Dir. Kim Ki Duk 김기덕

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September 17, 2012
[CHART] Weekend Box Office: September 14-16
Editor: Lee Tae-ho KSTAR10

South Korea's box office estimates for the weekend of September 14 to 16, 2012. [Korean Box Office Information System (KOBIS)]

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September 18, 2012
Korean films top the box office chartsMasquerade is number 1 and Pieta reaches 3rd spotby Kim Hyun-min KOFIC
Expectations created by Lee Byung-hun and the Venice Golden Lion effect are heating up the performances of Korean films at the box office. Lee’s Masquerade drew 1.1 million last weekend, showing signs of a big blockbuster hit. Kim Ki-duk’s Pieta is keeping the number three spot with an overall audience of 350,000. According to the KOFIC’s theater admissions data system, Masquerade was screened at 809 screens across Korea from the 14th to 16th, drawing 110,859 admissions, jumping to the top spot on the charts. Its market share is 53.3%. 4 days after its release, the overall admission is 1,281,304, which is far above the figure reached by Hollywood’s Resident Evil 5: Retribution. Kim Ki-duk’s Pieta is also enjoying the Venice Golden Lion effect at the box office. The number of screens for the film has gone by more than two fold since its release (from 153 to 325) and the number of screenings per day has also increased by three times. The film drew 148,558 at 325 screens, reaching the break even point 10 days after its release. The overall admission number is 353,774. On the other hand, Hollywood films are not faring well at the Korean box office. The Bourne Legacy, which was the number one film at the box office last week has dropped to the fourth place with 135,953 admissions on 345 screens. The Expendables 2 is also showing a lackluster performance with 53,584 admissions at 253 screens, dropping 4 places to the 7th spot.

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September 20, 2012

Kim Ki-duk's Pieta sees strong overseas sales
YonhapNews

SEOUL, Sept. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korean director Kim Ki-duk's new film "Pieta" has achieved many significant sales deals since its Golden Lion win at the Venice International Film Festival early this month, according to the film's sales agency.

   Pieta's sales agency Finecut said on Thursday that it signed four deals to distribute the movie to foreign countries after receiving multiple bids for the rights during the recently closed Toronto International Film Festival.

   

The deals are in addition to previously announced sales to some 20 locations, including Russia, Norway, Turkey, Hong Kong and Greece, according to the agency.

   After a heated competition, France's Pretty Pictures won the rights to distribute Pieta in French-speaking European regions, the agency said.

   Pretty Pictures was the local distributor of Kim's previous films "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring," and "3-Iron."

   Other post-Toronto deals included one with King Records for Japan, with Aerofilms for the Czech and Slovak republics and with California Filmes for Brazil. This year's Toronto festival was held from Sept. 6-16.

   More contracts will follow since negotiations with buyers from the United States, Britain, Australia, Israel, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Taiwan, Sweden and several other countries are under way, the sales agency said.

   Released on Sept. 6 in local theaters, Pieta has attracted more than 400,000 moviegoers as of Wednesday, after passing the break-even point on its 10th day after opening.

