Leading indie sales agent Finecut has picked up international rights to “In Our Day” by idiosyncratic South Korean director Hong Sang-soo. The film is set as the closing title of the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar of the Cannes festival.
Hong, who works on low budgets, controls much of the production process and makes repeated use of a small pool of actors, is one of the most prolific feature directors in the world. This is already his second feature this year. His earlier, “In Water” played in the Encounters section at Berlin in February
His films are known for their minimalist style, a focus on female characters, serial chance encounters and oblique references to the media industry. On paper, “In Our Day” fits exactly in that groove.
Finecut pitches the synopsis as: “A woman in her early 40s, is temporarily living at the home of a friend, who is raising a cat.
Hong, who works on low budgets, controls much of the production process and makes repeated use of a small pool of actors, is one of the most prolific feature directors in the world. This is already his second feature this year. His earlier, “In Water” played in the Encounters section at Berlin in February
His films are known for their minimalist style, a focus on female characters, serial chance encounters and oblique references to the media industry. On paper, “In Our Day” fits exactly in that groove.
Finecut pitches the synopsis as: “A woman in her early 40s, is temporarily living at the home of a friend, who is raising a cat.
- 4/18/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Sean Gilman: I had a particularly Hongian experience as I readied myself to write this first dispatch to you, Evan, about Introduction. Right after finishing the movie, I took a brief nap. This is a regular part of my pre-writing process: the twenty minutes of calm and quiet help me organize my thoughts, and the dreaminess helps with my creativity. I had the whole thing planned and written out in my head. I assure you it was brilliant, funny and clever and insightful. Then when I woke up, I had forgotten all of it. Not just what I was going to write, but the movie itself was gone. I’ve been trying to piece it all back together over the past 24 hours, and in doing so I’ve been wondering if this is a bit like how Hong constructs his films in the first place. It’s well-documented that he...
- 3/15/2021
- MUBI
Established in the 1950s by André Bazin, Joseph-Marie Lo Duca, and Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, France’s Cahiers du cinéma has gone through major changes this year, with their staff quitting en masse to protest new ownership. The heralded magazine, however, has soldiered on and delivered new issues, the latest of which features their top 10 films of 2020.
Topping the list is Frederick Wiseman’s latest masterpiece City Hall, which graced their October 2020 issue this past fall. Also included are two films by Hong Sang-soo (The Woman Who Ran and Hotel by the River), the latest work by Cristi Puiu and Philippe Garrel, as well as a number of overlooked gems. Also, because of its release in France earlier this year, the Safdies’ Uncut Gems made the cut.
Check out the list below.
– Top 10 2020 des @cahierscinema – pic.twitter.com/m2xUv55yIt
— Cahiers du Cinéma (@cahierscinema) December 2, 2020
The post Cahiers du cinéma’s...
Topping the list is Frederick Wiseman’s latest masterpiece City Hall, which graced their October 2020 issue this past fall. Also included are two films by Hong Sang-soo (The Woman Who Ran and Hotel by the River), the latest work by Cristi Puiu and Philippe Garrel, as well as a number of overlooked gems. Also, because of its release in France earlier this year, the Safdies’ Uncut Gems made the cut.
Check out the list below.
– Top 10 2020 des @cahierscinema – pic.twitter.com/m2xUv55yIt
— Cahiers du Cinéma (@cahierscinema) December 2, 2020
The post Cahiers du cinéma’s...
- 12/2/2020
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
The black-and-white film never actually died, with a plethora of filmmakers from all around the world occasionally choosing this format, sometimes due to financial reasons, sometimes as an artistic choice. The tendency has become more frequent during the latest years in Asia, through a number of movies that could only perceived as great.
With a focus on diversity on themes, directors and country of origin, here are 20 great films in black-and-white from Asia
1. A Quiet Dream
Zhang Lu directs and pens a distinct art-house film, whose aesthetics are eloquently described in its title, since there is almost no music, and there are a number of scenes that could pass as dreams, particularly the surrealistic ending sequence. Apart from this last aspect, though, the movie emits realism from every frame, since the circumstances of the neighborhood and the three characters that live in the borders of society definitely move towards this direction.
With a focus on diversity on themes, directors and country of origin, here are 20 great films in black-and-white from Asia
1. A Quiet Dream
Zhang Lu directs and pens a distinct art-house film, whose aesthetics are eloquently described in its title, since there is almost no music, and there are a number of scenes that could pass as dreams, particularly the surrealistic ending sequence. Apart from this last aspect, though, the movie emits realism from every frame, since the circumstances of the neighborhood and the three characters that live in the borders of society definitely move towards this direction.
- 10/25/2020
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
For several years now, Sean Gilman and Evan Morgan have been discussing the latest Hong Sang-soo releases in-person, at film festivals, via Twitter and on their site, Seattle Screen Scene, including The Day After, Claire’s Camera, Grass, and Hotel by the River. Now, on the occasion of the New York Film Festival's presentation of Hong's The Woman Who Ran, the discussion continues here at the Notebook.***Sean Gilman: We’ve been doing these correspondences about Hong Sang-soo movies (corresp-Hong-dences?) for a few years now and I’m more curious than ever to know what you think of this one. I don’t know that I’ve ever been more surprised, initially at least, by one of his films. Hong seems to have reduced his cinema down to its barest essence: structure and subtext, while allowing the text itself to drift away into nothingness. A woman played by Kim Min-hee has...
- 9/29/2020
- MUBI
Four years after South Korea’s total decimation in “Train To Busan”, director Yeon Sng-ho continues his zombie saga with “Peninsula”, the next nail-biting chapter in his post-apocalyptic world. This highly anticipated film has released its first trailer today and as expected, it promised a lot of action and nail-biting moments.
Synopsis
Jung-seok, a soldier who previously escaped the diseased wasteland, relives the horror when assigned to a covert operation with two simple objectives: retrieve and survive. When his team unexpectedly stumbles upon survivors, their lives will depend on whether the best—or worst—of human nature prevails in the direst of circumstances.
Though none of the actors from “Train to Busan” return, “Peninsula” is nonetheless filled with stars as well. Gang Dong-won (“Secret Reunion”) takes the lead role of Jung-seok. He is joined by Lee Jung-hyun (“The Running Actress”), Kwon Hae-hyo (“Hotel by the River”), Kim Min-jae (“Money”) and...
