debate whether they should go closer, few seek help. Eun-yi (Do-yeon Jeon from the terrific "Secret Sunshine") rides by the scene after a hard night of work, finding empty streets and a vague chalk outline on the pavement. Director Sang-soo Im firmly stamps his…...
- 1/19/2011
- The Playlist
IFC Films, via Apple, have released the official theatrical trailer for The Housemaid.
Directed by Sang-soo Im, the South Korean erotic thriller stars Sang-soo Im he Housemaid stars Do-yeon Jeon, Jung-Jae Lee, Seo-Hyeon Ahn, Seo Woo and Yeo-Jong Yun.
The Housemaid will open in the Us on January 21. You can read our review here.
Eun-yi (Do-yeon Jeon) is hired as a nanny in an impossibly lavish mansion by businessman Hoon (Jung-Jae Lee) and his very pregnant wife, Hae-ra (Seo Woo). When Hoon callously seduces the young maid, she becomes the unwitting victim in a battle of wills between him and the scheming women of the house-Hae-ra, her villainous mother, and their seemingly loyal but increasingly bitter housekeeper. Intensely erotic and fiendishly entertaining, The Housemaid builds to an unforgettable climax as Eun-yi tries to maintain her cunning to protect her sanity-and her life-from the ruthless vipers around her.
Directed by Sang-soo Im, the South Korean erotic thriller stars Sang-soo Im he Housemaid stars Do-yeon Jeon, Jung-Jae Lee, Seo-Hyeon Ahn, Seo Woo and Yeo-Jong Yun.
The Housemaid will open in the Us on January 21. You can read our review here.
Eun-yi (Do-yeon Jeon) is hired as a nanny in an impossibly lavish mansion by businessman Hoon (Jung-Jae Lee) and his very pregnant wife, Hae-ra (Seo Woo). When Hoon callously seduces the young maid, she becomes the unwitting victim in a battle of wills between him and the scheming women of the house-Hae-ra, her villainous mother, and their seemingly loyal but increasingly bitter housekeeper. Intensely erotic and fiendishly entertaining, The Housemaid builds to an unforgettable climax as Eun-yi tries to maintain her cunning to protect her sanity-and her life-from the ruthless vipers around her.
- 1/13/2011
- by Jamie Neish
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
IFC Films, via Moviefone, have released the official theatrical poster for the South Korean erotic thriller The Housemaid.
Directed by Sang-soo Im, The Housemaid stars Do-yeon Jeon, Jung-Jae Lee, Seo-Hyeon Ahn, Seo Woo and Yeo-Jong Yun.
The Housemaid premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last May to mainly positive reviews and will open in Us cinemas on January 21.
Eun-yi (Do-yeon Jeon) is hired as a nanny in an impossibly lavish mansion by businessman Hoon (Jung-Jae Lee) and his very pregnant wife, Hae-ra (Seo Woo). When Hoon callously seduces the young maid, she becomes the unwitting victim in a battle of wills between him and the scheming women of the house-Hae-ra, her villainous mother, and their seemingly loyal but increasingly bitter housekeeper. Intensely erotic and fiendishly entertaining, The Housemaid builds to an unforgettable climax as Eun-yi tries to maintain her cunning to protect her sanity-and her life-from the ruthless vipers around her.
Directed by Sang-soo Im, The Housemaid stars Do-yeon Jeon, Jung-Jae Lee, Seo-Hyeon Ahn, Seo Woo and Yeo-Jong Yun.
The Housemaid premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last May to mainly positive reviews and will open in Us cinemas on January 21.
Eun-yi (Do-yeon Jeon) is hired as a nanny in an impossibly lavish mansion by businessman Hoon (Jung-Jae Lee) and his very pregnant wife, Hae-ra (Seo Woo). When Hoon callously seduces the young maid, she becomes the unwitting victim in a battle of wills between him and the scheming women of the house-Hae-ra, her villainous mother, and their seemingly loyal but increasingly bitter housekeeper. Intensely erotic and fiendishly entertaining, The Housemaid builds to an unforgettable climax as Eun-yi tries to maintain her cunning to protect her sanity-and her life-from the ruthless vipers around her.
- 1/5/2011
- by Jamie Neish
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
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