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June 16, 2016

'The Wailing' Tops Box Office with Over 5 Million Viewers in May

Source: The Chosun Ilbo

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"The Wailing," directed by Na Hong-jin, attracted some 5.82 million moviegoers last month to top the local box office, according to the Korea Film Council on Wednesday.

Domestic movies drew a total of 8.35 million spectators in May, the second best month so far this year, and the thriller, which was released on May 12, accounted for some 70 percent of the number.

But overall, foreign movies took up 53.6 percent of the box office due to poor performance of other Korean films.

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June 17, 2016

Moviegoers Prefer Older Stars, Watching Alone

Source: The Chosun Ilbo

Hwang Jung-min and Kim Hye-soo have been named the most popular actor and actress in an email survey of 10,286 people by the Chosun Ilbo and ticketing site Max Movie. 

Kim was also voted best actress, while best actor went to Song Kang-ho. 

All three are all in their 40s, while only a few stars in their 20s made it into the top 10. The results clearly reflect the changing demographic of moviegoers in Korea.

Older Actors Shine 

A majority of the top 10 most popular actors and actresses were in their 30s to 50s, the only exceptions being Chun Woo-hee and Han Hyo-joo, who are in their 20s. 

The average age of the 10 most popular actors was 39.5, with Hwang, Song, Lee Byung-hun, Cho Jin-woong and Jung Woo-sung in their 40s. 

Hwang has over the past year appeared in a series of films -- "Ode to My Father," "Veteran," "The Himalayas," "A Violent Prosecutor" and "The Wailing" -- and they were all hits.

From left, Hwang Jung-min, Kim Hye-soo and Song Kang-ho

From left, Hwang Jung-min, Kim Hye-soo and Song Kang-ho From left, Hwang Jung-min, Kim Hye-soo and Song Kang-ho

The average age of the most popular actresses was 36.1. Kim appeared in a single film in 2015, "Coin Locker Girl," which was no great success at the box office, but she made a strong impression with her role as a crime boss. She also recently starred in TV series "Signal," which drew good response from viewers and critics. 

The average age of best -- as opposed to most popular -- actors and actresses was even higher. The top 10 actors were in their 40s or over, except for Ha Jung-woo and Yu A-in. Their average age was 44.3, while the average age of the best actresses was closer to 50 at 47.1 years. 

Veteran actors such as Kim, Jeon Do-yeon, Hwang and Song have always been in the top slots since the survey first began in 2006. 

The only young star who made it into the top 10 best actresses this year was Chun, who appeared in "Love, Lies" and "The Wailing." 

A movie producer said, "Actors whose work is below par get a cold reception from audiences these days. Regardless of their age or looks, those with proven acting skills keep getting juicy parts." 

But the main reason is an increase in the number of moviegoers in their 40s or over, replacing the teenagers and 20-somethings who used to guarantee box office success.

Movie-going Patterns Change

A growing number of people enjoy going to the movies alone. When asked in 2013 whom they recently went to the movies with, only 8.2 percent said they went alone, but the figure rose to a whopping 42.4 percent this year.

According to CGV, people who bought only one ticket from its website surpassed 10 percent for the first time last year at 10.1 percent.

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According to a report released by Statistics Korea last December, 56.8 percent of Koreans over 15 said they prefer their leisure activities alone, up about 13 percentage points from 2007. 

When asked their favorite way of watching movies, 87.4 percent of the respondents said the theater, up 26.4 percentage points from 2007. 

The proportion of people who favor downloading movies on the Internet halved from 13.1 percent in 2007 to 6.6 percent this year, while that of those who prefer cable channels plummeted from 14.5 percent to a paltry 2.2 percent. Watching DVDs and videos dropped to as low as 1.1 percent from 9.6 percent. 

Movies attracted more than 200 million viewers for the third straight year since 2013, and Koreans watch an average of 4.2 films a year. However, when asked if a rise in ticket prices would affect their movie-going decisions, 86.7 percent said yes.