Synopsis
Jung-seok, a soldier who previously escaped the diseased wasteland, relives the horror when assigned to a covert operation with two simple objectives: retrieve and survive. When his team unexpectedly stumbles upon survivors, their lives will depend on whether the best—or worst—of human nature prevails in the direst of circumstances.
Though none of the actors from “Train to Busan” return, “Peninsula” is nonetheless filled with stars as well. Gang Dong-won (“Secret Reunion”) takes the lead role of Jung-seok. He is joined by Lee Jung-hyun (“The Running Actress”), Kwon Hae-hyo (“Hotel by the River”), Kim Min-jae (“Money”) and...
- 4/2/2020
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
Three distant mountains; three chatty encounters between long-acquainted women; three comically tiresome intrusions from self-important men shot only from behind. Prolific South Korean arthouse staple Hong Sangsoo has dealt in playful, internally rhyming triplicate before, but never with such a gently sardonic female focus, and seldom as straightforwardly as in his airy, charming Berlin competition trinket “The Woman Who Ran.” (Spoiler alert: No women run.)
Given that it’s been two years since Hong’s last film, which relative to his standard level of output is equivalent to roughly a decade-long absence for any other filmmaker, one might have expected a denser, more complex return, especially given his often slippery, Möbius-strip approach to time and memory. But “The Woman Who Ran” is surprisingly linear — not that its decipherability is going to win this defiantly acquired-taste filmmaker a new host of multiplex-going fans. Woe betide anyone suddenly so turned on to...
Given that it’s been two years since Hong’s last film, which relative to his standard level of output is equivalent to roughly a decade-long absence for any other filmmaker, one might have expected a denser, more complex return, especially given his often slippery, Möbius-strip approach to time and memory. But “The Woman Who Ran” is surprisingly linear — not that its decipherability is going to win this defiantly acquired-taste filmmaker a new host of multiplex-going fans. Woe betide anyone suddenly so turned on to...
- 2/25/2020
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Although their acting may not have been recognized by The Academy, we imagine the SAG-winning cast of Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite has their pick of the litter when it comes to upcoming productions, both in Hollywood and beyond. We desperately hope this means they’ll be showing up in projects that let their skills shine rather than as Marvel villains or as part of the latest Disney live-action remakes. While that remains to be seen, one of the first projects coming post-Parasite for one of the stars is Fukuoka, featuring Jessica aka Kim Ki-jeong herself, Park So-dam.
The film, which actually premiered at last year’s Berlinale but is now arriving in Korean cinemas next month, comes from director Zhang Lu and also stars Kwon Hae-hyo (recently seen in Hong Sang-soo’s The Day After and Hotel by the River). The Japan-set film follows two friends from college,...
The film, which actually premiered at last year’s Berlinale but is now arriving in Korean cinemas next month, comes from director Zhang Lu and also stars Kwon Hae-hyo (recently seen in Hong Sang-soo’s The Day After and Hotel by the River). The Japan-set film follows two friends from college,...
- 2/17/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Hong Sang-soo can be a very frustrating artist at times for some. He has developed a formula that he has stuck to so well for so long that audiences can pretty much guess several settings and situations off the bat, a quality that you either love or hate in the director’s works. The main thing that differs are the narrative choices he takes. His latest film, and his second of 2018, “Hotel by the River” however takes a simpler, more linear approach to the narrative. The film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, where it won Best Actor for Gi Ju-bong.
“Hotel by the River” is screening at
Festival des Cinémas d’Asie de Vesoul
On the invitation of the owner, renowned poet Young-hwan has been living at a lovely riverside hotel for the past couple weeks, in the middle of winter. Though he seems hale and hearty, he seems...
“Hotel by the River” is screening at
Festival des Cinémas d’Asie de Vesoul
On the invitation of the owner, renowned poet Young-hwan has been living at a lovely riverside hotel for the past couple weeks, in the middle of winter. Though he seems hale and hearty, he seems...
- 2/13/2020
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
There remains one group we’ve yet to hear from when it comes to the best films of 2019: the directors who made them. IndieWire has reached out to a number of our favorite filmmakers to share their lists and thoughts on what made this year great.
As is advisable with creative people, we gave the directors a great deal of freedom in how they reflected on the year in moving images. What follows is everything ranging from traditional top 10 lists to favorite moments and performances, with lists that span TV, podcasts, and much more.
This is the fourth year IndieWire has done this survey, and what was exciting about this particular group is how many are international, and the wide range of films they celebrated. If you are bored with every end-of-the-year list looking the same, you are in for a treat, as some of the best filmmakers highlight...
As is advisable with creative people, we gave the directors a great deal of freedom in how they reflected on the year in moving images. What follows is everything ranging from traditional top 10 lists to favorite moments and performances, with lists that span TV, podcasts, and much more.
This is the fourth year IndieWire has done this survey, and what was exciting about this particular group is how many are international, and the wide range of films they celebrated. If you are bored with every end-of-the-year list looking the same, you are in for a treat, as some of the best filmmakers highlight...
- 12/30/2019
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Following our top 50 films of 2019, we’re sharing personal top 10 lists from our contributors. Check out the latest below and see our complete year-end coverage here.
At the risk of hyperbole, the release year of 2019 is one of the very finest I’ve seen this century, if not of all time. By my count, and bolstered by an incredibly great premiere year in 2018, it featured no less than four bona fide masterpieces, the continued development of many masters of the cinematic medium, and countless pleasures that captivated me throughout the year. Though I wasn’t able to get to all of the films I was hoping to watch before compiling this ultimately preliminary list, these are all utterly remarkable and truly great films.
There’s far too many fantastic films that fall just outside my top fifteen, but here are just a few more notable ones: “I Do Not Care...
At the risk of hyperbole, the release year of 2019 is one of the very finest I’ve seen this century, if not of all time. By my count, and bolstered by an incredibly great premiere year in 2018, it featured no less than four bona fide masterpieces, the continued development of many masters of the cinematic medium, and countless pleasures that captivated me throughout the year. Though I wasn’t able to get to all of the films I was hoping to watch before compiling this ultimately preliminary list, these are all utterly remarkable and truly great films.
There’s far too many fantastic films that fall just outside my top fifteen, but here are just a few more notable ones: “I Do Not Care...