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September 23, 2012
Fun and MeaningfulKey facts about 5 films of September 2012
by Ji Yong-jin  KOFIC Films released between late August and early September have been gaining positive responses from audiences. Each of them in different genre and different colors is very characteristic. Let’s see what points we should focus on when watching them.
◇ Pieta
Kim Ki-duk communicates with the publicSeptember 6 | Director Kim Ki-duk | Main Cast Cho Min-su, Lee Jung-jin  | 104 min | 18+
Kim Ki-duk is back after a long hiatus. It has been 4 years since Dream (2008). Although ARIRANG was screened at the 5th CINDI Film Festival last year, he officially had a 4-year break because none of his films have been in theater in the mean time. This is noticeable for several reasons. First, Pieta is the first film he presents to the public after a long years of hiatus. Second, it is the film that brought Kim the Golden Lion, the highest prize at the competition section of the 69th Venice Film Festival. Last and most importantly, he finally broke out of the image of an 'isolated and disconnected' man and approached the public one step closer. Some critics even say the world of Kim's work can be divided into pre- and post-Pieta. Boosted by the winning of the Golden Lion, Pieta has attracted 350 thousand audiences to theaters and it is likely to run much longer.  ◇ Masquerade
Amazing performance by Lee Byung-hunSeptember 13 | Director Choo Chang-min | Main Cast Lrr Byung-hun, Ryu Seung-ryong, Han Hyo-joo | 131 min | 14+   From the first scene where a moody king pretties himself up, every frame of Masquerade is an eye catcher. Without hesitating, the story quickly develops to the point where a jester Ha-sun is disguised as Prince Gwanghae. Through the masquerade, the director delivers the message that 'the fake can be more real than the real' in the end. It is when the jester with a very low social status seemingly deserves to be a king more than the real king that the film reaches the climax. It is a political satire, comedy, and melodrama at the same time. Inspired by 'The Prince and the Beggar', a novel by Mark Twain, this film is a faction, a modified story of the history. The entire 131 minutes never get boring. That certainly by virtue of the actors. Lee Byung-hun's acting especially outstanding. He definitely dominates the film. ◇ Grape Candy
A ballad for the leftSeptember 6 | Director, Scriptwriter Kim Hee-jung | Main Cast Park Jin-hee Park Ji-yun, KimJeong-nan | 104 min | 14+   This is Kim Hee-jung's second feature film. After The Wonder Years, she once again took a close look at wounded souls. While The Wonder Years was a coming-of-age film about an orphaned girl, Grape Candy talks about grown-ups hurt by their past. Seon-ju (Park Jin-hee) one day bumps into So-ra (Park Ji-yun), who was a friend back in middle school until they graduated 17 years ago, but Seon-ju doesn't feel good about it. They go to Busan together without speaking out something they might want to. As Jeong-eun (Kim Jeong-nan), sister of another old friend Yeo-eun joins them there, their emotions become complicated. This film focuses on speaking out about wounds rather than reconciling each other. It deals with the pain and influence of deep-rooted misunderstanding and wounds. After all, Grape Candy is a film that soothes the feelings of the survivors from an accident.   ◇ The 577 Project
This is the name of realityAugust 30 | Director Lee Keun-woo | Main Cast Ha Jung-woo, Kong Hyo-jin | 99 min | 14+    He should have watched his mouth. At an awarding ceremony in 2010, Ha Jung-woo officially said, "If I win the Best Actor's Award, I will walk through the entire nation.", which came true. From Seoul Arts Center to Haenam, the south end of Korean peninsula, he started 577km long journey. Kong Hyo-jin, he co-starred in Love Fiction somehow got involved in the project and then it became a rolling snowball. This is how this documentary about the 22 days of journey was made. There was even no scenario. This is the name of reality film. The stars are exposed to the camera without make-ups. As the participants get exhausted, the viewers start to see what they could see from the stars before. After the journey is over, Ha repeated the same mistake by saying he would do it again.  ◇ Young Gun in the Time
Exciting and wild imagination08.30 | Director Oh Yeong-du | Main Cast Hong Yeong-geun, Choi Song-hyeon, Ha Eun-jeong | 95 min | 18+   Because the budget is low, doesn’t mean imagination should by hindered. Young Gun in the Time is a film that cheerfully resists the conditions. Director Oh Yeong-du and leading actors Hong Yeong-geun, Ha Eun-jeong are members of a film creation group ‘Kino Mangosteen’. All the members switch their role between director and actor, and sometimes they even become staff. ‘Kino Mangosteen’ have already proved that they can make interesting films with low budget when they made The Neighbor Zombie (2009) and Invasion of Alien Bikini (2010). Their films don’t have a certain format. The settings are ridiculous and they don’t even belong to any certain genre. But they are definitely fun. ‘Fun Films’ might be the most simple but honest expression to describe ‘Kino Mangosteen’ films.

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September 24, 2012

'Pieta' Gains Momentum at Box Office After Venice Award
ChosunIlbo

Director Kim Ki-duk's "Pieta," which won the best film award at this year's Venice Film Festival, is about to hit the 500,000 mark in terms of the number of viewers it has attracted. 

Due to its relatively low production cost of W850 million (US$1=W1,119), the movie's producers already broke even when the audience hit 300,000.

