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Ma Dong-seok's 'Holy Night: Demon Hunters' to screen at Shanghai film fest
Actor-producer Ma Dong-seok's occult action film "Holy Night: Demon Hunters" has been selected for screening at the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival's Midnight Fantasy section, distributor Lotte Entertainment announced Tuesday. One of China's major cinema events, the Shanghai International Film Festival is the only Chinese festival accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations. "The Wailing" (2016), "Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum" (2018), "The Roundup: Punishment"
June 3, 2025 -
'Hi-Five' tops weekend box office, edging out 'Mission: Impossible 8'
South Korean action comedy "Hi-Five" seized the top spot at the local weekend box office, unseating the latest "Mission: Impossible" installment, data showed Monday. According to the Korean Film Council, the comedy movie, directed by Kang Hyeong-cheol, drew approximately 380,000 moviegoers from Friday to Sunday. Premiering Friday, the movie follows five ordinary people whose lives take a dramatic turn after receiving organ transplants. "Hi-Five" ended the reign of "Mission: Impossible -- The Fin
June 2, 2025 -
CGV AI film contest showcases amateur filmmakers breaking ground
Mutiplex chain CGV's AI-generated film contest concluded Friday with an awards ceremony at CGV Yongsan in Seoul, showcasing how AI tools can enable creators to create sophisticated cinematic works previously beyond their reach. The theater chain's inaugural event drew submissions from amateur and first-time filmmakers who leveraged generative AI to produce short films that would have previously required massive budgets. "The Wrong Visitor" by Hyun Hae-ri claimed the grand prize among five winner
May 30, 2025 -
Cannes-selected Korean animated short heads to theaters
Multiplex chain Megabox will screen director Joung Yu-mi’s animated short "Glasses" in theaters starting June 11, following its selection for the 78th Cannes Film Festival, the company announced Thursday. Competing in the Critics' Week short film section, the 15-minute animation was one of only two Korean works at this year's Cannes. No Korean films appeared in the main competition or other official sections, the first such absence in 12 years. "Glasses" centers on a woman who begins seeing shad
May 30, 2025 -
BIFF opens volunteer applications for 30th edition
The Busan International Film Festival began recruiting volunteers Thursday for its milestone 30th edition. Applications are open through June 29 for positions ranging from guest services and event coordination to technical support across seven operational categories. The festival runs Sept. 17-26 at multiple venues throughout Busan. Korean citizens and foreign nationals aged 18 and older with valid resident registration cards are eligible to apply. Work schedules vary by department and assignmen
May 30, 2025 -
'I Invite you to my funeral': 83-year-old actress stages her own farewell
On Sunday, on the windswept shores of Sunpo Beach in Gangneung, 83-year-old actor Park Jeong-ja broke into a shoulder-shimmying dance. She wore a green floral dress that fluttered in the sea breeze and a pair of red shoes. But this was no ordinary festival -- it was a scene from her upcoming film, "Between Cheongmyeong and Gogu" (tentative), directed by actor-director Yoo Jun-sang. The scene being filmed was a funeral -- specifically, that of the character “She,” played by Park. But in a rare an
May 26, 2025 -
Lee Jung-jae's studio teams with 'Lord of the Rings' producer for K-pop spy film
Artist Studio, the production banner headed by actor Lee Jung-jae, has signed a development partnership with UK-based Imaginarium Productions to co-create a global K-pop spy thriller, the companies announced Monday. The collaboration will bring "Secret Idol" (working title) to the screen -- a live-action thriller that blends the glitzy world of K-pop with high-stakes espionage. The plot centers on a secret agent who goes undercover as a K-pop trainee to take down an international crime ring. The
May 26, 2025 -
Cannes awards Palme d'Or to Iranian revenge drama 'It Was Just an Accident'
Iranian dissident filmmaker Jafar Panahi won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday for his revenge thriller “It Was Just an Accident," handing the festival's top prize to a director who had been banned from leaving Iran for more than 15 years. Cate Blanchett presented the award to Panahi, who three years ago was imprisoned in Iran before going on a hunger strike. For a decade and a half, he has made films clandestinely in his native country, including one film ("This Is Not a Fi
May 25, 2025 -
'Magic Candies' brings Oscar buzz to local screens
This year's dearth of Korean works at major film festivals and awards shows — no feature films made it to the Oscars or Cannes — has left local film fans searching for bright spots. One of the few silver linings came from an unexpected source: "Magic Candies," a 21-minute animated short based on Korean author Baek Hee-na's children's book that landed an Oscar nomination for best animated short film in January. With the short film now heading to Korean theaters, the children's book author Baek an
May 23, 2025 -
Heo Ga-young's 'First Summer' wins top honor at Cannes' La Cinef
Heo Ga-young's graduation short "First Summer" won first prize at La Cinef at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first Korean film to receive the top honor, festival organizers announced Thursday. The Korean Academy of Film Arts graduate beat 15 other student films selected from nearly 2,700 entries worldwide. Her 30-minute work pairs veteran actor Heo Jin with Jung In-ki in a story about an older woman charting new territory after years devoted to her family. Jury president Maren Ade p
May 23, 2025 -
Conspiratorial documentary gets former president's seal of approval
In his first postimpeachment public appearance, former President Yoon Suk Yeol attended a screening of a documentary that purports to deal with the very issue he claims led him to declare martial law on the night of Dec. 3, 2024. On Wednesday morning, the ousted leader slipped into a screening of "Korean Election Fraud, God's Will?" — a controversial documentary that alleges widespread voter fraud in South Korea's recent elections — at a theater in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Political documentaries h
May 22, 2025 -
Tom Cruise joins BTS' Jin in viral YouTube appearance
"Do you know BTS?" Jin asks, grinning at Tom Cruise across the studio set of his YouTube show, "Run Jin." The question has become something of a cultural in-joke in Korea — the gold standard for determining whether a foreigner has done their homework. Cruise, ever the prepared performer, does not miss a beat: "Yes! I know BTS. We all know BTS." This playful exchange kicked off the much-anticipated thirty-fifth episode of "Run Jin," featuring the unlikely pairing of one of K-pop's most beloved fi
May 21, 2025 -
Bong Joon-ho shows off soccer fandom
With "Mickey 17" now having fallen off the marquees, Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho is indulging his other passion: soccer commentary. South Korean YouTube channel Dalsoo Live announced Monday that Bong will join their broadcast team for Thursday's Europa League Final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. Joining him in the booth will be comedian-turned-actor Kim Shin-young of "Decision to Leave" fame, a fellow soccer superfan added at Bong's personal request. This isn't Bong's f
May 20, 2025 -
CGV unveils showcase of restored French classics
CGV will screen four restored French classics as part of a special remastered showcase at its select arthouse locations through June, the theater chain announced Monday. The program opens Wednesday with Robert Bresson’s "Quatre nuits d'un reveur" ("Four Nights of a Dreamer," 1971), an adaptation of Dostoevsky’s "White Nights." The Jury Prize winner at the 21st Berlin International Film Festival, the film follows a dreamer’s fleeting rendezvous with a heartbroken woman on the streets of Paris. Je
May 19, 2025 -
Submissions open for Mise-en-scene Short Film Festival
The Mise-en-scene Short Film Festival is accepting submissions through June 19. Filmmakers can submit works under 30 minutes, completed after Jan. 1, 2024, through the festival’s online portal. Applicants must select one of five genres: social drama, romance/melodrama, comedy, horror/fantasy, or action/thriller. Finalists will be announced in September following preliminary and final jury screenings. The October event marks the festival's arrival after a four-year hiatus. Founded in 2002, MSFF s
May 19, 2025