- 12/29/2019
- by Ryan Swen
- The Film Stage
1. The Last Black Man in San FranciscoNo surprises here if you’ve seen my Best of the Decade list, in which this design came in at #4. To be honest, I could almost have filled an entire top ten with Akiko Stehrenberger’s 2019 posters. In the last few weeks alone she has released a stunning alternative art print for Breathless, superb new posters for Honey Boy, Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator, and, most notably, a gorgeous minimalist optical illusion for Portrait of a Lady on Fire. But my favorite of the year still remains this miracle. As I said in my decade poll, “this was the second poster by Akiko that A24 released for The Last Black Man in San Francisco. The first was masterful and striking and beautifully painted, but the second one was next level...a conceptual piece that conveys both place (the impossibly steep streets of the titular city...
- 12/13/2019
- MUBI
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and an archive of past round-ups here.
Adam (Rhys Ernst)
There’s a specific kind of warm, crowd-pleasing aesthetic–often in the coming-of-age subgenre–that seems to find a home among the Sundance programming more so than any other festival. A few years ago, Sean Baker’s Tangerine heralded a major breakthrough for transgender representation in cinema and broke this mold in formally compelling ways. For better or worse, Adam has now arrived to fit more in the aforementioned lighthearted, simplistic, but ultimately empathetic dramedy conceit. – Jordan R. (full review)
Where to Stream: Amazon, iTunes
Age Out (A.J. Edwards)
The only thing worse than never getting your happy ending is having it...
Adam (Rhys Ernst)
There’s a specific kind of warm, crowd-pleasing aesthetic–often in the coming-of-age subgenre–that seems to find a home among the Sundance programming more so than any other festival. A few years ago, Sean Baker’s Tangerine heralded a major breakthrough for transgender representation in cinema and broke this mold in formally compelling ways. For better or worse, Adam has now arrived to fit more in the aforementioned lighthearted, simplistic, but ultimately empathetic dramedy conceit. – Jordan R. (full review)
Where to Stream: Amazon, iTunes
Age Out (A.J. Edwards)
The only thing worse than never getting your happy ending is having it...
- 11/22/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Bong Joon-ho’s Cannes Palme d’Or-winning “Parasite” was the winner of the 28th Buil Film Awards, held alongside Busan International Film Festival on Friday.
The dark comedy won six awards, including best film. Other awards “Parasite” received included best supporting actor and actress, for Park Myung-hoon and Lee Jung-eun, respectively, best screenplay for Bong and co-writer Han Jin-won, best cinematography for Hong Kyung-pyo, and best score for Jung Jae-il.
“Director Bong Joon-ho and Song Kang-ho [lead actor] are currently in the U.S for the film’s premiere. We will regard this [best film] award as being given to the hundreds of people who worked on this film,” said Kwak Shin-ae, CEO of the film’s production house Barunson E&a, on the stage.
Best director went to director Kim Tae-gyun for “Dark Figure of Crime.” Hong Sang-soo’s “Hotel by the River” won best actor for Ki Joo-bong, while Jeon Do-yeon won best actress for “Birthday.
The dark comedy won six awards, including best film. Other awards “Parasite” received included best supporting actor and actress, for Park Myung-hoon and Lee Jung-eun, respectively, best screenplay for Bong and co-writer Han Jin-won, best cinematography for Hong Kyung-pyo, and best score for Jung Jae-il.
“Director Bong Joon-ho and Song Kang-ho [lead actor] are currently in the U.S for the film’s premiere. We will regard this [best film] award as being given to the hundreds of people who worked on this film,” said Kwak Shin-ae, CEO of the film’s production house Barunson E&a, on the stage.
Best director went to director Kim Tae-gyun for “Dark Figure of Crime.” Hong Sang-soo’s “Hotel by the River” won best actor for Ki Joo-bong, while Jeon Do-yeon won best actress for “Birthday.
- 10/6/2019
- by Sonia Kil
- Variety Film + TV
“Tazza: The High Rollers” set benchmarks for South Korean gambling films back when it was released. The 2nd highest-grossing movie of 2006 back when it was released, it still remains in the Top 50 highest grossing films of all time at the South Korean box office. The film was followed by a sequel “Tazza: The Hidden Card” which was met with mixed reactions upon release and the franchise expanded with a tv series as well. Now, 5 years after the sequel, the third film in the series, “Tazza: One-Eyed Jacks”, is ready for release.
Synopsis
Do Il-chool has a talent for playing poker and he is the son of Jjakgwi. His father was a gambler and had one ear cut off after he was caught cheating. Il-Chool meets mysterious one-eyed gambler Aekku and gets involved in the master gambling world.
The third film is once again based on the namesake comic, the third in the Tazza series.
Synopsis
Do Il-chool has a talent for playing poker and he is the son of Jjakgwi. His father was a gambler and had one ear cut off after he was caught cheating. Il-Chool meets mysterious one-eyed gambler Aekku and gets involved in the master gambling world.
The third film is once again based on the namesake comic, the third in the Tazza series.
- 7/12/2019
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
Hotel by the RiverIsn't the miracle of art how we see the panoply of our own lives via a magical panopticon? Every time we look, we see something that's really all about us. In concert with this, I vaingloriously clutch Walter Pater's concept of how art gives “nothing but the highest quality to your moments as they pass, and simply for those moments' sake.” But each of these moments, for me, is a multiplicity of moments, the past surfacing after bottom-feeding for minutes, months, or years. It might not be easy to see one's life in film—not in the narrative itself, but in the regard of the camera, the editing, how people say things and what their silences are like. It's really only happened for me with Eric Rohmer and now Hong Sang-soo. But it shouldn't be so surprising, since they are both romantics who capture the improvisatory moments in life,...
- 4/16/2019
- MUBI
Shah Rukh Khan-starring romance “Zero” has been set as the closing film of the Beijing International Film Festival. The sprawling festival will open with “The Composer,” a forthcoming Chinese-Kazakh co-production, as its opening title.
The festival, which runs April 13 to 20, 2019, has revealed its full selection of 261 titles. The decision to program “Zero” in such a prominent slot underlines the growing success which Indian films are enjoying with Chinese audiences. Directed by Aanand L. Rai and released in December, the Hindi-language “Zero” is Khan’s most expensive film yet. It features the star as a person with dwarfism in a love triangle with a scientist with cerebral palsy (Anushka Sharma) and a famous actress (Katrina Kaif).
