This year's Busan film fest to proceed without festival director

Asia’s largest film festival, the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), will proceed with the post of festival director yet to be filled. In a statement released Friday night, the BIFF said that there were “no qualified candidates” despite its continued search for someone to lead the festival. In February, the festival organizers began another search for the post of festival director, accepting applications through March 19. The post has been vacant since May last year. &ld

March 31, 2024

Han So-hee, Ryu Joon-yeol part ways 2 weeks after going public with relationship

South Korean actors Han So-hee and Ryu Joon-yeol have decided to “go their own ways” after two tumultuous weeks surrounding the stars’ admissions of dating and accusations of impropriety in Ryu dating Han so soon after his breakup from his longtime partner, singer and actor Hyeri. Ryu and Han’s breakup surfaced Saturday night when Han uploaded a 2001 photo of Nicole Kidman that had been taken by paparazzi as she walked out of the court following her divorce from Tom Cruis

March 31, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Spy x Family Code: White” (Japan) Opened March 20 Action/Comedy Directed by Takashi Katagiri Loid, a spy, decides to help his stepdaughter Anya, who holds supernatural power, win a cooking competition at Eden Academy by making the principal's favorite meal. It is the the only way to stop him from getting replaced in a new operation. “Poor Things” (US) Opened March 6 Comedy Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos Bella (Emma Stone), a Frankenstein-esque woman brought back fro

March 29, 2024

[Graphic News] Only 1 out of 35 Korean commercial films had female director last year

Only one out of 35 Korean films with a major budget was directed by a female director last year, a report showed. Action thriller “The Point Men,” directed by Yim Soon-rye, was the sole movie with a female director among the 35 commercial films with a production budget exceeding 3 billion won ($2.25 million), according to the report released by the Korean Film Council on the status of gender equality in the Korean film industry. The state-run movie promotion agency has been publish

March 29, 2024

Will scrapping 3 percent tax on movie tickets invigorate local cinema?

Following the government’s decision to scrap its 3 percent charge on movie tickets starting next year, concerns have been raised about whether such a discount would actually lead to more people going to the cinema. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, about 420 to 450 won ($0.30) will be reduced from movie tickets priced at around 15,000 won, in an effort to “lessen the burden on people who visit movie theaters.” The ministry plans to push for such detail

March 28, 2024

[Herald Interview] Son Suk-ku chooses to be swayed by others in navigating life

Just weeks after appearing as a relentless detective in the Netflix original “A Killer Paradox,” actor Son Suk-ku met with reporters for the promotion of his new film “Troll Factory.” “I haven’t rested a single day since the start of the year except for the public holiday in January,” Son told reporters in an interview in Seoul on Friday. “I’m constantly tired. I wake up, go to work, back home and sleep. I have also opened my own agency and i

March 27, 2024

[New on the scene] Director Kim Hee-jin compelled by stories of marginalized

In her 2010 short indie film “A Brand New Journey,” Kim depicts the agony of a middle school student whose parents can’t afford the money for a school trip. Although the boy finds a way to save up money for the trip by taking on a part-time job, he is harassed by the tyrannical shop owner who doesn't pay him. “I was attracted to the stories of marginalized people, whether I met them in my personal life or in books. So it was natural for me to shed light on the lives

March 26, 2024

'Exhuma' first movie this year to attract 10m moviegoers

Occult flick "Exhuma" on Sunday became the first movie to surpass 10 million in ticket sales this year, having reached the milestone on its 32nd day in theaters, according to Showbox, the film's distributor. The movie is the first to exceed the 10 million mark in ticket sales since "12.12: The Day," a historical drama about a military coup in 1979, which achieved the milestone on Dec. 24 last year. Since its premiere in theaters on Feb. 22, "Exhuma" has remaine

March 24, 2024

[Herald Interview] ‘Exhuma’ director Jang Jae-hyun won't make sequel

South Korean supernatural mystery thriller “Exhuma,” which has been sweeping not just the domestic box office, but box offices across Asia, will not release a sequel nor a spinoff, the movie’s director told reporters Thursday. “Exhuma,” which opened in Korea on Feb. 22, has topped the local box office for 27 consecutive days, aggregating 9.52 million admissions as of Thursday. Captivated by its immersive storyline, filmgoers are already eager for a sequel or spinoff

March 22, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Spy x Family Code: White” (Japan) Opened March 20 Action/Comedy Directed by Takashi Katagiri A spy agent Loid decides to help his stepdaughter Anya, who holds supernatural power, win a cooking competition at Eden Academy by making the principal's favorite meal -- the only way to help him prevent from getting replaced in a new operation. “Poor Things” (US) Opened March 6 Comedy Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos Bella (Emma Stone), a Frankenstein-like woman brought back

March 22, 2024

[Herald Review] In ‘Troll Factory,’ Son Suk-ku walks tightrope of daring docu-like black comedy

