[Movie 2012] Dancing Queen 댄싱퀸

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March 7, 2012

S. Korean films' market share reaches 76 pct in February

Source: sshim@yna.co.kr yonhapnews.co.kr

SEOUL, March 7 (Yonhap) -- Boosted by such box-office hits as "Nameless Gangster" and "Dancing Queen," the market share of homegrown films rose more than 26 percentage points in February from the previous month, the Korean Film Council said Wednesday.

The market share of domestic films rose to 75.9 percent last month from 49.5 percent in January, the council said in a monthly box office tally.

South Korean films have taken more than a 70 percent share in the local market only twice since 2007 -- in September 2011 when the share was 73.2 percent and in February 2007 with 76.4 percent, according to the council.

Domestic movies swept the top four local box-office rankings last month.

"Nameless Gangster" by director Yoon Jong-bin gathered the largest number of viewers, with some 4.11 million people watching the film in February, followed by "Dancing Queen," "Howling" and "Unbowed."

The overall number of moviegoers decreased to 12.91 million last month, down 8.6 percent from January when demand for movies is traditionally high with winter vacation and the lunar New Year's holiday.

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March 8, 2012

Korean Movies Dominate Domestic Market in February

Arirang News via chosun.com

Korean movies dominated the domestic box office last month where three out of four moviegoers saw a Korean film. The Korean Film Council said Korean cinematic hits took 75.9 percent of the market in February, up 26 percent from January's ticket sales.

The last time Korean films took over 70 percent of the domestic box office since the nation relaxed a screen quota to allow more foreign movies was in September 2011.

"Nameless Gangster," a gangster flick set in the 1980s, topped the charts, followed by Uhm Jung-hwa's "Dancing Queen," the thriller "Howling" and the political drama "Unbowed."

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March 20, 2012

Dancing Queen: Filmart Review

by Elizabeth Kerr THR

The Bottom Line

Dancing Queen is polished entertainment with a subtle message, anchored by an engaging (if physically awkward) performances and a suitably pulsating empowerment anthem.

Venue

Hong Kong Filmart, March 20, 2012.

Cast

Hwang Jung-min, Uhm Jung-hwa, Ra-Mi-ran, Lee Han-wi, Jeong Seong-hwa, Lee Dae-yeon

Director

Lee Seok-hoon

Director Lee Seok-hoon makes light of South Korean pop culture and politics in this comedy-drama.

In the intensely Korean comedy-drama Dancing Queen, Uhm Jung-hwa plays Jeong-hwa, a housewife that chooses to rekindle her dormant pop star aspirations by entering an American Idol-style contest just as her husband, Jeong-min (Hwang Jung-min), becomes an accidental mayoral candidate. The film benefits from extreme currency, hence its domestic box office success, but the enduring appeal of all things K-Pop in the region could result in moderate success in Asia and for targeted festivals and distributors overseas.

Director Lee Seok-hoon juggles comedy with heady issues ranging from sex and age discrimination, and tackles Korea’s subtle regionalism and hierarchical nature along with new policies encouraging people to have babies. Dancing Queen is polished entertainment with a subtle message, anchored by an engaging (if physically awkward) performance by Uhm as Bruni to Hwang’s Sarkozy and a suitably pulsating empowerment anthem.

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March 23, 2012

’2012 Paeksang Arts Awards’ releases its list of nominees

by VITALSIGN allkpop.com

Nominees for the ‘2012 Paeksang Arts Awards‘ have finally been revealed!

On March 23rd, the official homepage for the awards ceremony updated with a list of nominations for the film and TV categories that have been the topic of much discussion online.

Check out some of the names below!

MOVIE CATEGORY

Best Movie Award

- Nameless Gangster

- Broken Arrow

- Sunny

- Punch

- Helpless

Best Actor Award

- Gongyoo (The Crucible)

- Kim Yoon Suk (Punch)

- Park Hae Il (War of the Arrows)

- Ahn Sung Gi (Broken Arrow)

- Choi Min Shik (Nameless Gangster)

Best Actress Award

- Kim Min Hee (Helpless)

- Son Ye Jin (Chilling Romance)

- Shim Eun Kyung (Sunny)

- Uhm Jung Hwa (Dancing Queen)

- Jung Ryeo Won (Pain)

Rookie Actor Award

- Kim Sung Kyun (Nameless Gangster)

- Lee Kwang Soo (Wonderful Radio)

- Lee Je Hoon (Introduction to Architecture)

- Joo Won (SIU)

Rookie Actress Award

- Kang Sora (Sunny)

- Go Ara (Papa)

- Kim Hye Eun (Nameless Gangster)

- miss A’s Suzy (Introduction to Archiecture)

- Oh Nara (Dancing Queen)

TV CATEGORY

Best Drama Award

- The Princess’ Man

- Brain

- Deep-Rooted Tree

- The Greatest Love

- The Moon That Embraces the Sun

Best Variety Award

- Gag Concert

- I Am a Singer

- Jjak

- K-Pop Star

- 1 Night 2 Days (Season 1)

Best Actor Award

- Kim Soo Hyun (The Moon That Embraces the Sun)