“The Composer” is the first movie to emerge from a cooperation agreement between China and Kazakhstan under Chinese president Xi Jinping’s infrastructure-building project, the Belt and Road Initiative. Directed by Kazakhstan’s Xirzat Yahup,...
The festival, which runs April 13 to 20, 2019, has revealed its full selection of 261 titles. The decision to program “Zero” in such a prominent slot underlines the growing success which Indian films are enjoying with Chinese audiences. Directed by Aanand L. Rai and released in December, the Hindi-language “Zero” is Khan’s most expensive film yet. It features the star as a person with dwarfism in a love triangle with a scientist with cerebral palsy (Anushka Sharma) and a famous actress (Katrina Kaif).
“The Composer” is the first movie to emerge from a cooperation agreement between China and Kazakhstan under Chinese president Xi Jinping’s infrastructure-building project, the Belt and Road Initiative. Directed by Kazakhstan’s Xirzat Yahup,...
- 4/3/2019
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Since his debut in 1996 with The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well, the remarkable Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo has made twenty-two feature films, which effectively averages out at a film a year. He started slow (one every two years) but recently has started to reach Fassbinder-levels of prolificacy: between the 2017 Berlin Film Festival and Locarno in 2018, just eighteen months later, he premiered five new films. Almost as miraculously, all five have been—or are about to be—released in U.S. theaters by Cinema Guild. Just a few months ago the boutique distributor unveiled what will surely be one of my, and many people’s, favorite posters of the year: a monochrome minimalist masterpiece with exquisite bespoke lettering for Hotel by the River. And now Movie Poster of the Week is honored to premiere their latest design for their newest Hong Sang-soo release: Grass. A spry and whimsical collage of coffee,...
- 3/29/2019
- MUBI
Cinema Guild has unveiled the trailer for Hong Sang-soo’s “Grass,” the prolific Korean auteur’s 22nd feature. It’s also his fifth with frequent collaborator and romantic partner Kim Min-hee, perhaps best known for her role in “The Handmaiden,” who likewise stars in “Hotel by the River,” Hong’s other 2018 premiere. After debuting in Berlin last year, the 66-minute black-and-white film went on to screen at the Busan and New York film festivals, among others. Avail yourself of the trailer below.
Here, as they say, is the synopsis: “For his 22nd feature as director, Hong Sangsoo delivers a delicious cinematic riddle only he could concoct. In the corner of a small café, Areum (Kim Minhee) sits typing on her laptop. At the tables around her, other customers enact the various dramas of their lives. A young couple charge each other with serious crimes, an old man tries to rekindle...
Here, as they say, is the synopsis: “For his 22nd feature as director, Hong Sangsoo delivers a delicious cinematic riddle only he could concoct. In the corner of a small café, Areum (Kim Minhee) sits typing on her laptop. At the tables around her, other customers enact the various dramas of their lives. A young couple charge each other with serious crimes, an old man tries to rekindle...
- 3/22/2019
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
In the past four months or so since I last did this, the following on my @movieposterofthday (leave off the last e for elegance) Instagram has more than tripled, which makes this best-of round-up more competitive. Sadly, as is often the case, a lot of my posts were occasioned by the passing of an actor or director, or, in the case of the most popular poster yet, by a composer. The lovely two-color American half sheet for The Umbrellas of Cherbourg was posted in honor of Michel Legrand, who passed away in January at 86 just the day after Serbian director Dušan Makavejev, who was also 86 and whose ribald German poster for Sweet Movie also made the top 20. Other passings recognized were Stanley Donen (with a Japanese Funny Face), Nicolas Roeg (a Us Performance), and Bruno Ganz (a French Wings of Desire). It’s impossible to tell if people are liking...
- 3/22/2019
- MUBI
New York-based independent distributor Cinema Guild has snapped up North American rights to “The Wandering Soap Opera (“La Telenovela Errante”) by the late Chilean filmmaker, Raul Ruiz. The film screens at Guadalajara (Ficg) where Chile is the country guest of honor.
The company has also acquired U.S. distribution rights to topical documentary “I’m Leaving Now” (“Ya Me Voy”) by New York-based Mexican filmmakers Armando Croda and Lindsey Cordero.
“Wandering Soap Opera” debuted at Switzerland’s Locarno Festival and had its U.S. premiere at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, which held a retrospective of Ruiz’s work last year. It will open at the Anthology Film Archives on May 17 before expanding to theaters across the U.S.
“The opportunity to distribute another film by Raúl Ruiz is an unexpected gift and an opportunity we couldn’t pass up,” said Peter Kelly, distribution head of Cinema Guild, which...
The company has also acquired U.S. distribution rights to topical documentary “I’m Leaving Now” (“Ya Me Voy”) by New York-based Mexican filmmakers Armando Croda and Lindsey Cordero.
“Wandering Soap Opera” debuted at Switzerland’s Locarno Festival and had its U.S. premiere at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, which held a retrospective of Ruiz’s work last year. It will open at the Anthology Film Archives on May 17 before expanding to theaters across the U.S.
“The opportunity to distribute another film by Raúl Ruiz is an unexpected gift and an opportunity we couldn’t pass up,” said Peter Kelly, distribution head of Cinema Guild, which...
- 3/7/2019
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
The 43rd Hong Kong International Film Festival (Hkiff), in association with the Korean Film Council (Kofic), will present the “Centenary of Korean Cinema” programme, which will include screenings of 10 all-time classics and critically acclaimed new films for South Korea. It will also host masterclasses, introductions and post-screening talks as past of the programme.
Special Guest Lee Chang-dong will be in attendance to hold a masterclass after the screening of his restored classic “Peppermint Candy”. Oh Jung-mi, Lee’s co-writer on his latest film “Burning” will also be present in the post-screening discussion of “Burning”.
Also included in the Programme will be films by festival darlings Hong Sang-soo and Bong Joon-ho, with Hong’s “The Day a Pig Fell into the Well” and “Hotel by the River” both screening. Bong’s breakout film “Memories of Murder” will also screen in its newly restored version.
Three legendary directors Shin Sang-ok, Kim Ki-young and Im Kwon-taek,...
Special Guest Lee Chang-dong will be in attendance to hold a masterclass after the screening of his restored classic “Peppermint Candy”. Oh Jung-mi, Lee’s co-writer on his latest film “Burning” will also be present in the post-screening discussion of “Burning”.
