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Based on the homonymous novel by Lee Cheong-joon, “Festival – 1996” finds Im Kwon-taek at his most experimental endeavor of the 90s, in an effort that netted him the Best Film Award at the 1996 Blue Dragon Awards.

Lee Joon-seop is a famous writer in his 40s, who suffers, however, from guilt for his treatment of a number of people in his life, including a niece, Yong-soon, and his senile mother, whom he has left to be taken care of in the village he grew up in, by relatives and the neighbors. One day, he is informed of her death and returns to his birthplace, where a number of family and friends have also arrived to attend the funeral. A journalist from Seoul, Hye-rim, also follows him, in an effort to question the people who know him in the area and write a piece on the actual life of the famous author.

Torrential rain could not dampen spirits at the opening ceremony.

Old Boy star Choi Min Sik and Beau Is Afraid director Ari Aster helped open the 27th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Bifan) in South Korea this evening (June 29), where Netflix K-drama D.P. received the Series Film Award.

Leading Korean actor Choi, who is also known for roles in I Saw the Devil, Shiri, Luc Besson’s Lucy and box office record holder The Admiral: Roaring Currents, is being feted with screenings of 12 features selected by the actor himself.

At the opening ceremony, the veteran actor said looking back...

Tickets go on sale July 1 for the fully in-theater 20th anniversary edition of the New York Asian Film Festival (Nyaff), presented by the New York Asian Film Foundation and Film at Lincoln Center (Flc), running from July 15–28, 2022 at Flc, as well as on July 23 and July 28–31 at Asia Society, which will be co-presenting a selection of key films and a Hong Kong marathon day. International stars and acclaimed filmmakers will return in-person to grace the Nyaff red carpet at Flc, receive awards, speak at Q&a sessions, and impart wisdom during masterclasses and special talks.

Hong Kong cultural icon Josie Ho will headline Nyaff 2022 with her latest project as producer of the inspiring musical documentary Finding Bliss: Fire and Ice—The Director’s Cut, in which she travels with musicians and students from Hong Kong to Iceland for a transcendent collaboration. As a tribute to the acting superstar, the festival...

Exclusive: Well Go USA Entertainment has expanded its slate of Korean films, acquiring North American rights to titles including Alienoid, Hansan: Rising Dragon, Gangnam Zombie, The Ghost Station and The Assassin. While the international and indie distributor has set theatrical releases in place for Alienoid and Hansan, plans for the other three films have not yet been finalized.

Alienoid is the first in a series of two big-budget sci-fi films from director Choi Dong-hoon. Ryu Jun-Yeol, Kim Woo-bin and Kim Tae-ri star in the pic, which is being distributed in Korea by Cj Enm.

Directed by Kim Han-min and starring Park Hae-il, Byun Yo-han and Ahn Sung-ki, Hansan: Rising Dragon is a follow-up to 2014’s The Admiral: Roaring Currents—the most-watched film in Korean cinema history—which brings to life the historic Battle of Hansan Island. Its Korean distributor is Lotte Entertainment.

In the horror film Gangnam Zombie, from director Lee Soo-sung,...

Both “The Exorcist” and “Enter the Dragon” came out in 1973, igniting their respective genres at the box-office as never before. So you’d think more than a few enterprising souls would have tried to combine demonic-possession chills and fighting-action thrills. But apart from 1984’s flabbergasting camp classic “Ninja III: The Domination” — with Lucinda Dickey as an aerobics instructor who’s suddenly from hell — it’s hard to think of much in that vein before new arrival “The Divine Fury.”

This Korean import, releasing on about a dozen U.S. screens, features an Mma fighter battling his own demons while helping a priest free the afflicted of supernatural parasites. Jason (aka Joo-hwan) Kim’s film is a slick concoction that affords moderate guilty-pleasure fun for a while, though it goes on too long to diminishing effect. Nonetheless, a sequel is duly promised at the close.

His mother having died in childbirth,...

Well Go USA Entertainment announced today that they have acquired the North American rights to Jason Kim’s action-thriller The Divine Fury starring Seo-jun Park, Sung-ki Ahn and Do-hwan Woo. The film will be released in theaters August 2 followed by a digital and home video release later in the year.

The film stars Park as Yong-hu, who, after losing his father at a young age in a terrible accident, abandons his Christian faith and chooses to only believe in himself. Now as an adult, Yong-hu is a champion fighter and has everything he has ever wanted, that is until mysterious wounds appear in the palms of his hands. He solicits help from a local priest Father Ahn (Ahn), hoping the priest can help relieve him of the painful markings only to find himself in the middle of a dangerous fight against otherworldly evil forces seeking to wreak havoc on the human world.