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June 20, 2016

More Territories Call Out to THE WAILING
NA Hong-jin’s Cannes Horror-Thriller Sells for FINECUT

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

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After its terrific reception at the Cannes Film Festival, where it bowed Out of Competition, and strong returns at the Korean box office, NA Hong-jin’s horror-thriller THE WAILING continues to sell well for international sales agent FINECUT.
 
Following deals hatched before and during Cannes for France (Metropolitan Filmexport), North America (Well Go USA) and China (Infotainment), the film most recently sold to JBG Pictures (New Zealand), Contact Film (Dutch-speaking Benelux), Movies Inspired (Italy), Klockworx (Japan), Viva Communications (the Philippines), Clover Films (Singapore), La Aventura (Spain), Moviecloud (Taiwan) and Fabula Films (Turkey).
 
In Korea, the film posted surprisingly high grosses, having to date reached 6.8 million admissions (USD 47.5 million). In the US, the film has been playing well in limited release and is currently over the USD 600,000 mark, with several more play dates to come throughout the summer. The film also opened in Australia, where it grossed AUD 98,796 (USD 72,892) during its first weekend.
 
THE WAILING focuses on a strange epidemic that causes mysterious and violent deaths that grip a village in the countryside. A policeman is helpless when his daughter falls ill, and he decides to engage the help of a shaman while also keeping an eye on a mysterious stranger.
 
Following his acclaimed and profitable action-thrillers The Chaser (2008) and The Yellow Sea (2010), director NA this time teamed up with actors KWAK Do-won, HWANG Jung-min, CHUN Woo-hee and Japanese thespian KUNIMURA Jun. The film was fully financed and distributed in Korea by 20th Century Fox, through Fox International Productions.

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June 23, 2016

Song Joong-ki to start filming ‘Battleship Island’

Korean filmmaker Ryu Seung-wan’s upcoming movie “Battleship Island” started shooting in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province on Friday.

It has already been gaining much attention from the public for its star-studded lineup and historical basis. 

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From left: So Ji-sub, Song Joong-ki, Ryu Seung-wan, Lee Jung-hyun and Hwang Jung-min (CJ Entertainment)

It is based on how Koreans were exploited on Hashima Island during the 1940s. The film revolves on about 400 people who struggled to escape from the place. 

Top actors Hwang Jung-min, Song Joong-ki and So Ji-sub will play the protagonists in the film. Hwang portrays a bandmaster Lee Kang-ok who wants to get a job in Japan to support his family. Song plays independence fighter Park Moo-young who tries to rescue people from the island and So takes on the role of Choi Chil-sung, a renowned top fighter.

The film opens in theaters next year.

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Filmmaker Ryu Seung-wan (CJ Entertainment)

By Kim Soo-hyang (shkim@heraldcorp.com)

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June 23, 2016

Hwang Jung Min, Song Joong Ki, And So Ji Sub Begin Filming For New Movie

Source: Soompi by kminjungee

Hwang Jung Min, Song Joong Ki, And So Ji Sub Begin Filming For New Movie

The highly anticipated film, “Battleship Island” (working title), which Hwang Jung Min, Song Joong Ki, So Ji Sub, and Lee Jung Hyun will be headlining, is finally underway.

On June 23, CJ Entertainment confirmed, “We started filming on June 17 at Chungju in North Chungcheong province, beginning with the scene where Lee Kang Ok, played by Hwang Jung Min, is begging to be given a job in Japan.”

“Battleship Island,” directed by Ryu Seung Wan of “Veteran” fame, takes place during the Japanese colonial era and tells the story of how 400 Joseon people bet their lives and attempt to escape Hashima Island, where they were forcibly displaced.

It will depict the unknown history behind the actual Hashima Island, also known as Gunkanjima or Battleship Island, where thousands of conscripted Joseon people were forced to work to death during the Japanese colonial era.

As previously mentioned, Hwang Jung Min will play the role of Lee Kang Ok, a hotel bandmaster who believed he was being sent to Japan, but instead was scammed and sent to the island. This film marks the second time the actor will be working with director Ryu Seung Wan.