Also included in the Programme will be films by festival darlings Hong Sang-soo and Bong Joon-ho, with Hong’s “The Day a Pig Fell into the Well” and “Hotel by the River” both screening. Bong’s breakout film “Memories of Murder” will also screen in its newly restored version.
Three legendary directors Shin Sang-ok, Kim Ki-young and Im Kwon-taek,...
- 2/23/2019
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
As Oscar contenders transition to home viewing platforms, their box-office presence is on the wane. Next up on the specialized calendar: Sundance releases. Producer Dwayne (“The Rock”) Johnson’s wrestling biofilm “Fighting With My Family” (MGM) has scored the best limited opening gross so far this year.
Lower but also impressive is the Colombian Oscar submission “Birds of Passage” (The Orchard), which scored decent initial two city numbers. Continuing with Focus’ “Everybody Knows,” which expanded decently in its second week, foreign-language films are on the rebound.
Opening
Fighting With My Family (MGM) – Metacritic: 70; Festivals include: Sundance 2019
$131,625 in 4 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $32,906
The first hit out of Sundance delivered the best limited opening grosses since “If Beale Street Could Talk” two months ago. This retelling of the rise of WWE female superstar Paige features producer Johnson as himself. Despite its mid-American appeal, it opened as a platform run at...
Lower but also impressive is the Colombian Oscar submission “Birds of Passage” (The Orchard), which scored decent initial two city numbers. Continuing with Focus’ “Everybody Knows,” which expanded decently in its second week, foreign-language films are on the rebound.
Opening
Fighting With My Family (MGM) – Metacritic: 70; Festivals include: Sundance 2019
$131,625 in 4 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $32,906
The first hit out of Sundance delivered the best limited opening grosses since “If Beale Street Could Talk” two months ago. This retelling of the rise of WWE female superstar Paige features producer Johnson as himself. Despite its mid-American appeal, it opened as a platform run at...
- 2/17/2019
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
This Friday, moviegoers can catch a wide array of pics, from the action-sci-fi flick Alita: Battle Angel to the redemption drama Donnybrook, which features the talents of Jamie Bell and Margaret Qualley.
Other titles include the rom-com parody Isn't It Romantic starring Rebel Wilson; Hotel by the River, a Korean film that brings viewers into the artistic wonder of foreign filmmaking; and Ruben Brandt, Collector, an animated abstract tale.
Read on to see what The Hollywood Reporter's critics thought about this weekend's lineup of releases.
Other titles include the rom-com parody Isn't It Romantic starring Rebel Wilson; Hotel by the River, a Korean film that brings viewers into the artistic wonder of foreign filmmaking; and Ruben Brandt, Collector, an animated abstract tale.
Read on to see what The Hollywood Reporter's critics thought about this weekend's lineup of releases.
- 2/15/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This Friday, moviegoers can catch a wide array of pics, from the action-sci-fi flick Alita: Battle Angel to the redemption drama Donnybrook, which features the talents of Jamie Bell and Margaret Qualley.
Other titles include the rom-com parody Isn't It Romantic starring Rebel Wilson; Hotel by the River, a Korean film that brings viewers into the artistic wonder of foreign filmmaking; and Ruben Brandt, Collector, an animated abstract tale.
Read on to see what The Hollywood Reporter's critics thought about this weekend's lineup of releases.
Other titles include the rom-com parody Isn't It Romantic starring Rebel Wilson; Hotel by the River, a Korean film that brings viewers into the artistic wonder of foreign filmmaking; and Ruben Brandt, Collector, an animated abstract tale.
Read on to see what The Hollywood Reporter's critics thought about this weekend's lineup of releases.
- 2/15/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The oft-repeated joke about Hong Sang-soo is that he makes the same movie over and over again, but at this stage in his career there is a necessary, if often overlooked asterisk: though the start- and end-points may vary slightly from viewer to viewer, he has carved out distinguishable periods. If periodizing the South Korean director is a manageable task, it’s ultimately a limiting one as well, a way to make a sometimes overwhelming oeuvre more digestible. Hong’s genius becomes most apparent when—as is the case with Yasujiro Ozu, another director who visibly honed and refined his style from film to film—one begins to look at the deviations, foreshadowings, and throwbacks within a particular period. Ozu’s pre-war sound films fascinatingly oscillate between polemical criticisms and more modernist depictions of Japan on the verge of mass societal uprootings, but maintained a commitment to a particular stylistic approach; Hong,...
- 2/13/2019
- MUBI
Hong Sang-soo is among the most prolific filmmakers in the world, and somehow manages to make each new film an event unto itself. “Hotel by the River” is his fifth film in the last two years — “On the Beach at Night Alone,” “Claire’s Camera,” “The Day After,” and “Grass” all preceded it on the festival circuit — and, like all of those earlier works, stars his creative and romantic partner Kim Min-hee (“The Handmaiden”).
After premiering at Locarno last summer, the black-and-white romantic comedy will soon be released theatrically. Watch the trailer below.
Here’s the synopsis: “Two tales intersect at a riverside hotel: an elderly poet (Ki Joo-bong), invited to stay there for free by the owner, summons his two estranged sons, sensing his life drawing to a close; and a young woman (Kim Min-hee) nursing a recently broken heart is visited by a friend who tries to console her.
After premiering at Locarno last summer, the black-and-white romantic comedy will soon be released theatrically. Watch the trailer below.
Here’s the synopsis: “Two tales intersect at a riverside hotel: an elderly poet (Ki Joo-bong), invited to stay there for free by the owner, summons his two estranged sons, sensing his life drawing to a close; and a young woman (Kim Min-hee) nursing a recently broken heart is visited by a friend who tries to console her.
- 2/2/2019
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
NEWSCharles Burnett's Killer of SheepTwo exciting stories involving two forerunners of the L.A. Rebellion: Charles Burnett is set to direct the film Steal Away, about the escape of former slave-turned-politician Robert Smalls; while Julie Dash will be helming Lionsgate's Angela Davis biopic. GammaRay and Celestial pictures will be hosting a Shaw Brothers movie marathon on Twitch that will continue from February 4 to February 8. The globally-streaming marathon includes 44 full-length features from the Shaw Brothers’ catalog, so make sure to clear your calendars! Recommended VIEWINGThe release of Harmony Korine's long awaited follow-up to his lightening-in-a-bottle movie Spring Breakers is finally near. Here's a new trailer for the Miami-set, Matthew McConaughey-starring odyssey.A lovely miniature play with form: the U.S. trailer for Hong Sang-soo's Hotel by the River. Meanwhile, we are currently running a retrospective of Hong's films in the UK entitled Solving Puzzles: The Cinema of Hong Sang-soo.
