The 26th Busan International Film Festival will return nearly to how it previously operated before the pandemic. The festival is set to be held from Oct. 6 to 15 in Korea’s second city, Busan. Last year, the BIFF organizer had to scale down and hold the fest without large crowd-gathering events such as the opening and closing ceremonies, outdoor greetings and open talk sessions. Each film was also screened only once at the Busan Cinema Center. “This year we are screening all 100 p

Miracle: Letters to the President (Korea) Opened Sept. 15 Drama Directed by Lee Jang-hoon In a small remote village in North Gyeongsang Province, there were no stations or pedestrian roads. People in the village had to walk on the railroad to get to the nearest town, which constantly exposed them to the danger of being hit by trains. Joon-kyeong (played by Park Jung-min), a high school student, starts writing to the president, asking him to build a train station at the foot of his village for

For director Hwang Dong-hyuk, producing the upcoming mystery sci-fi series “Squid Game” brought about mixed emotions. “After debuting with ‘My Father,’ I read a lot of comics and was mesmerized by survival games. With an attempt to create a Korean version, I started planning out the work in 2008 and finished the scenario in 2009,” the director said in an online press conference Wednesday. “However, casting actors and getting investment were extremely d

The 13th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival kicked off Thursday at Megabox Paju Bookcity in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, with a tearful story from director Yang Yong-hi. “Aiming to promote peace, coexistence and life as a key message, DMZ Docs has slowly become the largest festival of its kind in Asia, promoting promising projects and documentaries to a wider audience,” festival director Jung Sang-jin said during the opening ceremony. The festival returned to in-person scre

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (US) Opened Sept. 1 Action Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung) has been ruling the world of darkness for centuries with the power of Ten Rings, which grants immortality and great power to the user. Wenwu’s son Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) was trained as an assassin as a kid under him, but he later chooses to live a normal life. One day, Sang-Chi is attacked and realizes there is a fate that he has to accept. CODA (US) Opened Aug. 31

Director Yeon Sang-ho’s Netflix original series “Hellbound” will be screened at the 65th BFI London Film Festival, which will be held from Oct. 6 to 17, according to Netflix on Thursday. The festival in London will screen the first three episodes. “Hellbound,” which is based on the popular webtoon of the same title, features the story of supernatural events in which random people suddenly receive a text saying they will be sent to hell. Amid the chaos, the New Tru

For Park Jung-min, 34, performing in “Miracle: Letters to the President,” directed by Lee Jang-hoon, was a huge gift as he learned so much from it. “I became a different person after shooting the movie,” Park said during an interview with a group of reporters Tuesday. “Before, I used to think that I have to do everything on my own. I thought that if someone helps me then the result is not entirely mine. I was not used to getting help.” Park added that he al

Actor Koo Kyo-hwan believes he still has long way to go. While moviegoers are mesmerized by his performances in the films “Penninsula,” “Kingdom: Ashin of the North,” “Escape from Morgadishu” and the recently released Netflix original series “D.P,” Koo has yet to start feeling comfortable with fame and recognition. “I am grateful that the fans liked how I played my characters in the series, but I still feel uneasy when people refer to me a

Park Seo-joon, 32, left South Korea on Friday afternoon to star in Marvel Studios’ new superhero film, according to agency Awesome ENT. The announcement was long anticipated by movie fans as there had been rumors about Park appearing in the sequel to “Captain Marvel,” officially titled “The Marvels,” after online film database platform IMDb posted his profile and photo in July identifying him as part of the cast. The sequel to “Captain Marvel” is ex

Director Lee Jang-hoon said his upcoming film “Miracle: Letters to the President” will exceed the audience’s expectations, during an online press conference held Wednesday after the press screening. “If I compare my movie to a food it would be the one that seems to have a predictable taste, but when you actually eat it is unexpected,” Lee said. “So please do not judge it beforehand and come to the theater.” “Miracle: Letters to the President&rd

CODA (US) Opened Aug. 31 Drama Directed by Sian Heder Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the only hearing member of her family. Her parents Frank (Troy Kotsur) and Jackie (Marlee Matlin) and older brother Leo (Daniel Durant) are all deaf. Ruby is with her family 24/7 to assist them and help them connect with the world. One day, Ruby auditions for the school choir and discovers her talent. However, she is worried about leaving her family to pursue her singing career. 　 Hostage: Missing Celebrity (Korea)

Film lovers turn up to take selfies on the Seoul Cinema’s last day on Tuesday

Two promotional videos of Korean cuisine titled “Korea in Food” are being screened at Westfield shopping center in London, the Cultural Heritage Administration  and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation announced Tuesday. The promotional project is organized as part of the administration and foundation’s joint “Visit Korea Heritage” campaign. The videos, co-created by Michelin-star chef Yoo Hyun-soo and Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women’s

Lithuanian director Giedre Zickyte’s “The Jump” won the Grand Prix in the global category at the 18th EBS International Documentary Festival, the broadcaster announced Tuesday. Twenty-one films vied for prizes in the three competitive categories -- Festival Choice in Global, Festival Choice in Asia and a mobile shorts competition. “The Jump” centers around a Lithuanian sailor, Simas Kudirka, who jumped from a Soviet fishing boat and swam to a US vessel in the Atla

“Escape from Mogadishu” directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, which was released on July 28, has sold more than 3 million tickets, according to film distributor Lotte Entertainment Sunday. The action film overtook Marvel Studios’ superhero movie “Black Widow,” which sold over 2.95 million tickets, to be the most-watched film of 2021. The release of “Escape from Mogadishu” was possible with support from the Korean Theater Association, which includes among its mem