- Park Shi Hoo (The Princess’ Man)

- Shin Ha Gyun (Brain)

- Cha Seung Won (The Greatest Love)

- Han Suk Gyu (Deep-Rooted Tree)

Best Actress Award

- Gong Hyo Jin (The Greatest Love)

- Kim Sun Ah (Scent of a Woman)

- Kim Hyun Joo (Shiny Shiny Shining)

- Moon Chae Won (The Princess’ Man)

- Soo Ae (A Thousand Days’ Promise)

Rookie Actor Award

- Kang Dong Ho (Shiny Shiny Shining)

- Park Yoohwan (A Thousand Days’ Promise)

- Park Yoon Jae (Indomitable Daughters-In-Law)

- Yeo Jin Goo (The Moon That Embraces the Sun)

- Joo Won (Ojakgyo Brothers)

Rookie Actress Award

- Kang Sora (Dream High 2)

- Kim Yoo Jung (The Moon That Embraces the Sun)

- Im Soo Hyang (New Tales of Gisaeng)

- After School’s UEE (Ojakgyo Brothers)

- Jung Yoomi (A Thousand Days’ Promise)

Check out the rest of the nominees on the official homepage here. The ceremony will be held on April 26th.

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March 26, 2012

Hong Kong FilMart

Dancing Queen (Daensing kwin)

By RUSSELL EDWARDS Variety.com

A CJ Entertainment presentation of a CJ Entertainment, JK Film production. (International sales: CJ Entertainment, Seoul.) Produced by Yun Je-gyun, Lee Han-seung. Executive producers, Katherine Kim, Jay Gil. Co-producer, Gil Young-min. Directed, written by Lee Seok-hoon. With: Hwang Jung-min, Eom Jeong-hwa, Ra Mi-ran, Lee Han-wi, Jeong Seong-hwa, Lee Dae-yeong, Chun Bo-geun, Ahn Eung-jung. (Korean dialogue)

With comic pirouettes and surprise flips, South Korean romantic comedy "Dancing Queen" is a buoyant Capra-esque venture that sometimes stumbles but never fails to dazzle. Frequent laughs adorn the script's depiction of a drifting married couple -- a lawyer and an aerobics instructor -- trying to stay committed while he takes a "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"-style crack at politics, and she chases a dream of dancing fame. Pic's early January release scored points with local auds to the tune of $26.4 million, and Stateside producers seeking remake material should line up for a look.

It's 1982, and democracy is experiencing its first rumblings in South Korea when Jung-min (Chun Bo-geun), who hails from Busan, moves to Seoul and runs afoul of "sophisticated" schoolgirl Jung-hwa (Ahn Eung-jung). The pair's childhood antipathy morphs into romance years later, when Jung-min, now played by Hwang Jung-min ("The Unjust," "Shiri"), has become an uptight student activist who meets good-time girl Jung-hwa, now played by Eom Jeong-hwa ("Haeundae," Insadong Scandal"), and finds himself emotionally liberated.

When love fades, reality sets in, and the now-married couple's former antagonism returns: Jung-min is a lawyer often working pro bono on behalf of poor, elderly and/or socially disadvantaged clients, leaving the financial burden of the household to fall on Jung-hwa, who teaches aerobics classes. But when the Seoul government begins looking for an honest man to clean up the mess left by entrenched corrupt politicians, Jung-min's fortunes start to turn; around the same time, Jung-hwa lucks into an opportunity to be a singer and dancer with a risque K-pop group, the Dancing Queens.

The script's major drawback is its lengthy exposition; it takes more than an hour for the story to nudge up against its ultimate dilemma about whether Jung-hwa will follow her dancing dreams and destroy her husband's chances of political success. Fortunately, the pic boasts abundant laughs that offset its draggy progress.

While regular guy Hwang is a deliberate mismatch for the sexed-up Eom, the pair's characterizations are note-perfect. In addition to displaying comedic flair, both thesps nail the emotional intensity the story's climax requires without betraying the pic's primarily humorous thrust. Supporting thesps transcend their broad stereotypes with exuberance and professionalism, with Ra Mi-ran a standout as Jung-hwa's Rosie O'Donnell-like best friend/hairdresser, Myeong-ae.

Eschewing fancy moves, writer-director Lee Seok-hoon ("See You After School") exhibits a functional, uncluttered approach to directing, always working in service of his script. Although shot on film, the pic has the washed-out look of overlit video; regardless, when it comes to Eom's dance numbers, the visuals glitter and sparkle like a disco ball. Score by Hwang Sang-jun is a little trite, but does the job; for the record, the Abba song referenced by the title is conspicuously absent here. Other tech credits are solid.

Camera (color, widescreen), Choi Jin-ung; editor, Lee Jin; music, Hwang Sang-jun; production designer, Gang Seung-yong; costume designer, Kim Eun-suk; sound (Dolby Digital), Lee Seung-yup. Reviewed at Hong Kong Filmart, March 19, 2012. Running time: 119 MIN.

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April 10, 2012

'Dancing Queen' Recommended for Teenagers

Source: Nate l CJ E&M enewsWorld Lee, JinHo Translation Credit : Erika Kim

The film Dancing Queen was chosen by the Korea Media Rating Board (KMRB) as a recommended film for teenagers.