- 1/31/2019
- MUBI
Hong Sangsoo, the prolific, celebrated director of On the Beach at Night Alone, Right Now, Wrong Them, and many more, slacked a bit and only premiered two new films last year. The most recent, Hotel by the River, conveys the interactions between a poet, his sons, and two female guests, one of whom played is played by Kim Minhee. These interactions convey the defining theme of Hong’s films: the rumination of life and its enigmatic nature. Ahead of a release in February, Cinema Guild has now delivered the U.S. trailer and poster.
Leonardo Goi said in his review, “Hong’s acolytes have reasons to rejoice in the Korean’s latest feature: beautifully shot in crisp black and white by Kim Hyung-koo – reminiscent of his work in Hong’s The Day After (2017) and Grass (2018) – and packed with a few of the director’s recurrent casting choices (including muse Kim...
Leonardo Goi said in his review, “Hong’s acolytes have reasons to rejoice in the Korean’s latest feature: beautifully shot in crisp black and white by Kim Hyung-koo – reminiscent of his work in Hong’s The Day After (2017) and Grass (2018) – and packed with a few of the director’s recurrent casting choices (including muse Kim...
- 1/28/2019
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
A new trailer for the 2018 film “Hotel By The River” just dropped after it starred in last year’s awards season. Selected for Toronto International Film Festival and New York Film Festival before going on to win the best actor at the Locarno Film Festival, “Hotel By The River” is an engaging film on life, love, death, and family.
Read More: ‘Hotel by the River:’ Hong Sang-soo Returns With A Darker Rendering of Familiar Themes [Nyff Review]
Directed by Hong Sang-soo, the piece is shot in stark black and white and hailed for its expert craftsmanship, something Sang-soo has never failed to deliver.
Continue reading ‘Hotel By The River’ Trailer: Hong Sang-Soo Tackles Family, Mortality & Love at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘Hotel by the River:’ Hong Sang-soo Returns With A Darker Rendering of Familiar Themes [Nyff Review]
Directed by Hong Sang-soo, the piece is shot in stark black and white and hailed for its expert craftsmanship, something Sang-soo has never failed to deliver.
Continue reading ‘Hotel By The River’ Trailer: Hong Sang-Soo Tackles Family, Mortality & Love at The Playlist.
- 1/27/2019
- by Margaret Kennedy
- The Playlist
"The film was made at Jeonwonsa Film Co." The Cinema Guild has released the official Us trailer for the latest film, titled Hotel by the River, made by acclaimed, beloved Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo, who keeps making new films pretty much non-stop all the time. This first premiered at the Locarno Film Festival last summer, where it won the Best Actor prize, and later went on to play at the Toronto and New York Film Festivals last fall. This B&W drama is set in the dead of winter; a poet invites his sons to join him at a hotel for a reunion. The hotel also hosts a newly single woman who has a friend keep her company. The poet is drawn to the beautiful girls and cannot resist the temptation to discover more. Their lives intersect, connect and disconnect and potentially become a metaphor for modern life. Starring Ki Joo-Bong,...
- 1/24/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Lee Chang-dong’s Cannes hit Burning scored the most nominations for the 2019 Asian Film Awards. The Korean mystery-drama was nominated for eight awards, including best film. Scroll down for nominations in major categories.
Other best film nominees were Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters, Pema Tseden’s Jinpa, Wen Muye’s Dying To Survive, and Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanju. The nominations were announced in Hong Kong on Friday afternoon. The winners will be revealed at a ceremony in the same city on Sunday, March 17.
Cannes Palme d’Or winner Shoplifters, Sanju, and Zhang Yimou’s Shadow each garnered six nominations. Kore-eda’s acclaimed drama also won the top film prize at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in November.
In Burning, Jong-su bumps into a girl who used to live in the same neighborhood as him, who asks him to look after her cat while on a trip to Africa. When back, she introduces Ben,...
Other best film nominees were Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters, Pema Tseden’s Jinpa, Wen Muye’s Dying To Survive, and Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanju. The nominations were announced in Hong Kong on Friday afternoon. The winners will be revealed at a ceremony in the same city on Sunday, March 17.
Cannes Palme d’Or winner Shoplifters, Sanju, and Zhang Yimou’s Shadow each garnered six nominations. Kore-eda’s acclaimed drama also won the top film prize at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in November.
In Burning, Jong-su bumps into a girl who used to live in the same neighborhood as him, who asks him to look after her cat while on a trip to Africa. When back, she introduces Ben,...
- 1/11/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
We don’t want to overwhelm you, but while you’re catching up with our top 50 films of 2018, more cinematic greatness awaits in 2019. Ahead of our 100 most-anticipated films (all of which have yet to premiere), we’re highlighting 50 titles we’ve enjoyed on the festival circuit this last year (and beyond) that either have confirmed 2018 release dates or are awaiting a debut date from its distributor. There’s also a handful seeking distribution that we hope will arrive in the next 12 months. U.S. distributors: take note!
The Image Book (Jean-Luc Godard; Jan. 25)
Another miraculous, meticulously feat of cinematic collage, The Image Book finds the French New Wave icon continuing his boundary-pushing editing techniques, both in video and sound (to see this at Alice Tully Hall during New York Film Festival was something truly special). Rory O’Connor said in his Cannes review, “Split into five sections of various lengths titled Remakes,...
The Image Book (Jean-Luc Godard; Jan. 25)
Another miraculous, meticulously feat of cinematic collage, The Image Book finds the French New Wave icon continuing his boundary-pushing editing techniques, both in video and sound (to see this at Alice Tully Hall during New York Film Festival was something truly special). Rory O’Connor said in his Cannes review, “Split into five sections of various lengths titled Remakes,...
- 1/7/2019
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
What an incredible year for cinema. What an incredible year, particularly, for Asian cinema. Obviously, the world’s most populous continent and biggest emerging film market contributes abundantly to the cinematic arts every year, but in 2018, the variety and vibrancy of output from the still underrepresented- and -appreciated region (at least in terms of inclusion at A-list festivals or global visibility) really stood out.