Son Suk-ku is the kind of actor who doesn’t rest on his laurels -- from melancholic stranger Mr. Gu in a remote town in “My Liberation Notes” to psychopathic kidnapper Kang Hae-sang who perfectly fits the slasher cinematic universe in “The Roundup,” he is one of the busiest, hottest stars in the Korean entertainment scene. This time, his versatility has landed him in another experimental and unprecedented story – documentary-style crime flick “Troll Fact

March 21, 2024

[Herald Interview] Choo Ja-hyun realizes her dream of melodramatic role in ‘While You Were Sleeping’

South Korean actor Choo Ja-hyun, who enjoys greater acclaim as an actor in China than in her home country, returned to the silver screen after 13 years with “While You Were Sleeping.” In recent years, she starred in Korean dramas in various genres such as “Green Mother’s Club,” “My Unfamiliar Family” and “Little Women.” Most of her roles in her 20s were fierce, wild characters which made it difficult to land roles in melodramas, according to

March 20, 2024

‘Exhuma’ sets opening record in Vietnam

Director Jang Jae-hyun’s occult mystery flick “Exhuma,” which is expected to surpass 10 million in audience numbers here this week, has also caught the attention of moviegoers in several Asian countries. “Exhuma” opened in Indonesia on Feb. 28 and sold 180,000 tickets in 20 days, becoming the most successful Korean film in Indonesia to date. The movie has also surpassed the animated franchise flick "Kung Fu Panda 4" in terms of the total number of screens

March 19, 2024

[History through films] ‘Ode to My Father,’ story of Korean fathers in the post-war era

Director Yoon Je-kyoon’s 2014 hit drama flick “Ode to My Father,” which drew crowds of 14.2 million upon its release, is the fourth most successful film in South Korea's history. The movie is still talked about as a work that helped foster a deeper understanding of Korea’s modern history and how people lived through the post-war era. The movie follows the journey of Deok-soo (Hwang Jung-min) and his efforts to protect his family, spanning from his early adulthood to

March 18, 2024

Ryu Joon-yeol, Han So-hee confirm dating since early 2024

The admission by South Korean actors Ryu Joon-yeol and Han So-hee Saturday that they have been in a relationship since early this year has led to mixed reactions from the public, with some speculating that Ryu had met Han before breaking up with Hyeri, a popular singer-turned-actor. Ryu and Hyeri starred in the hit 2015 TVN drama “Reply 1988” and began dating in 2017. Han wrote on her blog on Saturday that she started dating Ryu after he had ended his relationship with Hyeri. “

March 17, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Past Lives” (US) Opened March 6 Drama/Romance Directed by Celine Song Deeply connected childhood friends Hae-sung (Teo Yoo) and Nora (Greta Lee) are pulled apart when Nora's family emigrates from Korea to Canada. Time passes and the two are finally reunited for a fateful week after 24 years. “Poor Things” (US) Opened March 6 Comedy Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos Bella (Emma Stone), a Frankenstein-like woman brought back from the dead by scientist Godwin Baxter (Will

March 15, 2024

Bong Joon-ho's "Mickey 17" to open in Korea on Jan. 28 next year

Moviegoers will have to wait a little bit more to finally see Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho’s upcoming work "Mickey 17." The movie distributor Warner Bros. Pictures said Thursday that Bong’s first new work in six years will first release in theaters here on Jan. 28, 2025, before opening in other countries around the globe. “Mickey 17,” which completed production in England in December 2022, will be Bong’s first movie since “Parasite.” The

March 14, 2024

[New on the scene] ‘Dolphin’ director Bae Du-ri’s work has roots in her own experiences

Director Bae Du-ri came up with the original idea for her feature debut film “Dolphin” back in 2018. The movie centers on Na-young (Kwon Yu-ri), a 35-year-old woman in a seaside town whose only joy is caring for her mother and younger brother. After a troubled childhood, she is now settled into a calmer life, working as a journalist at a local newspaper. When her mother decides to sell the house and her brother insists on moving to Seoul, Na-young, struggling to accept these changes,

March 12, 2024

[What to watch] Three movies to celebrate International Women’s Day

Friday marked International Women's Day, a day to appreciate the accomplishments of women and promote gender equality. Why not celebrate the day by watching films that highlight the spirit of womanhood? A cinematic experience of women’s strengths, diversity, achievements and their incredible stories is a good way to mark the day. "Dolphin" Directed by Korean female filmmaker Bae Du-ri, “Dolphin” marks the feature directorial debut of Bae, who wrote and directed

March 12, 2024

Fourth installment of ‘The Roundup’ returns with familiar ally, riveting new villains

South Korea’s mega-hit crime action franchise “The Roundup” will return next month with its fourth installment, “The Roundup: Punishment,” just 11 months after the third one. The movie, this time, will see the reappearance of an old character as well as the addition of two new, stronger villains. “I’m just full of gratitude to be able to create the fourth in this action crime franchise, which I came up with the idea for while brainstorming 11 years ago i

March 11, 2024