On April 6, KMRB chose Dancing Queen, Planet of Snail and Speckles: The Tarbosaurus as ‘Films Good for Teenagers’ for the first quarter of the year.

Dancing Queen is a film about the mayor of Seoul and his wife who tries to fulfill her dream of becoming a dancer. It premiered in January, and topped the box office with 4 million tickets sold.

KMRB chose its first batch of ‘Films Good for Teenagers’ this year. The films come from three divisions: theater film, documentary and animation. All films considered must be for teenagers over 12 years old.

Planet of Snail is about how a deaf husband and a wife with a spine disability overcome their disabilities to cultivate dreams, hope and love.

Speckles: The Tarbosaurus was chosen as it realistically revived dinosaurs from Korea 80 million years ago in 3D.

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April 26, 2012

CONGRATULATION UHM JUNG HWA

48th BAEKSANG BEST ACTRESS!

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April 26, 2012

48th Baeksang Arts Awards

by javabeans dramabeans.com

Baeksang Awards!

This springtime award show has the distinction of honoring both film and television, sort of like the Golden Globes, and has been running for nearly half a century, since 1965. Since it’s not a broadcast station award (where you have a broadcaster giving awards to its own shows) but awards across stations, winning a Baeksang carries a bit more weight than those year-enders.

Still, in the end, Baeksangs are still something of a popularity game, more likely to hand out honors to hit shows than based on pure critical acclaim—I’m waiting for the day when cable shows get to be part of the mix. That means there are a number of winners I tend to disagree with, and a slew of deserving selections that went overlooked.

Basically, as with any award ceremony: Take results with a grain of salt. Heck, take the whole salt shaker while you’re at it.

WINNERS LIST

FILM SECTION

Daesang: Nameless Gangster: Rules of Time

Best Picture: Unbowed

Director: Byun Young-joo (Helpless)

Top Excellence, Actor: Ahn Sung-ki (Unbowed)

Top Excellence, Actress: Uhm Jung-hwa (Dancing Queen)

New Actor: Kim Sung-kyun (Nameless Gangster)

New Actress: Suzy (Introduction to Architecture)

New Director: Im Chan-ik (Arrest King aka Officer of the Year)

Screenplay: Jeon Kye-soo (Love Fiction)

Popularity Award, Actor: Jang Geun-seok (You’re My Pet)

Popularity Award, Actress: Kang So-ra (Sunny)

TV SECTION

Daesang: Tree With Deep Roots

Best Drama: The Moon That Embraces the Sun

Educational Program: The Story of Mathematics, EBS Docu Prime

Variety Program: Gag Concert

Directing: Kim Jung-min, Park Hyun-seok (The Princess’s Man)

Top Excellence, Actor: Kim Soo-hyun (The Moon That Embraces the Sun)

Top Excellence, Actress: Gong Hyo-jin (Best Love)

New Actor: Joo-won (Ojakkyo Brothers)

New Actress: Uee (Ojakkyo Brothers)

Scriptwriting: Kim Young-hyun, Park Sang-yeon (Tree With Deep Roots)

Variety, Male Performer: Kim Joon-hyun (Gag Concert)

Variety, Female Performer: Park Ha-sun (High Kick: Counterattack of the Short Legs)

Popularity Award, Actor: Park Yoochun (Miss Ripley)

Popularity Award, Actress: Park Shin-hye (You’ve Fallen For Me)

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April 29, 2012

Lee Hyori congratulates Uhm Jung Hwa for Paeksang award

by MrTuxedo allkpop.com

Korean diva, Lee Hyori recently took to her Twitter blog to congratulate actress Uhm Jung Hwa, on her recent Best Actress Award at the ‘48th Paeksang Arts Awards‘ ceremony.

On April 28th, Hyori tweeted, “Unnie, it’s late, but congratulations. It’s not important that you won the award, but….you know you have been awesome and doing well, even before you got the award right?”

Moments later, Uhm Jung Hwa tweeted back with, “Thanks! Woohoo! That’s encouraging!”

As the two are known for being one of the most respected female seniors in the music industry, both of them have maintained a strong sunbae-hoobae relationship. It appears that the two stay in touch frequently; K-Pop is fortunate to have these role models as two of its representatives.

In related news, Uhm Jung Hwa attended the ’48th Paeksang Arts Awards’ and received the Best Actress Award trophy through her latest film, ‘Dancing Queen‘.