The Hong Sangsoo fan club probably got a little more crowded thanks to the award-winning Hotel by the River, but it’s the crazy prolific Korean auteur’s first outing this year, the compact, richly layered Grass that most reminded me of his unique touch. Another Berlinale premiere, the 4-hour political document/musical Season of the Devil, probably cost Lav Diaz some fans, but, as always, there’s something singularly, almost perversely rewarding about making it through the work of Philippine’s guru of slow cinema.
The Hong Sangsoo fan club probably got a little more crowded thanks to the award-winning Hotel by the River, but it’s the crazy prolific Korean auteur’s first outing this year, the compact, richly layered Grass that most reminded me of his unique touch. Another Berlinale premiere, the 4-hour political document/musical Season of the Devil, probably cost Lav Diaz some fans, but, as always, there’s something singularly, almost perversely rewarding about making it through the work of Philippine’s guru of slow cinema.
- 12/30/2018
- by Zhuo-Ning Su
- The Film Stage
For 11 years running, our end-of-the-year tradition on the Notebook has been to poll our roster of contributors to create fantasy double features of new and old films. But what about the curators behind Mubi itself? This year we begin what we hope to be a new tradition: publishing the favorite films of the year as chosen by our programming team: Daniel Kasman in the U.S., Anaïs Lebrun and Chiara Marañón in the U.K. We each have two lists: our top new films that premiered in 2018, and then a selection of revivals screened in cinemas.PREMIERESDaniel Kasman1. Blue (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Thailand)2. The Image Book (Jean-Luc Godard, Switzerland)3. Support the Girls (Andrew Bujalski, USA)4. The Other Side of the Wind (Orson Welles, USA)5. The Waldheim Waltz (Ruth Beckermann, Austria)6. Unsane (Steven Soderbergh, USA)7. The Grand Bizarre (Jodie Mack, USA)8. The Red Shadow [director's cut]9. What You Gonna Do When the World's on Fire?...
- 12/24/2018
- MUBI
Hong Sang-soo can be a very frustrating artist at times for some. He has developed a formula that he has stuck to so well for so long that audiences can pretty much guess several settings and situations off the bat, a quality that you either love or hate in the director’s works. The main thing that differs are the narrative choices he takes. His latest film, and his second of 2018, “Hotel by the River” however takes a simpler, more linear approach to the narrative. The film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, where it won Best Actor for Gi Ju-bong.
“Hotel by the River” is screening at Five Flavours Festival
On the invitation of the owner, renowned poet Young-hwan has been living at a lovely riverside hotel for the past couple weeks, in the middle of winter. Though he seems hale and hearty, he seems to be under the...
“Hotel by the River” is screening at Five Flavours Festival
On the invitation of the owner, renowned poet Young-hwan has been living at a lovely riverside hotel for the past couple weeks, in the middle of winter. Though he seems hale and hearty, he seems to be under the...
- 11/21/2018
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
Hong Sang-soo can be a very frustrating artist at times for some. He has developed a formula that he has stuck to so well for so long that audiences can pretty much guess several settings and situations off the bat, a quality that you either love or hate in the director’s works. The main thing that differs are the narrative choices he takes. His latest film, and his second of 2018, “Hotel by the River” however takes a simpler, more linear approach to the narrative. The film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, where it won Best Actor for Gi Ju-bong.
Hotel by the River is screening at London Korean Film Festival
On the invitation of the owner, renowned poet Young-hwan has been living at a lovely riverside hotel for the past couple weeks, in the middle of winter. Though he seems hale and hearty, he seems to be under...
Hotel by the River is screening at London Korean Film Festival
On the invitation of the owner, renowned poet Young-hwan has been living at a lovely riverside hotel for the past couple weeks, in the middle of winter. Though he seems hale and hearty, he seems to be under...
- 11/8/2018
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
The film, which took the best actor prize at Locarno, sells to France and China.
Korean sales agent Finecut has announced deals on Hong Sangsoo’s latest film Hotel By The River, period creature feature Monstrum and comedy Too Hot To Die.
Hotel By The River made its world premiere at the Locarno film festival where lead Ki Joo-bong won the Golden Leopard for best actor for his performance as a wistful old poet who, thinking he is about to die, summons his two estranged sons to a riverside hotel. The cast also includes Hong regulars Kim Minhee and Song...
Korean sales agent Finecut has announced deals on Hong Sangsoo’s latest film Hotel By The River, period creature feature Monstrum and comedy Too Hot To Die.
Hotel By The River made its world premiere at the Locarno film festival where lead Ki Joo-bong won the Golden Leopard for best actor for his performance as a wistful old poet who, thinking he is about to die, summons his two estranged sons to a riverside hotel. The cast also includes Hong regulars Kim Minhee and Song...
- 11/1/2018
- by Jean Noh
- ScreenDaily
Five Flavours Asian Film Festival is a yearly review of the cinema of East, Southeast, and South Asia. For the 12th time, the Festival presents a meticulous selection of films from the region – auteur projects, avant-garde animations, classics from the film archives, local blockbusters, and Asian Film Awards-winning genre cinema.
The majority of the films will be screened in Poland for the first time. For five of them, the festival screening will be their European premiere. Asian filmmakers will visit the festival and join us for Q&A sessions, providing the titles presented with additional context.
In Asian cinemas, the year 2018 is marked by a variety of auteur projects by renown directors, classic genre cinema, and blockbusters gaining momentum in world-wide box offices. At the same time, a new generation of filmmakers is on the rise – their films already gain visibility and receive awards at international festivals.
The program of...
The majority of the films will be screened in Poland for the first time. For five of them, the festival screening will be their European premiere. Asian filmmakers will visit the festival and join us for Q&A sessions, providing the titles presented with additional context.
In Asian cinemas, the year 2018 is marked by a variety of auteur projects by renown directors, classic genre cinema, and blockbusters gaining momentum in world-wide box offices. At the same time, a new generation of filmmakers is on the rise – their films already gain visibility and receive awards at international festivals.
The program of...
- 10/22/2018
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Seoul-based independent sales house Finecut has picked up international sales right to mystery thriller “Diva.” Starring Shin Min-a (“The Naked Kitchen”) and Lee You-young (“Yourself and Yours”), the drama is currently in production.
Finecut also represents “Nailed,” “Second Life” and “Too Hot to Die.” “Nailed” and “Life” are making their world premieres in the Busan Festival’s Korean Cinema Today — Panorama and New Currents competition, respectively. “Too Hot” is Finecut’s market premiere title.
