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'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 -
African Film Festival returns with screenings in Seoul, Busan and Jeonju
The Korea-Africa Foundation will hold the 7th edition of its annual African Film Festival from May 20 to June 15 in Seoul, Busan and Jeonju. The festival will open at Lotte Cinema Dogok in Seoul from May 20-26, move to Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae from May 27 to June 1 and conclude at Jeonju Digital Independent Cinema from June 12-15. This year’s lineup features 15 films from 15 countries, spanning drama, documentary, thriller, adventure and comedy. The selections were recommended by the Afri
May 16, 2025 -
‘Along With the Gods’ director is the seller of W25b Seoul apartment home: report
The seller behind South Korea’s most expensive apartment sale this year has been revealed to be film director Kim Yong-hwa, best known for the "Along With the Gods" series. According to Yonhap News TV, Kim sold his duplex unit at Nine One Hannam in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, for 25 billion won ($18.5 million) in February, marking the highest apartment transaction in South Korean history. The unit spans 273.9 square meters and was one of the largest in the complex. Kim purchased the property in March 202
May 16, 2025 -
Seoul International Eco Film Festival returns with new format
The 22nd Seoul International Eco Film Festival will run June 5–30 under the slogan “Ready, Climate, Action!” at Yonsei University Auditorium, Megabox Hongdae and other venues across Seoul, organizers announced Wednesday. This year’s lineup features 77 films from 35 countries, including 33 features and 44 shorts. The competition section comprises 16 Korean works (6 features, 10 shorts) and 20 international selections (8 features, 12 shorts). Founded in 2004, the festival coincides with World Envi
May 15, 2025 -
'The Old Woman With the Knife' confirms North American theater locations ahead of Friday release
Theater locations across the United States and Canada for Korean action thriller "The Old Woman With the Knife" have been confirmed ahead of its Friday release, public relations firm Blade Vista announced Wednesday. The film will open across downtown and suburban venues throughout major metro areas, including CGV Los Angeles in LA's Koreatown, AMC River East 21 in downtown Chicago, AMC Raceway in Long Island's Westbury in New York and Cinemark Legacy in Plano, Texas, part of the Dallas-Fort Wort
May 14, 2025 -
'Yadang' becomes most-viewed 2025 film in S. Korea
"Yadang: The Snitch" has become the most-watched theatrical release of the year in South Korea, surpassing Bong Joon-ho's Hollywood film "Mickey 17," the Korean movie's distributor said Tuesday. Starring Kang Ha-neul, Yoo Hae-jin and Park Hae-joon, the crime thriller had reached 3,015,000 admissions as of Tuesday morning, edging past "Mickey 17," which drew 3,013,000, according to Plus M Entertainment. Directed by Hwang Byeong-guk, "Yadang" centers on the intertwined ambitions of a cunning crimi
May 13, 2025 -
Kim Sae-ron film set for May 30 release
A film featuring the late South Korean actress Kim Sae-ron will open in theaters May 30 following a press screening and audience Q&A session on May 21, the production company announced Monday. "Guitar Man," produced by local pharmaceutical firm Sungwon Pharmaceutical, centers on a struggling musician who finds purpose through his art. Kim plays Yoo-jin, a keyboardist in the band. Production materials describe her character as someone whose warmth helps the isolated protagonist reconnect with oth
May 12, 2025 -
Comic action 'Hi-Five' readies for release amid star's absence
The press conference for the upcoming superhero comedy "Hi-Five" convened Monday at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University in Seoul, with director Kang Hyung-cheol and his cast in attendance. Conspicuously absent was Yoo Ah-in, who has vanished entirely from public view following his drug conviction in September. "I wanted to make a fun, entertaining film — the kind you'd find in video rental shops back in the day," said Kang, explaining his vision. "I've been fortunate enough to direct several films, a
May 12, 2025 -
South Korean sci-fi bestseller inks six-figure film deal with Warner Bros
Cheon Seon-ran’s heartwarming science fiction novel "A Thousand Blues" is headed for the big screen in the US. Hubble, the literary imprint of Seoul-based East-Asia Publishing, said Saturday that it had signed a film adaptation deal with Warner Bros. Pictures, and that the novel is "now on track to meet a global audience on screen." The Hollywood studio behind blockbuster franchises such as Harry Potter and Dune, is said to have been drawn to the novel’s "original and compelling" storytelling. D
May 11, 2025