Source + Photos: Lee Hyori’s Twitter

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TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012
Dancing Queen (댄싱퀸, Daensingkwin) 2012Posted by Pierce Conran MKC
Just when it seemed like star power was starting to fade in Korea, a new vehicle for two of the nation’s most popular performers danced its way into the spotlight, enchanting four million local viewers in the process.  Late last year and earlier this year a host of others (I among them), were calling out Korean stars for their failure to attract audiences to domestic cineplexes.  Song Kang-ho, normally the country’s most reliable star, misfired with Hindsight (2011), the first film in over a decade from Lee Hyeon-sun (Il Mare, 2000) and a short while after Countdown drew even less receipts despite starring what should have been a potent combo with Jeon Do-yeon (Secret Sunshine, 2007; The Housemaid, 2010) and Jeong Jae-yeong (Castaway on the Moon, 2009).  Since the star system has been powerful for so long, arguably too long a time, this shift in what drives a spectator to a theater has been seen as audience’s rejection of the less than-stellar features that the studios marched into the multiplexes, especially hollow blockbusters and these empty star vehicles (though personally I thought the above two films were a little better than what most people made them out to be).
So why did Dancing Queen do so well?  Simply put, and following on from the last point, it’s a much better film that was far more engaging.  One could then argue that it was the quality of the work and not the stars that brought it widespread attention.  I think it’s both as without the quality this would likely have suffered a similar fate to Countdown and Hindsight but without the stars I don’t think it would have caught on in any meaningful way.  Dancing Queen is a movie about stars and its success lies in how easily we identify with its leads.
However, I don’t mean to say that the film’s charm would be lost on western viewers who will likely not be familiar with Uhm Jung-hwa and Hwang Jeong-min.  They are such excellent performers and so well cast here that this phenomenon should translate well to any audience.  You know you’re watching two big stars and despite its relatively straightforward story, it does feel like an event picture.
Of the two, Uhm Jung-hwa has the highest profile, her fame given an extra boost by the fact that she was a popular singer too.  Throughout her film career, she has taken on a series of dark roles, most notably in Princess Aurora (2005), Insadong Scandal (2009) and Bestseller (2010), but she has famous for her roles in romance and melodrama, such as Marriage Story (1992) Marriage Is a Crazy Thing (2002) and Mama (2011).  While she hasn’t been a fulltime singer in a over a decade, after choosing to focus on her film career, Uhm is still viewed as the Queen of Korean pop.  There couldn’t really be a better fit than Dancing Queen (the title of which alludes to her real status as a former idol) for her ample talents.
Hwang Jeong-min on the other hand is a very different type of actor.  He has one of the most unique physiognomies of a Korean thespian and his brash, funny and often charming style has seen him playing gangsters (A Bittersweet Life, 2005), unfaithful husbands (A Good Lawyer’s Wife, 2003), detectives (Bloody Tie, 2006; Private Eye, 2009; The Unjust, 2010) and reporters (Moby richard simmons, 2010).  Although my favorite of his roles (and I know many will agree with me) is in the delightful and surprising A Man Who Was Superman (2007).  In Dancing Queen he brings his charm to the plate and hits it out of the park, he and Uhm are in sync the whole way through and complement their very opposing characters to a tee.
K-pop lords over entertainment in Korea but the truth is that it has never made a big impression in cinema.  While Korean films frequently feature Korean music, those that focus on the industry in any meaningful have mostly been drab affairs and they have been whole-heartedly rejected by spectators.  It’s tempting to say that Dancing Queen has broken this trend.  In a sense it has but with no greater claim to being a trailblazer than last Sunny.  The nostalgia is probably more important than the music.
However, the reason that I think the film really took off is that at its heart, it’s really just a very pleasant screwball comedy.  It has two big stars playing pleasant protagonists with clearly demarcated characteristics, the story is fun, involving and easy to follow but the stakes are never to high.  Considering that I am such a fan of classics like Bringing Up Baby (1938), His Girl Friday (1940) and The Philadelphia Story (1940) it is no wonder that I fell under the film’s spell but it also means that most should be able to enjoying this charming film, it’s not for nothing that the above are considered timeless classics.
Dancing Queen is Lee Seok-hoon’s first feature in five years and though I haven’t seen his previous two films but both were well-received if not outright hits.  His time off doesn’t seem to have affected his craft in the slightest.  Given the quality and confidence of the proceedings I would have assumed he’d been chugging away all this time.  In any case, I look forward to watching his other films because if they’re anything like his latest, I’ll be dancing in my seat.  Though it will likely not stand as one of the year’s very best films, Dancing Queen is a delight, pure and simple.
★★★★☆

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August 27, 2012

Korean movies dominate box office
By Claire Lee The Korea Herald

Market share of homegrown movies rises to nearly 80 percent over the weekend

Korea’s homegrown films are doing better than ever at the box office, with its market share rising to nearly 80 percent in the past weekend.

The top four movies at the box office from Aug. 26 to 27 were local films, according to the Korean Film Council. 

The films are director Kim Hwi’s thriller “Neighbors”; Kim Joo-ho’s period comedy “The Grand Heist”; Choi Dong-Hun’s star-studded blockbuster “The Thieves”; and Kim Dong-won’s action drama “R2B: Return to Base.”

Korean films’ sweeping performance started off with “The Thieves,” which became the third best-selling Korean film of all time, beating 2002 drama “Taegukgi” as of Aug. 15. It drew more than 12,095,094 viewers as of Saturday, according the Korean Film Council data. It ranked third at the box office in the past weekend.

Kim Joo-ho’s period drama “The Grand Heist,” on the other hand, drew 4 million viewers in just 19 days after its release, becoming the seventh homegrown movie to achieve the feat so far this year. 