According to the Korean Film Council, since its release on Sept. 6, the movie had attracted 483,123 people as of Saturday. It also drew 27,371 viewers that day alone to rank fifth in the daily box office charts, despite it only having a limited release at local theaters. 

On the daily chart, "Masquerade" starring Lee Byung-hun took the No. 1 spot on Saturday, followed by "The Spy," which hit the theaters on Thursday. "Masquerade" has drawn some 2.8 million viewers in just over a week since its release.

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September 24, 2012

Kim Ki-duk to close screening of 'Pieta' as audience tops 500,000
YonhapNews

SEOUL, Sept. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean director Kim Ki-duk said on Monday he will finish screening his internationally acclaimed film "Pieta" in South Korea by early next month to give more opportunities to other low-budget films as it has already drawn a large audience.

   "My infinitely dismal film 'Pieta' topped the 500,000 mark in audience members last weekend," Kim said in an open letter sent through the film's local promotion company to his fans.

   "For me, the movie is as successful as a movie that obtained more than 5 million viewers," he said, expressing thanks to those who came to see his latest work.

   

The break-even point of the low-budget art house film about a ruthless young debt collector who is visited by a mysterious woman who claims to be his long-lost mother was 250,000, according to the director. For commercial films, a movie with ticket sales of 4 million is considered a box office success in the country.

   The audience figure for "Pieta" jumped by more than three times after it won the Golden Lion Award for best film at the Venice International Film Festival early this month.

   Kim said the fact that so many people from different age groups watched his movie even though it is not a commercial film means a lot.

   The director-writer then vowed to finish screening the movie at all movie theaters in the country on Oct. 3, the fourth week since opening, through discussions with its distributor, to allow other low-budget films to be shown.

   "I sincerely hope other small films will get chances to be screened in place of mine," Kim added.

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September 25, 2012
Box office pull of 2 hitsMasquerade 3.2 million and Pieta surpasses the 500 thousand mark by Kim Hyun-min KOFIC

Masquerade which drew 2 million only 8 days after release has gone over 3,227,957 in admissions 11 days after opening. This is the fastest show of popularity out of all of September releases. Its success is comparable to Silenced which drew 3 million in the same period last year and Tazza: The High Rollers which brought in 6.84 million. In the case of Silenced, the number takes in admissions that occurred on the Nation Foundation Day Holiday on the 3rd of October, but Masquerade has not had the holiday-effect yet so the significance of its success is all the more great. The speed of the popularity momentum of Masquerade surpasses War of the Arrows, the biggest hit of last year by a day but War of the Arrows opened in the peak period of summer whereas Masquerad’s opening date was during the non-peak season of fall which makes the latter’s success unusual. Meanwhile Kim Ki-duk’s Pieta was screened on 29 screens across the country with 22,628 going to see it on the 23rd of September. The overall audience number so far is 505,750, ranking 6th on the box office chart. This is 18 after its release and 15 days after its win at Venice of the Golden Lion Award. 