Meanwhile, So Ji Sub will play Choi Chil Sung, Gyeongseong‘s best fighter who brought peace to the entire Jongno district. (Gyeongseong, also known as Keijo, is Seoul’s old name whilst under Japanese colonization).

Song Joong Ki will transform into independence fighter Park Moo Young, who infiltrates the island in order to rescue important figures of the independence movement against imperial Japan.

Rounding out the cast, singer and actress Lee Jung Hyun has been cast as Mal Nyun, a Joseon woman who was forced into coming to the island.

Director Ryu Seung Wan comments, “I’m happy because the first filming went smoothly, similar to flowing water. It’ll most likely become difficult, but I believe that we will continue making good progress moving forward.”

Hwang Jung Min adds, “This is only the beginning. I hope that the project will end as smoothly as it is a big project. I am not too worried because the director, and much of the staff, are colleagues I have worked with before. I’m excited because our first shoot ended well, and, moving forward, I will contemplate more about who Kang Ok is.”

It will be released in South Korean theaters sometime in 2017.

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July 27, 2016

Three Korean films invited to Toronto festival

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SEOUL, July 27 (Yonhap) -- Three South Korean films, including one by the acclaimed director Park Chan-wook, have been invited to the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, the event's website showed Wednesday.

Park's latest work, "The Handmaiden," will be shown under the Special Presentations category at the 41st edition of the festival along with "Asura: The City of Madness," directed by Kim Sung-soo, and "The Age of Shadows," directed by Kim Jee-woon.

The festival is one of the world's most prestigious film events together with its counterparts at Cannes, Berlin and Venice. This year, it is slated to run from Sept. 8-18.

The Special Presentations category introduces new works by famous directors or actors based on their artistic and commercial value.

"The Handmaiden" is a highly erotic film centered on the lesbian relationship between a servant and her master, while "Asura: The City of Madness" is a crime drama and "The Age of Shadows" a period thriller set in the 1920s when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule.

Other South Korean films that have been invited to the festival in the past include the 2009 crime drama "Mother" and the 2010 thriller "I Saw the Devil."

 hague@yna.co.kr

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July 31, 2016

‘The Wailing’ wins double at Bucheon Film Festival

Director Na Hong-jin’s horror-thriller “The Wailing” took home the best film and audience awards at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, which ran from July 21-31.

At the closing ceremony Friday, the film won the Best of Bucheon award in the Bucheon Choice: Features competition section, which celebrates progressive and unique genre films. Its panel -- consisting of veteran actors Jang Mi-hee and Jung Jin-young, director Park Chan-wook, Christian Jeune, director of the film department at Cannes Film Festival, and others -- lauded the film as rubbing shoulders with occult horror flicks like “The Exorcist” and “Seven.”

The award came with a 20 million won ($18,000) prize.

“The Wailing” also won the NH Audience award.

British director Babak Anvari’s horror flick “Under the Shadow” received the Jury’s Choice award. French actress Karin Viard was awarded Best Actress for “21 Nights with Pattie.” Indian actor Deepak Sampot took the Best Actor award for “Autohead.”

The fest’s closing film Friday was Yeon Sang-ho’s zombie animation “Seoul Station,” a prequel to “Train to Busan,” the live zombie-apocalypse thriller flick also by Yeon and which has become a recent box office hit here. “Seoul Station” will open in local theaters on Aug. 18. 

BIFAN opened with Matt Ross’ “Captain Fantastic,” a dramatic film about a man raising his children in the wilderness, on July 21 and screened a BIFAN record 320 films from 49 countries this year. 

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)

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August 3, 2016

[Just out on DVD] Korean movie "A Violent Prosecutor"

Source: Hancinema.net

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Korean movie "A Violent Prosecutor" is available to order on DVD limited edition with English subtitles from YESASIA.

