South Korean video-streaming company Watcha released an official statement Wednesday evening in response to the pending termination of deals with the firm and two other domestic over-the-top service providers. Earlier Wednesday, the Association of Korean Buyers and Distributors of Foreign Films announced that its members would stop providing content to Watcha, Wavve and Tving until the OTTs accepted a payment system that would return more royalties to the buyers and distributors. Under the env

The annual EBS International Documentary Film Festival will be showcasing films to a wider audience through television and an online platform as the coronavirus stands in the way of cinema screenings. The 17th edition of the documentary festival will take place on EBS 1TV channel and video service D-BOX over a one-week period starting Aug. 17, the educational broadcasting network said Tuesday. “Most major films festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival and the Jeonju International F

Documentary examines mid-1970s bombings of Japanese companies accused of war crimes

Film boasts star-studded cast of veteran supporting actors

The combined revenue of the South Korean zombie blockbuster "Peninsula" has topped $40 million in eight Asian countries, the film's local distributor said Tuesday. Released on July 15 in South Korea and Taiwan, the movie posted a cumulative $10 million in revenue in its third week in Taiwan, becoming the biggest box office hit in the country, according to NEW. In Vietnam, its sales reached more than $3.33 million, higher than that of Oscar-winning "Parasite" (2019), becomi

Blockbuster action flick “Steel Rain 2” has racked up 1 million admissions in less than a week, following the lead of zombie thriller “Peninsula,” which kicked off the summer movie season amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “Steel Rain 2” surpassed the mark of 1 million on Sunday, according to the state-run Korean Film Council, five days after its opening on July 29. The film is expected to be in a close race with action thriller “Deliver Us From Evil,

Park Jung-min’s character in action-thriller still unveiled

“Night in Paradise” by director Park Hoon-jung has been officially invited to the 77th Venice International Film Festival’s out-of-competition section. “Night in Paradise” is the only Korean film to be invited to the Italian film festival this year, according to the film’s local distributor Next Entertainment World on Wednesday. Fronted by actors Eom Tae-goo, Cha Seung-won and Jeon Yeo-been, the film revolves around a man who is targeted by an organized cr

In sequels we often see the original cast reappear, taking up the same roles and continuing with the next chapter of the story. In other cases, a new cast may be chosen to show a different side of the same universe. But rarely do the same actors reappear as completely new characters. This was the case for veteran actor Jung Woo-sung, who plays a fictitious South Korean president in the upcoming action flick “Steel Rain 2: Summit,” having portrayed a North Korean special agent in i

Veteran actor Lee Jung-jae is set to make his directorial debut in an upcoming spy-action film. Tentatively titled “Hunt,” the film is expected to kick off production next year, according to the film’s distributor Megabox Joongang Plus M last week. Lee will also play the lead role in the movie. Taking place in 1980s Korea, the film will revolve around national security agents Park Pyong-ho and Kim Jung-do, who are chasing after the chief of North Korea’s espionage oper

Dominating the domestic box office for two consecutive weeks, zombie thriller “Peninsula” surpassed its breakeven point of 2.5 million ticket sales over the weekend, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the film’s distributor Next Entertainment World on Monday, data from government-run agency Korean Film Council showed the film had garnered just over 2.86 million admissions as of 7 a.m. Monday since its release on July 15. The film is said to have reached the breakev

How would the leaders of South Korea, North Korea and the United States prevent a war from happening on the Korean Peninsula on a stealth submarine some 300 meters under the water? “Steel Rain 2: Summit” takes this highly unlikely premise and looks at the ongoing inter-Korean conflict. The film kicks off by showing heightening military tensions between the US and China and the impending complications for the surrounding nations -- the two Koreas and Japan. While tension hangs ove

Crime thriller “Beasts Clawing at Straws,” starring Jeon Do-yeon and Jung Woo-sung, won the Special Mention at the Far East Film Festival held in Italy, the film’s distributor Megabox Joongang Plus M announced on Friday. According to the distributor, the festival’s Executive Chairman Sabrina Baracetti acclaimed the Korean film as “an action thriller full of colorful casts, and a unique and unpredictable film,” adding that “the movie is very provocative

The Korea Film Archive announced the reopening of Korea Film Museum offline on Friday, among other facilities that it manages, after shutting them down due to the spread of COVID-19. At the Korea Film Museum, “Chaotic Times, Crossed Path: Movie People in Liberation Space” exhibition that was shown online starting July 7 will be opened to the public. The exhibition, which shows movie industry professionals who worked in both South and North Korea until the Korean War, marks the 70th

A Mermaid in Paris (France) Opened July 23 Comedy, Fantasy, Romance Directed by Mathias Malzieu In Paris, heavy rains have led to historic flooding of the Seine along with mysterious disappearances. One night, Gaspard Snow (Nicolas Duvauchelle), a melancholic musician, is attracted by the enchanting voice of a wounded yet beautiful young mermaid (Marilyn Lima). Eager to save her, Gaspard unknowingly embarks on adventures that, through the power of love and music, may well mend his broken hear