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September 25, 2012
Abu Dhabi Film Festival Announces Full Line-upBy NAZIA KHAN AhlanLive l Abu Dhabi Film Festival
The best of Arab and world cinema as well as Hollywood hits to feature at the sixth edition of the fest
The Abu Dhabi Film Festival [ADFF] has announced the full line-up of its sixth edition, running from 11 October to 20 October, and while it's not super-high on star power there's a fine selection of movies to catch. 
As we'd reported earlier, Richard Gere-starrer Arbitrage will open the fest and our fave silver fox will walk the red carpet with fellow actor Nate Parker, executive producer Mohammed Al Turki and director Nicholas Jarecki. The movie's got great reviews and there's already a strong Oscar nomination buzz around Gere.    
Also confirmed to attend opening night are South Indian megastar Mammootty and Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani. And then are the icons. ADFF will be presenting two Lifetime Achievement Awards this year, and the recipients are Egyptian screen legend Sawsan Badr and Italian star Claudia Cardinale. 
Overall, a total of 81 feature length films and 84 short films representing 48 countries will be screened at ADFF. The 10-day fest will also have master classes and workshops by regional and international film experts targeting emerging and established Arab filmmakers. 
Movies from the UAE include short film Murk Light, short narrative film Afwah and A Ride to Hell in the student short narrative competition. You'll also get a chance to see Palestine's Oscar entry When I Saw You, along with world premieres from Qatar, Lebanon and Egypt. 
Among the interesting Hollywood films showing at the fest are The Company You Keep starring Shia Le Bouf and Robert Redford, Zoe Kazan's quirky Ruby Sparks and Sparkle, starring Whitney Houston and Jordin Sparks.  This year’s Special Programmes include a Spotlight on South Korea, with all-time top flicks like Park Chan-wook’s Joint Security Area, Kim Ki-duk’s Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring and Kim Jee-won’s The Good, the Bad, the Weird as well as exciting new works like Choo Chang-min’s Masquerade, Hong Sang-soo’s In Another Country and Jo Sung-hee’s A Werewolf Boy. There's also a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Algerian independence that includes The Battle of Algiers and Harraga Blues. 
Apart from this, restored prints of classics including Lawrence of Arabia (1962), 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954) and Singin’ in the Rain (1952) will also be screened at the festival.

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October 16, 2012
Revival of Korean movies
By Rachel Lee The Korea Times
This is the 14th in a 15-part series on the stars and trends in “Hallyu” or Korean wave, which is gaining global popularity in Southeast Asia and Latin America. The Korea Times produces this special project in cooperation with the Korean Foundation and CJ E&M. ― ED.
“Old Boy” (2003)
If the 10-million milestone in Korean film industry is a good barometer, the Korean film industry is enjoying yet another renaissance since making it big in the early 2000s. 
The biggest hit of this year is “The Thieves,” which was released in July. The heist film directed by Choi Dong-hoon with an all-star cast including Kim Hye-soo and Jun Ji-hyun currently has been seen by 13.02 million people, beating out “The Host” (2006) that attracted 13.01. 

It’s also the sixth film to surpass the 10 million mark in the history of Korean cinema.Following closely on its heel is “Masquerade” starring Korean heartthrob Lee Byung-hun and directed by Choo Chang-min. After a little over a month since its release, some 9 million have watched the movie and the number is expected to rise.
“The movie simply reaped the success of the Korean-style blockbuster,” Jung Duk-hyun, a popular culture critic, said Monday during a telephone interview. “It’s one of the two major currents in mainstream Korean cinema today along with what we call well-made films. Now, Korean cinema has a full system set up to produce such commercial blockbusters, which audiences love to watch these days.”

Aside from these commercial hits, Korea’s auteur director Kim Ki-duk’s bleak-morality tale won the Golden Lion for best movie at the 69th Venice Film Festival. His film, “Pieta,” has also been submitted as a foreign language candidate for the Oscars. 
Korean films initially appeared on the international cinema circuit around the turn of the 20th century. A number of Korean movies were already enjoying global attention before “hallyu,” or the Korean Wave, took Asia by storm with K-pop songs and television dramas. Quality films like Kang Je-kyu’s “Swiri” (1998), Park Chan-wook’s “Joint Security Area” (2000), and “My Sassy Girl” (2001) are among them. But the big spotlight came particularly with Park’s “Old Boy” (2003). Since then, the world’s attention shifted toward K-pop. 

“Korean culture has received a warm reception from around the world thanks to K-pop that paved the way to enter the world market for films and television miniseries, and it pushed up exports,” film critic Park Woo-sung said Monday.
Also Korean directors are making successful inroads in Hollywood, if the ability to cast A-listers can attest to this. Park and Bong have shot new movies in the United States with big Hollywood names. Park cast stars like Nicole Kidman and Matthew Goode for “Stoker,” which will be released next year. Director Kim Jee-woon also recently shot his new film “Last Stand” (set to be released on Jan. 18, 2013) in the world’s biggest film market with actors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Forest Whitaker.

The rise in K-films is invariably linked to Hollywood as well.
“Hollywood has gradually been losing its monopoly so it is looking for new subject matter from abroad and Korea is one of the attractive markets for remake rights,” said Jung. 
Amid such a spike in the popularity of domestic films, movie exports are booming, reaching $15.8 million in 2011, a 13.8 percent increase year-on-year. A total of 358 movies were exported, 82 more than last year. It reversed a six-year contraction. 