2DVD Digipack with English subtitles + Special Booklet (Limited Edition)

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August 2, 2016

Early Sitges Picks Favor Korean Genre Films
THE WAILING, THE TUNNEL, THE HANDMAIDEN, TRAIN TO BUSAN Headed to Catalonia

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

In the lead up to October 7th, the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia has begun to trickle out portions of the program of its 49th edition. In what has been a strong year for Korean films, many are expected to land at the Catalonian genre event. So far, the festival has invited NA Hong-jin’s horror hit THE WAILING, KIM Seong-hun’s disaster drama The Tunnel, PARK Chan-wook’s lesbian period thriller The Handmaiden and YEON Sang-ho’s zombie blockbuster TRAIN TO BUSAN.
 
Released back in May, THE WAILING received a raft of extremely positive reviews from its Out of Competition bow at the Cannes Film Festival and was unexpected smash in Korea, garnering 6.88 million admissions (USD 50.36 million). Last week, it won the Best of Bucheon and NH Audience Award from the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan).

Following the critical and commercial success of the dark and comic thriller A Hard Day (2014), director KIM Seong-hun returns with The Tunnel, a disaster film featuring HA Jung-woo and BAE Doo-na. The film will bow in Korea on August 10th and will have its international premiere the following day at the Locarno International Film Festival.
 
The other two Korean titles from Cannes this year are also booked for Sitges. Both PARK Chan-wook and YEON Sang-ho have featured prominently at the event in the past and audience will be keen to check out their latest films. The Handmaiden, based on the novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, is set in the Colonial Era and marks PARK’s return to Korean filmmaking after his English-language debut Stoker (2013). TRAIN TO BUSAN is the first live action film from YEON and is a sequel of sorts to the animation title Seoul Station, which closed BiFan last week. 

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August 2, 2016

THE WAILING Scores Top Honors in BiFan
20th Edition Winds Down to a Close

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

NA Hong-jin’s critically-acclaimed THE WAILING won both the Best of Bucheon and NH Audience Award at the 20th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan), which held its closing ceremony on Friday, July 29th. Due to the threat of heavy downpours, the star-studded event took place in the main theater of Bucheon City Hall rather than in the park outside, which served as the venue for the opening ceremony a week earlier.
 
Some of the evening’s famous attendees included Nikita (1990) star Anne Parillaud, Seoul Station director YEON Sang-ho and his voice actors LEE Joon and SHIM Eun-kyoung, previously a BiFan Lady for the fest’s 18th edition, actors CHANG Mi-hee and JUNG Jin-young, who both took part in this year’s jury, and local directors such as PARK Chan-wook, LEE Jang-ho, KIM Han-min and JANG Cheol-soo.
 
Meanwhile, the Jury’s Choice Award went to Babak ANVARI’s Iranian horror film Under the Shadow, while Best Actress was bestowed upon Karin Viard of 21 Nights with Pattie and Best Actor was picked up by Deepak SAMPAT of Autohead.
 
In the newly set up Korean Fantastic Features section, KIM Sang-chan’s Karaoke Crazies picked up the LG HiEntech Best Korean Fantastic Film Award while the film’s star BAE So-eun walked away with Best Actress. A special mention was reserved for LEE Sang-ho’s documentary Who Killed Kim Kwang-seok?, while Phantom Detective’s KIM Ha-na was offered a special mention for Best Actress. Best Actor went to Grand Father’s PARK Keun-hyong and the Audience Award was won by Phantom Detective.
 
Best Short Film went to Simon Cartwright’s Manoman while The Bathtub by Tim Ellrich won both the Jury’s Choice and Audience Award for Short Film. In the Korea Fantastic: Shorts section, How to pick a lock by KIM Kwang-bin took the top prize. The Korean Fantastic Audience Award went to LEE Won-geun’s Cliché Resistance.
 
Among the rest of the festival, the European Fantastic Film Festival Federation (EFFFF) Asian Award went to Anurag KASHYAP’s Psycho Raman, the NETPAC Award was taken by The Forest by Paul SPURRIER, the Save Energy, Save Earth Film Award went to Captain Fantastic by Matt Ross and the inaugural BIFAN Children’s Jury Award went to Laha MEBOW’s Hang in there, Kids!.
 
