BIFAN Overcomes Covid Fears to Celebrate the 25th Anniversary

THE MEDIUM and ACTIONHERO Earn Top Prizes in Bucheon Genre Event**사진 캡션**The opening ceremony of the 25th BIFAN was held in the form of a performance based on the theme of <Whispering Corridors>.Earlier this summer, local fans of the Bucheon Internationa...

Dawn of the Age of Korean Streaming Films

Netflix and TVING Lead the Way for OTT FeaturesThroughout the year, especially during its busiest weekends, the box office sets the stage for big showdowns between local films. In the midst of the pandemic, these showdowns have been few and far between, but wh...

The Social Horrors of the Enduring WHISPERING CORRIDORS Series

23-Year K-Horror Franchise Returns with 6th Entry, HUMMINGLaunched in 1998, the Whispering Corridors series is one of the most enduring franchises in Korean cinema and likely most unique. The first helped establish the genre that would come to be known as K-ho...

The Dark and Varied World of Adult-Themed Korean Animation

Animated Tales Feature Hard-Hitting Themes and Unique StylesKorea has produced more than its fair share of talented animators. Local companies have long provided the animated cells of several beloved animation series, such as The Simpson, whereas many people h...

The Mainstream Modernism of Korean filmmaker Yoo Ha

The Themes and Lyricism of Korea’s Most Classical Cinematic ArchitectKorean filmmakers typically go through two routes to reach the director’s chair. Some go to film school and get noticed as a result of their graduation short of feature film. Others move thei...

Jeonju Film Festival Successfully Closes 2nd Pandemic Era Edition

22nd JIFF Gives Top Prizes to SPLINTERS and KIM MIN-YOUNG OF THE REPORT CARDThe Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) was the first major film event last year to take place during the pandemic and has now become the first event to stage two editions during...

Indie Films Drive Local Market as Studios Avoid Covid Market

Pandemic Levels the Playing Field for Low-Budget FilmsThe pandemic hasn’t been kind to Korea’s film industry as theater operators have been forced to tighten their belts and distributors have found themselves confronted with an uncertain marketplace. Following...

Korean Films Impress Critics and Woo Buyers at Berlin, EFM

Earlier this month, the Berlin International Film Festival staged its 71st edition online. Though forced to make do with a virtual format, the festival has managed to adapt to the changing times as so many other events have been forced to do during these diffi...

The World of Korean Low-Budget Genre Film

Korea’s genre film output has steadily built up a global fanbase over the years but outside of the commercial realm of film and TV, with their big budgets and stars, a growing range of genre offerings have also begun to creep into Korea’s low-budget film realm...

Korean Streaming Market Heats Up

The millions of Netflix subscribers around the world who logged into their accounts over the past few days were likely tempted by scintillating images of an imagined future and dazzling displays of intergalactic travel. However, they didn’t belong to the lates...