More Korean films are premiering at international film festivals. “The Thieves” has been selected to open the London Korean Film Festival and will close the Paris Korean Film Festival in November. It was sold to such Asian countries as China, Singapore and Thailand even before its release here and is also set to be released in 12 cities worldwide including Los Angeles and New York. 
The country has also been the host of various film festivals. The Busan International Festival, which closed Saturday, has positioned itself as the biggest of its kind in Asia and eighth biggest in the world since 1996. The Jeonju International Film Festival, which debuted in 2001, focuses on digital, independent and art films. Other well-known events include the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival, the International Women’s Film Festival and the Jechon International Music & Film Festival. 

“Cinema is positioned as one of the must-do leisure activities in Korea and audiences tend to go for more popular films like Korean-style blockbusters than art movies or independent films these days,” Park Woo-sung said. “But this phenomenon won’t do anything good to develop the industry. Korean cinema should focus on its quality and content rather than just trying to go global and following trends.”

History of cinema in Korea
Korean cinema dates back to 1903 when people paid to watch moving pictures of scenery from Korea and abroad in Dongdaemun, eastern Seoul. In 1919, the first Korean film was made, a kino-drama “Fight for Justice” directed by Kim do-san. After that such silent Korean movies as “Arirang” (1926) were produced over the next few years with better techniques and production values. 
When the Park Chung-hee administration took office in the 1960s, seen as a golden age, it pushed a program of state-led industrialization and economic development in every area of society and cinema was no exception. It ushered in a more stable system through corporation-style production so companies cranked out films, spanning a wide variety of genres. Notable movies in this era include “Aimless Bullet” (1961) by Yu Hyun-mok, “Mother and A Guest” (1961) by Shin Sang-ok and “Sound of Magpies” (1967) by Kim Soo-yong. Korean film has been through many twists and turns since the golden age and finally regained its momentum.
For more information, visit www. enewsworld.com. rachel@koreatimes.co.kr

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

Source: Official 49th Daejong Website l Nate ++ l Movist.com l wikipedia
Related soompi thread HERE

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 19, 2012
PIETA Wins a Triple CrownKAFC Announces winners of KAFC Awards
by Jang Sung-ran KOFIC
Kim Ki-duk’s Pieta, the winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival once again enjoyed the top position by receiving 3 awards at the 32nd Korean Association of Film Critics awards (KAFC Awards) hosted by the Korean Association of Film Critics (KAFC). The association decided to give the Best Picture award to Pieta, the Best Director award to KIM and the Best Actress award to Cho Min-su. The Best Actor award went to Ahn Sung-ki of Unbowed and Kim Sung-kyun of The Neighbor and Kim Go-eun of Eungyo were chosen as the Best New Actor and the Best New Actress respectively. The Best New Directors of the year are Shin Aha-ka and Lee Sang-cheol, who directed Jesus Hospital together. Yoon Jong-bin, who wrote and directed Nameless Gangster : Rules of the Time, took the Best Screenplay award home.
The Thieves, the best Korean box office hit in 2012, won the Best Cinematography award (Choi Yeong-hwan) and Masquerade won the Best Technique award (Oh Heung-seok). The owner of the Best Music award was Lee Ji-su, the music director of Architecture 101, the biggest hit among Korean melodrama films of all time. The awards presentation of the KAFC Awards will be emceed by Ahn Sung-ki as the MC at the international conference hall of the Korean Press Center at Gwanghwamun on November 7th.
October 18, 2012
'Pieta', this year's best movie by film critics
Source: Innolife Korea

‘Pieta’ of director Kim Ki-Deok was chosen as the best movie of this year by Korean film critics.
According to an announcement of Korean Film Critics Association on 17th, the movie ‘Pieta’ was rewarded with Best Actress, Best Director and Best Film awards at the 32nd Yeong-Pyeong Awards. The movie got the honor of being the best movie by local film critics after being rewarded ‘Leone d'Oro’ at Venice Film Festival.
Best Actor Award was given to Ahn Seong-Gi of ‘Unbowed’ and Cho Min-Su of ‘Pieta’, and New Actor Award was given to Kim Seong-Kyun of ‘Neighbors’ and Kim Ko-Eun of ‘Eun-Gyo’. Director Shin Ah-Ga and Lee Sang-Cheol of ‘Jesus Hospital’ were rewarded together of New Director Award. 
The 32nd Yeong-Pyeong Awards is going to be proceed by Ahn Seong-Gi’s moderation at International Conference Hall at Press Center in Seoul on November 17.