Followed the awards ceremony, the director and stars of closing film Seoul Station went up on stage to introduce their film.

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August 10, 2016

Korean film festival 'K-action 2016' opens in Sao Paulo

SAO PAULO, Brazil, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- A Korean film festival opened in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Tuesday, its organizer said.

The Korean Cultural Center of the city said the annual "K-Action" event will run until Friday, with special meanings this year to mark the ongoing Summer Olympic Games that opened in Rio de Janeiro last Saturday.

The opening reception was attended by some 100 dignitaries including Korean diplomats, Brazilian artists, fans of Korean culture and Korean expats.

"K-Action 2016," an annual Korean film festival, opened in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Aug. 9, 2016. The picture is from Aug. 10. (Yonhap)

"K-Action 2016," an annual Korean film festival, opened in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Aug. 9, 2016. The picture is from Aug. 10. (Yonhap)

The center has run the movie event since 2014. Each year celebrates a different theme. The first year K-pop idols were the subject, and it was Korean women the next year. This year, the theme is "Our Heroes."

As the opening film, "Ode to My Father," the second-most-watched film ever in Korean cinematic history, was screened. After the screening event, a forum took place with a Brazilian culture reporter and Korean movie director Kim Eun-mi. Other popular Korean movies, like "Roaring Currents"; "Masquerade," also known as "Gwanghae: the Man Who Became the King"; "Korea" and "Take Off," are lined up for screening.

"K-Action 2016," an annual Korean film festival, opens in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Aug. 9 and it runs until Aug. 12, 2016. The picture is taken on Aug. 10. (Yonhap)

"K-Action 2016," an annual Korean film festival, opens in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Aug. 9 and it runs until Aug. 12, 2016. The picture is taken on Aug. 10. (Yonhap)

"This year, we chose heroes as our theme to celebrate the first Summer Olympic Games in South America," said Hong Young-jong, consul general of the Consulate General of the city. Saying that Korean culture is popular particularly in Brazil, he said, "We expect this event to help the two countries deepen their bond through movies."

Alongside the film festival, a special exhibition is taking place to show the national uniform of Korean athletes who participate in the Olympic games.

Separately, "Viva Coreia," a group of supporters in Brazil for the Korean national team, will take to the streets and visit stadiums to cheer for both Brazilian and Korean players this weekend.

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August 13, 2016

August Brand Power Rankings For Actors Revealed

Source: Soompi by kokoberry 

The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed its brand power rankings for actors for August (from July 11 to August 12). The results come from 76,521,377 pieces of data that measure brand participation, media coverage, communication, and community.

In first place comes Gong Yoo with 7,718,734. Following him is Ha Jung Woo and Song Joong Ki in second and third place respectively.

Check out the full list below!

1. Gong Yoo
2. Ha Jung Woo
3. Song Joong Ki
4. Lee Byung Hun
5. Park Hae Il
6. Hwang Jung Min
7. Lee Jung Jae
8. Song Hye Kyo
9. Kim Soo Hyun
10. Cha Seung Won
11. Lee Beom Soo
12. Song Kang Ho
13. Yoo Ah In
14. Lee Min Ho
15. Kang Dong Won
16. Jun Ji Hyun
17. Choi Min Sik
18. Yoo Hae Jin
19. Oh Dal Soo
20. Yoo Seung Ho
21. Lee Kwang Soo

A representative from the research institute revealed that there were big changes in brand power rankings due to the success of the film “Train To Busan” which features Gong Yoo. As for Ha Jung Woo, he had been maintaining a high ranking but moved up from third place to second place due to his new film “Tunnel.”