Kim Hwi’s thriller “Neighbors,” which opened last week, drew 1 million viewers in the first five days after the release, topping the box office chart during the weekend.

The homegrown films’ market share rose to 77.2 percent during the past weekend, from 57.7 percent recorded last month. 

The market share of the local films hit 60.4 percent in 2006, with the box-office triumph of Bong Joon-ho’s “The Host.” The film, which drew 13,020,000 viewers, remains the bestselling locally made film of all time in Korea’s film history. 

Local movies’ market share dropped to 42.1 percent in 2008, rose to 48.8 percent in 2009, and but dropped to 46.5 percent again in 2010.

Many small- to mid-scale local films drew a significant number of viewers ― each about 4 million ― in the first half of this year, including “Architecture 101,” “Dancing Queen,” “All About My Wife,” “Unbowed” and “Deranged.” 

These movies, diverse in genre and style, contributed to the increase in the market share of the homegrown movies in the first half of the year, according to the Korean Film Council.

More highly anticipated Korean films are to be released soon. CJ Entertainment, one of the biggest film producers in Korea, is scheduled to release its highly anticipated period drama “Masquerade,” which stars mega hallyu star Lee Byung-hun, next month. Kim Ki-duk’s “Pieta,” competing at the Venice Film Festival, as well as Sin Jeong-won’s drama “Ghost Sweepers” starring Kim Su-ro and Lee Je-hoon, are also to be released next month.

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Related Daejong soompi thread here

2012.10.30: The 49th Daejong (Grand Bell) Film Awards 2012

Source: Official 49th Daejong Website l Nate ++ l Movist.com l wikipedia

List credited to Asianwiki.com
Event: Daejong Film Awards (Grand Bell Awards)Korean: 대종상영화제Edition: 49thPresented By: Ministry of Culture and InformationDate: October 30, 2012Location: Seoul, South Korea

Best Film Nominees:"Pieta""Eungyo""Silenced""Masquerade""Unbowed"
Best Director Nominees:Lee Yong-Ju ("Architecture 101")Kim Ki-Duk ("Pieta")Choi Dong-Hun ("The Thieves")Choo Chang-Min ("Masquerade")Chung Ji-Young ("Unbowed")
Best Actor Nominees:Choi Min-Sik ("Nameless Gangster")Kim Myung-Min ("Pacemaker")Hwang Jung-Min ("Dancing Queen")Lee Byung-Hun ("Masquerade")Ahn Sung-Ki ("Unbowed")
Best Actress Nominees:Jo Min-Su ("Pieta")Kim Ko-Eun ("Eungyo")Uhm Jung-Hwa ("Dancing Queen")Hwang Jung-Min ("Jesus Hospital")Lim Soo-Jung ("All About My Wife")
Best Supporting Actor Nominees:Jo Jung-Suk ("Architecture 101")Kim Sung-Kyun ("Nameless Gangster")Ryoo Seung-Ryong ("All About My Wife")Yu Jun-Sang ("In Another Country")Ryoo Seung-Ryong ("Masquerade")
Best Supporting Actress Nominees:Kang Eun-Jin ("Pieta")Kim Hyun-Soo ("Silenced")Ra Mi-Ran ("Dancing Queen")Moon Jung-Hee ("Deranged")Kim Hae-Suk ("The Thieves")
Best New Actor Nominees:Jo Jung-Suk ("Architecture 101")Kim Sung-Kyun ("Nameless Gangster")Kim Sung-Kyun ("The Neighbors")Woo Ki-Hong ("Pieta")Daniel Choi ("Traffickers")
Best New Actress Nominees:Bae Suzy ("Architecture 101")Go Ara ("Pacemaker")Yoo Hae-Jung ("Lovable")Kang Eun-Jin ("Pieta")Kim Ko-Eun ("Eungyo")
Best New Director Nominees:Kim Dal-Jung ("Pacemaker")Shin A-Ga & Lee Sang-Cheol ("Jesus Hospital")Kim Joo-Ho ("The Grand Heist")Kim Hong-Sun ("Traffickers")Choi Jong-Tae ("Hand in Hand")