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November 1, 2012

PIETA Aims for Oscar Glory
Promotional screenings at the AFI

by Ji Yong-jin KOFIC



Pieta, recipient of the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival, is aiming for the first Oscar in the history of Korean cinema. The Korean Film Council has announced that Pieta will be screened at the AFI Asian Film Festival and that the screening venue will be the Chinese Theater in Hollywood. This means that KOFIC is optimistic about the film's chances for an Oscar and is why promotional activities have begun in the U.S.

Director KIM Ki-duk is to take part in a red carpet event and he will meet audiences after the screening during a question and answer session. Pieta will be screened a total of three times during the festival and there will also be a special KIM Ki-duk retrospective held at the Cinefamily Theater in L.A. from 3rd November until the 5th. The event will highlight some of KIM’s representative films, such as Time, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring, 3-Iron and Bad Guy. The aim of the retrospective is to introduce Kim’s cinematic world to film professionals based there.

Meanwhile, there will be a screening of films submitted to the Academy Awards organized by the online entertainment website, ‘The Wrap’ and Pieta will be part of the programming there, too. Director KIM will be present at the screening and he is scheduled to meet members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The promotional activities for Pieta are supported by KOFIC and the Korean Cultural Foundation of Los Angeles.

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November 7, 2012

Government Honors Kim Ki-duk, Psy

ChosunIlbo



The government on Tuesday decided to award the order of cultural merit to Kim Ki-duk, who won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival this year for his film "Pieta," as well as its two lead actors Cho Min-soo and Lee Jung-jin. 

The medal will also go to rapper Psy, whose song "Gangnam Style" has become a global sensation, and five other figures who have devoted themselves to "outstanding meritorious services" to the arts. 

The award ceremony will be held at the Seoul Olympic Hall on Nov. 19.

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November 8, 2012
'Pieta' Honored with 4 Trophies from Korean Association of Film Critics        Reporter: Lee Hye Ji Editor: Monica Suk KSTAR10
Korean director Kim Ki-duk is cementing its world-wide fame earned after receiving the Golden Lion award at the 69th Venice International Film Festival. 
Kim's 18th film “Pieta” has received four honors from the Korean Association of Film Critics [KAFC] at the 32nd awards ceremony held at the Korea Press Center in Seoul last evening.
The cruel morality film was chosen for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress and FIPRESCI Korea Award, a prize given to the International film critics.
Korean heartthrob Lee Byung-hun’s first historic pic “Masquerade,” which scored 15 awards at the 49th Daejong Film Awards last week, received only one at the ceremony after being recognized as Best Art.
Veteran actor Ahn Seong-gi, the host of the ceremony, won Best Actor trophy for “Unbowed” and just like the Daejong, the honor of Rookie Actor and Rookie Actress went to “My Neighbor” star Kim Sun-Kyun and “Eungyo” starlet Kim Go-eun.
Established in 1980, 87 KAFC members of the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards select the best film and actors every year.