Unicef Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham, President of Chile Michelle Bachelet, singer, songwriter and actress Pink, actress Millie Bobby Brown, singers, songwriters and musicians Chloe x Halle, legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and Fcb and Fcb Foundation are among the many stars, leaders and organizations lending their voices to children for World Children’s Day, Unicef has announced.

“It’s a fun day with a serious point. A day for children by children to help save children’s lives, fight for their rights and help them fulfill their potential,” said Justin Forsyth, Unicef Deputy Executive Director.

The day, set for November 20, marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the mobilization of the first World Children’s Day. Children from around the world will ‘take over’ key roles in media, politics, business, sport and entertainment to help save children’s lives, fight for their rights and fulfil their potential.

Kim Ki-duk’s production house, a Kim Ki-duk Film, has just released the trailer for its new indie drama Fork Lane. The film is directed by Lee Joo-hyeong, whose previous film, the 2013 award-winning comedy spy drama Red Family, was also produced and written by Kim Ki-duk.

Fork Lane stars Uhm Tae-woong in the role of Kim Gang-il, who had served as a paratrooper to suppress the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Protests in 1980. Working as a forklift driver after retirement, he follows some inconvenient truths that had been buried all those years ago. Other members of the cast include Kim Kyung-ik, Sim Jeong-wan and Jeong Se-hyeong.

Details are surprisingly scant for this film set for a July 2017 release. One reason for its low profile could be the recent incidents that have plagued Uhm Tae-woong in his personal life, which has prompted him to keep away from any film promotional activities.

Kim Ki-duk,...

As post production is currently underway for Kiriya Kazuaki's English-Language debut, The Last Knights, a new poster art and several new images have arrived, giving us our first look at Clive Owen and Morgan Freeman. The action adventure is a Us/Korean co-production featuring an international cast that includes Cliff Curtis (The Last Airbender), Tsuyoshi Ihara (Ninja, 13 Assassins), Sung-kee Ahn (The Tower) and Park Si-yeon (Dachimawa Lee).A knight seeks vengeance when his lord is unjustly executed by a tyrannical emperor.Knight's commander Raiden receives an honor above all else when Bartok, his childless lord, names him as his heir. But his happiness is destroyed when the emperor's evil emissary Mott forces him to behead his surrogate father, and casts him and his men out of their...

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Directed by: Ji-hoon Kim

Written by: Je-gyun Yun

Starring: Ji-won Ha, Sung-kee Ahn, Ji-ho Oh, Ae-ryeon Cha

In the 1981 TV movie The Intruder Within, Medical Center's Chad Everett plays the commander of an oil rig who inadvertently discovers some prehistoric eggs. One of the eggs hatches, releasing a snake-like malevolent creature that begins to hunt down the crew one by one. Directed by Peter Carter (Rituals), The Intruder Within has the dubious distinction of being one of the first full-on Alien rip-offs on television or film. (Roger Corman’s first attempt, the surreal Galaxy of Terror, would be released theatrically later that year.) It’s a typical early-eighties television yarn with flat visuals, story points timed for commercial breaks and very little onscreen violence. Joseph Bottoms (The Black Hole) is the “Ash” of the piece, attempting to study the life form at any price. There's also a “chest burster” counterpart which is shown,...

Sector 7 (Mining Area 7) a Korean monster movie that looks very promising does not have a Us release date yet, but we do have a English subtitled trailer to share with you. Sector 7 is directed by Kim Ji-Hoon, written by Je-gyun Yun (Tidal Wave) and stars Ji-won Ha (Phone, Tidal Wave), Sung-kee Ahn (The Warrior) and Ji-ho Oh (Strangers 8). Check out the synopsis and English subtitled trailer below. Synopsis: “The film is about a group of workers on a deep sea oil prospecting platform called ‘Eclipse’, located south of Jeju Island>>...

Hitting movie theaters this weekend:

Limitless – Bradley Cooper, Anna Friel, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro

The Lincoln Lawyer – Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe

Paul – Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen

Movie of the Week

Limitless

The Stars: Bradley Cooper, Anna Friel, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro

The Plot: A copywriter (Cooper) discovers a top-secret drug which gives him super-human abilities.

The Buzz: Until recently, I couldn’t stand Bradley Cooper — and no, it wasn’t his role in A-Team that won me over, it was, hearkening back a decade, his role in the television series ‘Alias.’ Yes, I’m a total johnny-come-lately when it comes to that show, but I love it, and I love Bradley Cooper in it. He can act, I was surprised to see. His success with ‘Alias’ ultimately launched his career, and now, ten years later, here he is approaching A-list status, starring in a fine-looking action film,...