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August 16, 2016

AGE OF SHADOWS, CITY OF MADNESS, HANDMAIDEN Selected for Toronto
BARGAIN Invited to TIFF Short Cuts

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

Korean blockbusters will be heavily featured in the Special Presentations lineup of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Veteran directors KIM Jee-woon, PARK Chan-wook and KIM Sung-soo will present The Age of Shadows, The Handmaiden and Asura: The City of Madness, respectively.
 
Returning to the Korean scene after his Hollywood foray The Last Stand (2013), KIM Jee-woon will premiere his new Colonial Era action-thriller The Age of Shadows at the Venice International Film Festival early next month. Featuring SONG Kang-ho and GONG Yoo, the film will open in Korean theatres on September 7th, ahead of the local Chuseok holiday, before screening in Canada.
 
Having its world premiere in Toronto will be Asura: The City of Madness, KIM’s first film since the influenza thriller The Flu (2013). The film stars JUNG Woo-sung as a cop who gets caught between internal affairs and a city mayor.
 
Following its competition slot at the Cannes Film Festival and its successful run at the Korean box office, which netted it almost 4.3 million viewers, PARK’s The Handmaiden will continue its festival run in Toronto. Based on Sarah Waters’ novel Fingersmith, the steamy Colonial Era thriller stars HA Jung-woo, KIM Min-hee and newcomer KIM Tae-ri.
 
Also playing in Toronto will be Bargain in the Short Cuts section. Director LEE Chung-hyun’s 14-minute film will have its international premiere after winning the Busan Cinephile Awards and Jury Prize from the Busan International Short Film Festival.
 
TIFF will continue to reveal sections of its lineup in the coming weeks.

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September 2, 2016

Movie 'Asura: The City of Madness'

Movie 'Asura: The City of Madness'

The stars of the new movie "Asura: The City of Madness" -- Jung Man-sik, Kwak Do-won, Hwang Jung-min, Jung Woo-sung and Joo Ji-hoon (L to R) -- pose for a photo during a publicity event in Seoul on Sept. 1, 2016. The movie will be released in South Korea on Sept. 28. (Yonhap) (END)

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September 7, 2016

Toronto Film Fest reflects current trends in Korean cinema

By Jason Bechervaise The Korea Times

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A still from "The Age of Shadows / Courtesy of Warner Bros. Korea

It's been a strong year for Korean films thus far, both on the domestic front and international festival circuit ― so much so that 2016 could be hailed as one of the best in years. 

Na Hong-jin's "The Wailing" received critical acclaim in Cannes and its box office performance followed suit, accumulating more than 6.8 million admissions in May. 

"Train to Busan" went even further, surpassing 11 million admissions during the busy summer box office season, repeating its rapturous response in Cannes and performing well in a number of international markets, including Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. 

Other features such as Park Chan-wook's "The Handmaiden," Kim Seong-hoon's "Tunnel" and Lee Joon-ik's "Dong-ju: The Portrait of a Poet" have also been popular with audiences and critics alike. 

Turning now to the fall festival season, which includes Venice and Toronto, Korean films remain a prominent fixture in this year's line-ups, further illustrating the strength of the local industry. 

At the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which kicks off Sept. 8, five Korean features have been invited this year. 

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A still from "Asura: The City of Madness" / Courtesy of CJ Entertainment

Kim Jee-woon's occupation-era espionage thriller "The Age of Shadows," which premiered in Venice last week and hits local screens Sept. 7, will have its first public screening in North America in TIFF's Special Presentations section Sept. 17. 

Having already garnered strong reviews in Venice, it's set to solidify Kim's reputation as one of Korea's leading genre filmmakers. 

But much like "The Wailing," "The Age of Shadows" was produced and funded by a Hollywood studio rather than a local one -- a further sign that the industry is changing. 

In an interview with The Korea Times, TIFF programmer Giovanna Fulvi said, "it's too bad for Hollywood that they did not pay attention earlier because Korea has been producing very good films for many years. That shows that Hollywood lacks creativity." 

Interestingly the film comes at a time when a number of films set during the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-45) have already hit screens this year including "The Handmaiden," "The Last Princess" and "Spirits' Homecoming." 