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October 21, 2012
Korean film industry heading to a new peak year
Source: The Korea Times
The party continues for Korean movies as they head toward a new peak year with a series of box-office records.
The historical film "Gwanghae: the Man Who Became the King" starring "hallyu" star Lee Byung-hun surpassed the 10 million viewer mark Saturday, becoming the second local film this year to break that milestone. 
Hallyu, or the Korean wave, refers to the popularity of Korean TV dramas, pop music and films abroad.
It is the first time two South Korean films have broken the 10 million audience member mark in their opening year. In Korea, films drawing 3 to 4 million movie-goers are considered a box-office success. Only five other local films have ever passed the 10 million mark.
"The Thieves," a heist movie about 10 Korean and Chinese thieves who plot to steal a diamond from a Macao casino, set a new all-time record earlier this month, drawing an audience of more than 13 million viewers.
Other leaders at the box office this year have been "Dancing Queen" (4.09 million), "Nameless Gangster" (4.68 million), "All About My Wife" (4.58 million), "Architecture 101" (4.1 million), "Deranged" (4.51 million) and "The Grand Heist" (4.91 million).
With those box-office hits, the local film industry is leaping toward another peak year, following 2006 when "The Host" by director Bong Joon-ho set the previous audience record.
After peaking at 60.4 percent in 2006 on the strength of "The Host," the audience occupancy rate of Korean films fell to 42.1 percent in 2008. The audience occupancy rate is the proportion of total audience members for all movies shown here.
The heyday of Korean films was widely anticipated to return the following year with the simultaneous success of "Haeundae" (11.45 million viewers) and "Take Off" (8.48 million viewers). 
The yearly occupancy rate remained at a modest 48.8 percent, however, as Hollywood blockbuster "Avatar" dominated theaters at the end of the year. In 2010, the share declined again to 46.5 percent, making it one of the worst years for local movie sales. 
The local film industry began to recover last year when "War of the Arrows" and "Sunny" made waves, attracting more than 7 million viewers each. Their box-office successes were followed by the popularity of such socially influential films as "Silenced" and "Wandeuk/Punch," both of which sold nearly 5 million tickets.
The success of this year's crop of Korean films is prompting the growth of the local movie market and the market share of Korean films jumped to 70.2 percent in August.
According to the official box-office tracker, the Korean Film Commission, 153 million tickets were sold by local cinemas as of late October, coming near to last year's tally of 159.7 million.
The commission expects the 2012 tally to reach some 180 million by year-end, up 12.6 percent from a year earlier, and the number of viewers of South Korean films to top 100 million.
The success of "Gwanghae" came even though it opened in September, normally an off-season for cinemas, setting a precedent that a well-made film can draw a big audience regardless of when it opens. 
Few films that opened in September have been hits at the Korean box-office, with other exceptions thus far being "The War Of Flower" (6.84 million) and "Silenced" (4.66 million).

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 Official Website l Twitter l Facebook
October 19, 2012 
Preview Clip: The London Korean Film Festival 2012
uploaded by thekccuk
A Preview of the London Korean Film Festival starting on the 1st of November, 2012. The Festival will also be traveling to Glasgow, Bournemouth and Bristol.

Don't forget our annual Korean Cinema Forum, Director's Q&As and much more during the festival! 
Edited by Woojin Daniel Jon
The LKFF 2012 Programme
via London Korean Links

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December 20, 2012
[12 Days of 2012] Top 5 Movies
CJ E&M enewsWorld Nancy Lee 
Christmas is fast approaching, which means the New Year is just around the corner!
Although we’re looking forward to what 2013 has in store, we can’t close out 2012 without looking back on the stars, dramas, movies and more that shined this year, so we’re launching a new series here at enewsWorld, called 12 Days of 2012, to round up and reflect on one exciting year in Korean entertainment. 
Stick around (and wish us luck) as we try to jam pack everything 2012 into 12 days!
We’re kicking off our countdown to 2013 with the top 5 films of 2012.
It was a particularly standout year for Korean films, where many domestic films across genres drew in record numbers of viewers with refreshing storylines and talented casts. From melodramas and romantic comedies to heist films and even period pieces, the Korean film landscape was colored with a wide range of features to satisfy every moviegoer’s taste. 
Dancing Queen

The year was off to a great start thanks to the romantic comedy Dancing Queen, starring Hwang Jung Min and Uhm Jung Hwa, which opened in January. 
Rave reviews for the underrated film drew moviegoers to theaters by means of word-of-mouth, enabling it to cross the 2.5 million mark within two weeks of its premiere. 
The film was even released in North America, spreading its positive message about following your dreams (just because it’s cliché doesn’t meant it’s not true!) to cities like New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto. 
Architecture 101
We think it’s safe to say Architecture 101, starring Uhm Tae Woong, Han Ga In, miss A’s Suzy and Lee Je Hoon, was one of the runaway hits of 2012.
The melodrama proved to appeal to more than just its typical, largely female target audience, drawing in more than one million viewers within eight days of its release back in March, later becoming the most-watched melodrama in Korea. 
Although Suzy rose to fame in the acting world with KBS drama Dream High, Architecture 101 proved to be the breakthrough film that would solidify her as one of the brightest young talents as well as the ‘Nation’s First Love’ and earn her the Best New Actress Award at the 48th Paeksang Arts Awards. 
The Thieves
It appears if you graduate from Dream High, you go on to achieve great things, as another alum, Kim Soo Hyun, and his cast mates found astounding success with heist film The Thieves, which was released in July. 
The action comedy, which stars A-listers like Jun Ji Hyun, Lee Jung Jae and Kim Hye Soo, was out to do some serious damage from the outset, smashing the record for the biggest opening in Korean film history. 
As of August, it was the number one film of the year, drawing in more than five million moviegoers to theaters in August, before hitting the 10 million mark later that month. 
The Thieves definitely stole the show this year, that’s for sure. 
Masquerade
From Los Angeles to London, the world’s eyes were on Lee Byung Hun—and not because of his budding romance with actress Lee Min Jung. 
The globetrotting star of Masquerade has received worldwide attention, not only for his successful foray into Hollywood but for his portrayal of the Joseon Dynasty king Gwanghae in the period piece. 
The film swept the 49th Daejong Film Awards, taking home 15 awards, including Lee Byung Hun’s Best Actor Award. 
A Werewolf Boy
With Song Joong Ki on the roster, it came as no surprise that feature film A Werewolf Boy would find success, even before its premiere. 
But we know what matters in the film world is opening day, and the movie lived up to expectations, even knocking 007 Skyfall down to second place when it premiered on October 31. 
The big names and intriguing storyline made for the perfect recipe at the box office, proving James Bond has nothing on our werewolf boy!

