"Peninsula" by South Korean filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho and "Heaven: To The Land of Happiness" by fellow Korean director Im Sang-soo were selected among the 73rd Cannes Film Festival lineup Wednesday (local time). The two Korean films made the list of the 2020 Official Selection, consisting of 56 movies, which would have been screened had the festival not been canceled due to the new coronavirus pandemic. The organizers did not distinguish which films were picked as either for

The Best Film prize at the 56th Grand Bell Awards -- South Korea’s major film festival, also known as Daejong Film Awards -- held at Grand Walker Hill Seoul on Wednesday went to Oscar-star “Parasite.” “It is a great honor to receive the Best Film award at the Daejong Film Awards at these difficult times,” said Kwak Sin-ae who heads the film’s production company, Barunson E&A, reading the acceptance speech on behalf of director Bong who is on long leave

Mix drama, fantasy and horror, the film sends timely message

Chinese director Gao Ming’s “Damp Season” won the grand prize for international competition at the 21st Jeonju International Film Festival on Monday. Sixteen trophies in five categories were handed out at the awards ceremony held at CGV Jeonju Gosa in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. “Damp Season” uses the damp summer of Shenzhen, China, to portray the relationship of a young couple who grow apart in the humid season. In selecting the winning film, the jury noted

  With a series of films confirming summer release dates amid the prolonged novel coronavirus pandemic, some big-name actors are set to return to big screen in the coming month. Film distributor Next Entertainment World on Monday confirmed that highly-anticipated zombie flick “Peninsula” would hit local theaters in July, featuring veteran actors Gang Dong-won and Lee Jung-hyun. A sequel to the 2016 smash-hit thriller “Train to Busan” by director Yeon Sang-ho, the

Though fears concerning the novel coronavirus persist among the public, the film industry is ushering people to cinemas with discount coupons for movie tickets. The Korean Film Council, a state-funded institution, will be giving out discount coupons for movie tickets over a three-week period starting Monday, as part of its measure to revive the industry now staggering from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Cinemagoers will be able to receive a 6,000 won ($4.90) discount per movie ticket

CGV, South Korea's largest multiplex chain, said Friday it has adopted camera systems that automatically check moviegoers' temperatures and whether or not they have their masks on properly amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19. The company, an affiliate of Korean entertainment giant CJ Group, said it has introduced the Smart Pass system in 115 of its domestic multiplex theaters. Smart Pass recognizes whether a person is properly wearing a mask, with the system requesting the wearer to pro

Underwater (US) Opened May 27 Action, Horror, Sci-Fi Directed by William Eubank A huge earthquake hits a subterranean drilling station at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, and mechanical engineer Norah Price (Kristen Stewart) and her colleagues Rodrigo and Paul make their way to the escape pod bay. They discover that all of the escape pods have already been deployed, and Captain Lucien (Vincent Cassel) is the only other person in the area. While crossing the ocean floor to reach the main part

Mystery thriller “Intruder” is finally opening in local cinemas on June 4. Due to delays associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the first South Korean film to make its box office debut since early March. “I’m feeling nervous and rather burdened as well, but it’s my hope that our film becomes an exemplary precedent for films to follow,” director Sohn Won-pyung said Wednesday during a press conference after a press screening. The film revolves around S

A conversation among Song Kang-ho, the star of Oscar-winning South Korean film "Parasite," and the film's writer-director, Bong Joon-ho, will be streamed during an upcoming online global film festival organized by YouTube, according to the organizer's website Wednesday. We Are One: A Global Film Festival, a 10-day free online film festival on YouTube, will stream on June 8 (US time) an 82-minute recording of a conversation between Song and Bong at the 2019 Locarno International Film

Actor Yoo Ah-in is returning to the big screen for the first time in two years, teaming up with actress Park Shin-hye in the survival thriller “#Alive.” The actors will feature as two survivors living inside an apartment during the outbreak of an unknown disease that turns the infected people into zombies. Yoo and Park will each play two very different characters who struggle to survive in their homes using whatever objects and methods they have. “Jun-woo is a YouTuber and a

Mystery, thriller, zombie flicks scheduled for release in June

While the global box office continues to suffer from the COVID-19 pandemic, stars in Korea are taking part in the #SaveOurCinema campaign to arouse the public’s interest in indie, arthouse films. Though the entire film industry is struggling, the government’s policies aimed at supporting the industry are more focused on multiplex operators as indie, arthouse cinemas have a comparatively smaller market share. 　 To support the low-budget film scene, film figures who got their start

While fears of the novel coronavirus have emptied movie theaters in South Korea, esports fans are given a rare opportunity to watch a "League of Legends" (LoL) tournament on the big screen. CGV, a multiplex chain run by entertainment giant CJ Group, said Monday it will live stream the upcoming 2020 Mid-Season Cup of LoL starting Thursday at its 24 theaters across the country. The four-day tournament features four top LoL teams from South Korea and China each to be held online due t

An established actor of 33-year career, Jung Jin-young has gone behind the cameras for the first time to direct the film “Me and Me.” Set for release on June 18, the movie revolves around a detective named Hyeong-gu who finds everything he knew about himself had disappeared, as he was investigating a mysterious fire accident that took the lives of a married couple. Veteran actor Cho Jin-woong takes on the role of the detective. On Thursday, Jung and Cho held a press conference t