"My goal is to reflect current trends in Korean cinema," Fulvi said. 

This trend along with another popular theme that continues to crop up in current Korean cinema is "corruption." 

"It seems that this year these themes ― Japanese occupation, corruption ― are important to major filmmakers," said Fulvi, making reference to Park Chan-wook's colonial lesbian thriller "The Handmaiden" that is also screening at the festival, and Woo Min-ho's political thriller "Inside Men." 

At this year's festival, Kim Sung-soo's crime-action feature "Asura: The City of Madness," which will have its world premiere in Toronto, appears to share much in common with "Inside Men," "A Violent Prosecutor" and "Veteran" which all tackle the issue of corruption. 

Starring Jung Woo-sung, Hwang Jung-min and Kwak Do-won, it follows a detective who does the dirty work for a local mayor in order to pay the medical bills for his gravely ill wife. But when a prosecutor is determined to take down the politician and forces the detective to corroborate, he is stuck in the middle. 

Also invited to the festival this year are the latest films from other well-established auteurs: Kim Ki-duk and Hong Sang-soo. 

Kim Ki-duk's "The Net," which also debuted in Venice last week and screens in TIFF's Master's strand, follows a North Korean fisherman played by Ryoo Seung-bum who inadvertently finds himself in South Korean waters and is questioned by the local authorities. He is encouraged to defect, but that would mean leaving his wife and daughter behind. 

The latest film from Hong Sang-soo, "Yourself and Yours," will have its world premiere at TIFF in the same section. Kim Ju-hyeok plays a painter searching for his girlfriend (Lee Yoo-young) following an argument over another man whom she met. 

Speaking about the number of films from Korean auteurs at TIFF this year, and how these filmmakers can provide the industry with exposure on the global stage, Fulvi said, "We are very lucky that the stars have aligned and TIFF has been able to spotlight many films by these masters at the same time. These directors will bring a lot of international attention to Korean cinema in general, enabling the many emerging new voices to be heard." 

Commenting on the strong lineup of Korean films this year, he said, "As someone who has been paying attention to Korean cinema for many years, it is honestly not that surprising that this is another great year for Korean cinema. And I am happy that major film festivals have the space and interest to showcase contemporary Korean cinema." 

Also showing at TIFF this year is the Jeonju Cinema Project "A Decent Woman" by Lukas Valenta Rinner and the Korean short "Bargain" by Lee Chung-hyun about a young woman who meets a man in a hotel room. 

TIFF runs from Sept. 8 to 18. 

Jason Bechervaise is a film columnist for The Korea Times. He can be reached at jase@koreanfilm.org.uk.

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September 18, 2016

Movies with multiple main  actors hottest box office trend

By Park Jae-hyuk The Korea Times

Spy thriller "The Age of Shadows" swept the box office during the Chuseok long weekend last week, attracting over 5 million viewers. The movie drew more than 860,000 viewers a day, the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) said.

The film created plenty of interest even before its release because of its star-studded cast.

Seasoned actor Song Kang-ho, whose previous film "The Attorney" attracted over 10 million viewers, co-stars with other popular actors Gong Yoo and Lee Byung-hun in the movie. Gong and Lee's films "Train to Busan" and "Masquerade," respectively, both attracted over 10 million viewers.

"The Age of Shadows" illustrates one of the hottest trends in the Korean film industry where movies have multiple main characters. "Asura: The City of Madness," which will be released on Sept. 28, stars some of Korea's most celebrated male actors, such as Jung Woo-sung, Hwang Jung-min and Kwak Do-won.

"Master," which will be released in December, also features some of the hottest stars, including Lee Byung-hun, Kang Dong-won and Kim Woo-bin.

Multiple main character casting became a box office trend after director Choi Dong-hoon's caper movie "The Thieves," released in 2012, was a big hit.

The film had a slew of stars, including Kim Yoon-seok, Lee Jung-jae, Kim Hye-soo, Jun Ji-hyun and Kim Soo-hyun. It ranks fifth in Korea's box office records, drawing more than 12 million viewers.