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November 9, 2012
PIETA, Critics’ No.1 Choice
Wins 4 Awards at Awarding Presentation by the Korean Association of Film Critics by Ji Yong-jin KOFIC
Kim Ki-duk’s Pieta was selected as the best film at the awarding presentation hosted by the Korean Association of Film Critics (KAFC) on November 7th. Pieta also received 3 other awards; the Best Director award (Kim Ki-duk), the Best Actress award (Cho Min-soo), and The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Korean Branch award.
 “Thank you Korean film critics for deciding to give my film the Best Film award. I don’t think Pieta was awarded because it is special, but I consider this awarding as an encouragement to all the 18 films I have made so far.”, said Kim, “I am deeply grateful to the limbs of the film, the 28 staff members, and the heart of it, Cho Min-su and Lee Jung-jin.” He also said, “Congratulations to the 2 films on drawing over 10 million viewers. have no offensive feelings at all toward the films. I think highly of the effort the staff made. The actors were great as well. However, what I feel bad about is the unfair share at multiplex theaters for Masquerade, which seemed to talk about the unfairness to the ordinary people.” Masquerade, which won 15 awards at the Daejong Film Award, received just 1 award (Best Art) at this awarding presentation.
 ▲Best Film: Pieta ▲Best Director: Kim Ki-duk (Pieta) ▲Best Actor: Ahn Sung-ki (Unbowed) ▲Best Actress: Cho Min-soo (Pieta) ▲Best New Director: Shin Aha-ka and Lee Sang-cheol (Jesus Hospital) ▲Best New Actor: Kim Sung-kyun (The Neighbor) ▲Best New Actress: Kim Go-eun (Eungyo) ▲Best Screenplay: Yoon Jong-bin (Nameless Gangster : Rules of the Time) ▲Best Cinematography: Choi Yeong-hwan (The Thieves) ▲Best Music: Lee Ji-su (Architecture 101) ▲Best Technique (Art): Oh Heung-seok (Masquerade) ▲Best New Critic: Lee Dae-yeon (Lecturer at Kyonggi University) ▲Best Contributor: Hwang Jeong-sun ▲The FIPRESCI Korean Branch: Pieta

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November 21, 2012
PIETA, Shies Once Again by Medal Winning
Kim Ki-duk and leading actors receive Orders of Cultural Merit by Ji Yong-jin KOFIC

Kim Ki-duk, the director, and leading actors of Pieta received Orders of Cultural Merit at the Korean Popular Culture and Art Awards 2012 held on November 11th at the Olympic Hall of the Olympic Park in Seoul. At the Cabinet meeting on November 6th, the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Arts selected 10 people including Kim and Psy (singer) to confer Orders of Cultural Merit on. Kim, the director of Pieta, was highly praised for receiving the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival with outstanding directing and unique world of film. Kim received an Eun-gwan Medal (Silver Crown) and Lee Jung-jin and Cho Min-soo each received an Ok-gwan Medal (Jeweled Crown). Meanwhile, Cho has been nominated for the Best Actress award at the 6th Asia Pacific Screen Awards, which is going to take place in Australia on November 23rd. Besides her, Nameless Gangster : Rules of the Time has been nominated nomiated for the Best Film award and the Best Actor award (Choi Min-shik). The director Yoon Jong-bin is going to make an attendance at the festival.

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December 2, 2012

'Pieta' wins top prize at Blue Dragon Awards

By Claire Lee The Korea Herald

Director Kim Ki-duk’s Venice-winning film “Pieta” won the top prize at the 33rd Blue Dragon Film Awards on Friday.

“I wanted to talk about capitalism and its problems with this movie,” said Kim after receiving the Best Picture prize during the ceremony held at the Sejong Center in Seoul. 

“I hope to see the kind of society that values people first, not money.”

The film, a bleak morality tale about a cruel debt collector running into a woman who claims to be his mother, won the top prize at Venice International Film Festival in September. Kim became the first Korean director to receive the honor.


Director Kim Ki-duk (left) gives a speech, with actress Cho Min-soo on stage, after winning the top prize for their film “Pieta” at the 33rd Blue Dragon Film Awards on Friday. (Yonhap News)

In October, Kim walked out of the Daejong Film Awards, Korea’s Oscars, in the middle of the ceremony as CJ E&M’s box office triumph “Gwanghae: the Man Who Became the King” swept 15 awards, including best picture, best director, and best actor. 

“Pieta” had been nominated for six awards at the time, including best director and best picture, but only received the best actress prize. The director left the venue before his name was announced as the winner of a special jury prize. 

Kim, who has long been considered an outsider in the local film industry, spent many years as a factory mechanic in Korea and a street painter in Paris before making his debut with “Crocodile” in 1996. He won the Best Director award at the Berlin International Film Festival for his 2004 drama “Samaritan Girl,” and won the equivalent prize at Venice for “3-Iron” in the same year.