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January 8, 2013
24 Feature Films Shot on Location in Busan in 2012
Reporter: Lee Tae Ho Editor: Nemo Kim KSTAR10
The City Which Turns out Hits like “The Thieves,” “Nameless Gangster”
According to the Busan Film Commission, a total of 24 films were shot on location in Busan in 2012. Considering that the number of home-grown movies of 2012 was 150, this means one or two out of ten were shot in Busan. The number of feature movies which use Busan as a location as well as the number of co-productions involving foreign production companies are increasing, according to officials from the Busan Film Commission. 
Foreign movies like “Hello Goodbye,” “Lemon” and “Fate” were filmed in Busan and recently a Chinese production team set their film in Busan. Last year’s hits such “The Thieves,” “Nameless Gangster,” “Dancing Queen” and “My Neighbor” were produced shot in the seaport city.
The Busan Film Commission has decided to hold various events to attract shooting teams and the first such event of the year is to organize a planning, development and production fund as well as to set up accommodation facilities for production staff members. There will also be familiarization tours for producers and space will be provided to those who write film scripts. 
Head of the Busan Film Commission, Oh Seuk-geun said, “Improved facilities for shooting films will be shaped in the Busan region with the first virtual studio in Asia being located in the Busan Film Studio along with Digital Bay which is a 3D production center, both of which were set up at the end of 2012. We’ll be able to attract more production teams into the area”.

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February 13, 2013
New York Korean Film Festival Gears Up for 11th Edition
Eight Films Will Screen at the End of February by Pierce Conran KOBIZ
The New York Korean Film Festival is gearing  up for its 11th edition which will be coming later this month during February 22nd to 24th.  Presented by the Korea Society in association with the BAMcinématek, eight features will screen at the BAM Rose Cinema & Cinematek. This year, the festival continues in its aim to showcase Korean cinema’s most successful productions. 
Kicking things off will be a showing of Kim Ki-duk’s Golden Lion-winning Pieta on Friday, February 22nd. It will be followed by a presentation of the indie film All Bark No Bite, which premiered last year at the Jeonju International Film Festival. During the rest of the weekend, mainstream hits Dancing Queen, Masquerade, A Werewolf Boy, Architecture 101 and Deranged will be screened, along with Hong Sangsoo’s In Another Country. The 11th New York Korean Film Festival is sure to present another edition that will further establish it as one of the preeminent showcases of Korean films in North America. 

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 http://www.filmfestdc.org/

March 26, 2013
Hit Korean Films Invade US CapitalDANCING QUEEN and MASQUERADE Selected for Filmfest DC

by Pierce Conran KOBIZ


Two of the biggest Korean hits of last year are set to play in the heart of America, after being programmed for Filmfest DC, which begins its 10-day run on April 11th in Washington DC. Dancing Queen and Masquerade, both CJ Entertainment titles, each landed in 2012’s top 10 performing Korean films. Starring the popular singer and actress Uhm Jeong-hwa, as well as the versatile charcter actor Hwang Jung-min (currently in the hit gangster flick New World), Dancing Queen was a successful musical comedy drama that lit up the charts during the Lunar New Year holiday in late January. Korea’s other big holiday, the Chuseok (or thanksgiving) festivities that usher in the fall, set the scene for Masquerade's record-breaking box office run. The period drama starring Lee Byung-hun, and based on the oft-told ‘Prince and the Pauper’ tale, became the third most successful Korean film of all time, though as of earlier this month it has since dropped to number four following Miracle in Cell No. 7’s blockbuster run. Washingtonians will be privy to the best in commercial Korean cinema when the 2013 edition of Filmfest DC gets underway in mid-April.

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May 19, 2013
Uhm sinks teeth into newest role‘I think passionate people always inspire other people.’
By Lee Eun-sun Korea JoongAng Daily