After "Assassination" came "Veteran," which also drew over 10 million viewers last year.

Industry watchers say that theatergoers pay more attention to the movie and give more positive reviews if it features more than one famous actor. Actors are also relieved of some burden because they do not have to lead throughout the entire movie.

In Hollywood, there are plenty of movies with multiple main characters for those reasons.

The caper film "Ocean's Eleven" and the superhero movie series "The Avengers" are examples of such successes in Hollywood. Recently released, "The Magnificent Seven" is another because it has seven main characters.

jaehyuk@ktimes.com

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September 22, 2016

Bloodstained ‘Asura’ depicts criminal world with no room for justice

Director Kim Sung-soo’s new crime noir film portrays a web of corruption where force and greed reign supreme 

In the ferocious new crime thriller “Asura: The City of Madness,” director Kim Sung-soo wanted to depict the “weary lives of powerless villains.”

The film is a raw action flick teeming with blood and subterfuge, and one that director Kim had wanted to make for “a very, very long time,” he told reporters after a press screening Wednesday in northern Seoul.

The 54-year-old filmmaker, known for works like “The Flu” (2013) and “The Restless” (2006), aimed to tell the story of “the countless (sidekick) villains that appear in crime action films” who end up sacrificing their lives for the greater evil. Kim had wondered why they pledge such loyalty to their exploitative bosses and what drives such fear into their hearts.

“It’s a cruel fate they’re born into,” mused Kim. “(Movie villains) work so hard to do so many evil deeds and don’t even receive proper compensation. 

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From left: Actors Jung Man-sik, Kwak Do-won, Hwang Jung-min, Jung Woo-sung and Ju Ji-hoon pose for a photo at a press conference for upcoming film “Asura: The City of Madness” held at CGV Wangsimni in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

“I wanted to push these characters to the edge and observe how they turn on each other and eventually, their fearsome employer,” he said.

“Asura” depicts the bleak underworld of politicians and public officials who are intertwined in a thick web of crime, blackmail and betrayal. At its center is Park Sung-bae (Hwang Jung-min), the rapacious mayor of the fictional city of Annam who solicits corrupt cop Han Do-kyung (Jung Woo-sung) to cover the tracks of his illegal dealings. Han, in desperate need of money to pay his terminally ill wife’s hospital bills, consorts with the lowest of the low in back alleys to carry out the depraved mayor’s biddings.

When the course of Han’s work leads to an accidental murder, prosecutor Kim Cha-in (Kwak Do-won) swoops in to propose a deal: immunity for handing over evidence that can put the corrupt mayor behind bars. Han slowly falls apart in the hellish, bloodstained struggle between the two powers, which culminates in a gruesome shootout and a gripping car chase on a rain-soaked highway -- a scene which was “incredibly difficult and dangerous” to shoot, according to director Kim.

The highlights of the film include its shrewd if expletive-filled dialogue and rough action scenes that physically depict the “fierce struggle” of the criminal universe, said actor Jung Woo-sung. 

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A still from upcoming film “Asura: The City of Madness” by director Kim Sung-soo (CJ E&M)

“We didn’t want well-choreographed action sequences,” said Jung, who performed many of the fight scenes himself. “We didn’t want to use tricks or techniques, but (wanted to) convey the raw stress of the characters through their bodies.”

Director Kim also focused on camerawork. He wanted to use varied angles so that the audience would detect, albeit unconsciously, a “slightly different take” and an “unfamiliar perspective” of familiar action scenes.

Ultimately, the film tells the story of a man “drenched in the world of violence, who ends up being destroyed by that violence, which turns on him,” said director Kim. 

He had not wanted to deal with “the traditional dynamic of good versus evil where justice inevitably prevails,” the filmmaker said, opting instead to illustrate a universe “filled only with villains” where “the notion of justice dare not intrude.”

“Asura: The City of Madness” was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival last month. It will open in local theaters on Sept. 28. 

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)

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