“Pieta” is Kim’s 18th feature-length film, featuring actress Cho Min-soo and actor Lee Jung-jin. Kim shot the film in 10 days with a production cost of 100 million won. The film has drawn 603,096 viewers since its release in local theaters, according to Korea Film Council.

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April 18, 2014
Kim Ki-duk’s latest rated ‘R’
By Jin Eun-soo, contributing writer INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily


Korean film director Kim Ki-duk’s new movie “One on One” has received an R-rating from the Korea Media Rating Board (KMRB), according to local media yesterday. 
“Regarding the images, it included heavily violent content throughout the whole film,” said an official from KMRB, explaining why they prohibit people under 18 from seeing the movie. 
“Other criteria such as nudity, subject matter, horror and risk of imitation also contained harmful content.”
The film is about “people who are dissatisfied with the country carrying out a kidnapping plan and take revenge toward the people who reign over them,” according to KMRB. 
Actors Ma Dong-suk and Lee Yi-kyung will star in the film. Its release date hasn’t been decided yet.
Meanwhile, Kim’s latest movie “Moebius” had difficulty passing the rating system because it contains controversial incest scenes. It received an R-rating after director Kim cut out two minutes and 30 seconds from the original version. 

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April 21, 2014
The synopsis & poster of director Kim Ki Duk's '1 VS 1' unveiled
Source: STARN News 
The synopsis for director Kim Gi Duk's '1 VS 1' was unveiled.

On April 21st, the distributor of movie '1 VS 1' released the 1st official poster and the synopsis of the film, which will be released on May 22nd.
'1 VS 1' is a movie about a fight between seven murder suspects and seven terrorist group members, and it contains a message about authority and violence.
The poster shows a caption that says, 'Who is this authority for,' and someone holding a wood bar.
Actor Ma Dong Seok casted in the film as the head of the terrorist group, and Kim Young Min, who casted in director Kim Gi Duk's 'Address Unknown' 11 years ago, joined him once again.
In addition, Lee Yi Kyung, Cho Dong In, Tae Oh, An Ji Hye, Cho Jae Ryong, and Kim Joong Gi casted in the film as the terrorists.
Meanwhile, '1 VS 1' will be officially released on May 22nd.
/Reporting by Noh I-seul en@starnnews.com

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April 28, 2014
Director Kim Ki Duk appears on the poster of his new film
Source: STARN News  Director Kim Ki Duk appeared on the poster for movie '1 VS 1.'
On April 28th, the production team of movie '1 VS 1' officially released the 2nd poster, arousing a huge sensation among many movie fans.
Many people are showing particularly great reactions for the poster, because director Kim Ki Duk appears on the poster himself.
This is the first time for a director to appear on the poster of his movie, and this seems to be indicating the confidence that director Kim has for this film.
In addition, the eight actors who teamed up for this film are also showing huge charisma.
Ma Dong Seok casted in the film as the head of 'Shadow, and he is going to surprise the spectators with another transformation. Kim Myung Min, who has never casted in director Kim Ki Guk's film in the past, casted as 'Man 1,' and he is going to show an impressive acting as usual.
Lee Yi Kyung, who recently casted in SBS drama 'My Love from the Star' as the secretary of Lee Jae Kyung(played by Shin Sung Rok), casted as '1 VS 1' as 'Shadow 1.'
Cho Dong In, who debuted through movie 'Broken Arrow,' casted as 'Shadow 2,' and Tae Oh, who casted in 'The Actresses' as Go Hyun Jung's lover, casted as 'Shadow 2.
Furthermore, An Ji Hye, who has casted in director Kim's 'FIETA,' casted as 'Shadow 4.'
Lastly, actor Cho Jae Ryong, who casted in 'FIETA,' who is recently casting in KBS 2TV drama 'Golden Cross,' casted as 'Shadow 5,' and actor Kim Joong Gi casted as 'Shadow 6.'
Meanwhile, movie '1 VS 1' will be officially released on May 22nd.
/Reporting by Lee Mi-Ji en@starnnews.com