Uhm Jung-hwa. By Kim Seong-ryong
Uhm Jung-hwa is a Korean iconic diva and a rare actress who successfully juggles singing and acting careers. Last year, she turned the movie “Dancing Queen” into a box office hit. Her dancing skills and inherent happy nature contributed to its success. But above all, she shines most when portraying heart-wrenching emotions, just like in her newest movie, “Montage,” which opened Thursday.
In the thriller, Uhm plays the mother of a kidnapped daughter. The mother lives in sorrow for 15 years as she fails to find any clue about the crime until she hears of traces of the suspect just five days before the expiration of the statute of limitations. Viewers are expected to be caught by her heartfelt portrayal of maternal instincts, as well as the plot’s twists and turns. In her 2005 movie, “Princess Aurora,” Uhm also played the role of a mother whose child was abducted.
Q. I could not help associating you and your co-worker, Kim Sang-kyung, with the previous roles while watching the movie. Kim Sang-kyung’s performance reminds me of his similar role as a detective in the 2003 movie, “Memories of Murder.” 
A. I know, but I think we used it to our advantage. Thanks to the same role, I let out my bottled-up emotions that I could not in my last movie, “Princess Aurora.” Kim also felt the same way. He said he felt as if he finally captured the suspect. 
But still, you didn’t make many changes in your acting career this time.
I think you can expect different outcomes even from the same material with different directors and storylines. And someday, I want to immerse myself in a character and play it just the way a director wants, deleting myself. And there are lots of roles that I haven’t tried yet. If I get the chance, I want to portray a woman in utter love, which I haven’t experienced in a movie or real life.
Your movie, “Dancing Queen,” did well at the box office last year. How did it affect you?
I got some zing back in my life. Actually, I suffered pain after having surgery on my thyroid while working on the film, “Mama” (2011), so I couldn’t fully enjoy acting. And when I felt empty, lost and even self-compassion, I took a role in the movie “Dancing Queen.” It helped me get refreshed and confident so that I can return to the stage as a singer whenever I want. 
You already turned 40-something, now you may have more people in the same industry who admire you. 
I think passionate people always inspire other people. Recently I was deeply impressed by singer Cho Yong-pil. And I also admire actress Lee Mi-sook. I heard in my 20s that there would be no roles for me to play when I became older. But Lee portrayed a lead role who falls in torrid love in the film, “An Affair” (1998). And she is still beautiful and sexy in small or big screens continuously. It really motivates me. 
How do you want to be remembered as an actress?
I want to be like actress Meryl Streep. I hope to have a chance to express such inner grace as she has with age in a future movie. While working on “Montage,” I thought my role as a mom was what I can do only because I got old enough to understand and inhabit the character. I’m excited to find what I can further express as I get older.

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For fans in the Philippines
Thanks to ArashikageGirl for the cool highlight  Official Website l FacebookAugust 29, 2013
2013 Korean Film Festival: New Wave of Korean Cinema

Source: Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines
Korean Film Festival to feature contemporary trends in Korean cinema Banking on the strength of the Korean Wave in the Philippines, the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines will be featuring six popular Korean films in the 2013 Korean Film Festival slated to be held from September 18 to October 10 in Manila, Iloilo, Cebu and Davao. The film festival will kick off in SM Megamall and will run from September 18 to 22, to be followed by the SM Iloilo run from September 26 to 29. From October 3 to 6, the film festival will move to SM Cebu and will have its final run on October 10 to 13 at SM Lanang in Davao.
The films to be screened are Green Days (소중한 날의 꿈), Masquerade (광해, 왕이 된 남자), Sunny (써니), A Werewolf Boy (늑대소년), Deranged (연가시), and Dancing Queen (댄싱퀸). The animated film Green Days (소중한 날의 꿈), voiced by actors PARK Shin-hye, SONG Chang-eui and OH Yeon-soo, is a coming-of-age story of Yi-Rang, a track runner, Soo-Min, a pretty transfer student from Seoul and Chul-soo, as they work towards their dreams. Topbilling the period film Masquerade (광해, 왕이 된 남자) are LEE Byung-hun of the G.I Joe fame and HAN Hyo-joo as their respective characters tackle the intricacies of court life during the Joseon dynasty. In a turn of events, King Gwang-hae was poisoned and a court jester who looks remarkably like the king, Ha-sun, fills in the role of the king until the true king recovers fully. Ha-sun’s vastly different personality incites change in the morale among the people in the castle for the better. Third in the roster is the critically-acclaimed film Sunny (써니) that retells the story of seven girls whose friendship stretches far back in high school through the journey of Na-mi, one of the seven girls. Chun-hwa, one of the girls, is presently terminally ill and asks Na-mi to get together the old members of Sunny for the last time before she dies. Popular actors SONG Joong-ki and PARK Bo-young grace the fantasy-romance flick A Werewolf Boy (늑대소년) about the young “wolf boy” and a girl who had just moved to the small rural village as these two strangers find affection from each other against a cold world that shuns them both. In Deranged (연가시), panic grows across the country as an epidemic of suicides occur where the victims jump into the river. The alarmed government declares a state of emergency. Medical supplies salesman Jae-hyuk suspects his family is showing symptoms of the drowning victims and through his brother, Detective Jae-pil, they search for the antidote to such. In Dancing Queen (댄싱퀸) the wife of the Seoul mayoral candidate was a Dancing Queen, formerly a popular talent whose chase for her dreams came to an abrupt stop when her husband, Jung-min, decided to run for office. The movie goes through the journey of Jung-hwa as she balances her life as a wife of a political candidate and as a leader of the Dancing Queen. The 2013 Korean Film Festival is in cooperation with the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), the Korea Tourism Organization – Manila (KTO), the Korea Copyright Commission, SM Cinema, SM Cinema Megamall, SM Cinema Lanang and LG. Admissions are free. For further information and queries, please contact the Korean Cultural Center at 555-1711 or email events@koreanculture.ph.