“Nailed,” Ha Yoon-jae’s feature debut, tells the story about a couple who intentionally damage car tires in an attempt to draw more customers to their auto shop. Director Park Young-ju’s feature debut, “Life,” is about a high school girl who tells lies to draw attention from her peers, only to find herself involved in a deadly mishap. Park’s short film “1 Kilogram” screened at the 2016 Cannes Cine Foundation.
“Too Hot” is a comedy directed by Park Jin-young.
Finecut also represents “Nailed,” “Second Life” and “Too Hot to Die.” “Nailed” and “Life” are making their world premieres in the Busan Festival’s Korean Cinema Today — Panorama and New Currents competition, respectively. “Too Hot” is Finecut’s market premiere title.
“Nailed,” Ha Yoon-jae’s feature debut, tells the story about a couple who intentionally damage car tires in an attempt to draw more customers to their auto shop. Director Park Young-ju’s feature debut, “Life,” is about a high school girl who tells lies to draw attention from her peers, only to find herself involved in a deadly mishap. Park’s short film “1 Kilogram” screened at the 2016 Cannes Cine Foundation.
“Too Hot” is a comedy directed by Park Jin-young.
- 10/6/2018
- by Sonia Kil
- Variety Film + TV
In today’s film news roundup, Michael Moore gets a lifetime achievement award, “Hotel by the River” gets a domestic release, and “Dawn Wall” is set for a one-night re-release.
Lifetime Achievement
Michael Moore has been selected as the recipient of the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award and will receive the honor at the third annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards.
The event will take place on Nov. 10 at Bric in Brooklyn with Bill Nye hosting. Moore’s “Fahrenheit 11/9” grossed $5.7 million in two weeks of release.
Broadcast Film Critics Association president Joey Berlin notes, “2018 has been hailed as ‘The Year of the Documentary’ and we are extremely proud to highlight the outstanding achievements in the Feature Documentary and TV/Streaming fields and give these creative filmmakers the proper recognition they deserve.”
The awards are determined by qualified members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association...
Lifetime Achievement
Michael Moore has been selected as the recipient of the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award and will receive the honor at the third annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards.
The event will take place on Nov. 10 at Bric in Brooklyn with Bill Nye hosting. Moore’s “Fahrenheit 11/9” grossed $5.7 million in two weeks of release.
Broadcast Film Critics Association president Joey Berlin notes, “2018 has been hailed as ‘The Year of the Documentary’ and we are extremely proud to highlight the outstanding achievements in the Feature Documentary and TV/Streaming fields and give these creative filmmakers the proper recognition they deserve.”
The awards are determined by qualified members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association...
- 10/5/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
‘Hotel by the River:’ Hong Sang-soo Returns With A Darker Rendering Of Familiar Themes [Nyff Review]
With two films in this year’s New York Film Festival and five in just the last two years, Hong Sang-soo is at risk of being known as much for his prolific pace as for his movies themselves. Some critics feel his pace betrays a lack of thought and rigor, while others think it suggests an artist at the height of his powers. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle, but Sang-soo’s abundant output of films that all feature similar themes and motifs allow his films to be considered very differently from most American filmmakers.
Continue reading ‘Hotel by the River:’ Hong Sang-soo Returns With A Darker Rendering Of Familiar Themes [Nyff Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Hotel by the River:’ Hong Sang-soo Returns With A Darker Rendering Of Familiar Themes [Nyff Review] at The Playlist.
- 10/5/2018
- by Joe Blessing
- The Playlist
For a guy who’s often derided for “making the same movie over and over again,” Hong Sang-soo sure likes to mix things up. If the international film community has yet to grow tired of the prolific auteur’s semi-annual comedies — bitter scrambles of soju and self-reflexivity that often revolve around horny male filmmakers, the women they refuse to understand, and the alcohol that forces their respective frustrations to the surface — that’s because Hong continues to find playful new ways of organizing his obsessions.
He’s got a natural genius for rearranging the furniture, and it makes a virtue of the fact that he’s always working inside the same house. In that light, the relatively gentle, meditative, and straightforward “Hotel by the River” is like everything and nothing that Hong has made before; to say that it’s “just another Hong” movie is an accurate way of emphasizing what makes it special.
He’s got a natural genius for rearranging the furniture, and it makes a virtue of the fact that he’s always working inside the same house. In that light, the relatively gentle, meditative, and straightforward “Hotel by the River” is like everything and nothing that Hong has made before; to say that it’s “just another Hong” movie is an accurate way of emphasizing what makes it special.
- 10/4/2018
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Fall festival favorites including “Manta Ray,” Jinpa,” and “Cities of Last Things” will line up in the main competition of next month’s Tokyo Filmex festival. The event runs Nov. 17-25 at venues in the Hibiya and Yurakucho suburbs of Tokyo.
Directed by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng “Manta Ray” recently won the Horizons award at the Venice festival. Pema Tseden’s “Jinpa” won the best screenplay award in the same section. Ho Wi Ding’s “Cities” won the best film prize in the Platform section at Toronto.
Other films making up the ten title competition section include: “Sibel,” by Turkey’s Cagla Zenkirci and Guillaume Giovanetti; “Ayka,” by Russia’s Sergei Dvortsevoy; Yeo Siew Hua’s Locarno Golden Leopard winner “A Land Imagined”; “A Family Tour,” by Ying Liang; “Long Days Journey Into Night,” directed by China’s Bi Gan, which had its premiere in Un Certain regard at Cannes; “An Elephant Sitting Still,...
Directed by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng “Manta Ray” recently won the Horizons award at the Venice festival. Pema Tseden’s “Jinpa” won the best screenplay award in the same section. Ho Wi Ding’s “Cities” won the best film prize in the Platform section at Toronto.
Other films making up the ten title competition section include: “Sibel,” by Turkey’s Cagla Zenkirci and Guillaume Giovanetti; “Ayka,” by Russia’s Sergei Dvortsevoy; Yeo Siew Hua’s Locarno Golden Leopard winner “A Land Imagined”; “A Family Tour,” by Ying Liang; “Long Days Journey Into Night,” directed by China’s Bi Gan, which had its premiere in Un Certain regard at Cannes; “An Elephant Sitting Still,...
- 10/4/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The second edition of the Pingyao International Film Festival will kick off next month with a screening of “Half The Sky,” in which five female directors approach the subject of womanhood and femininity by telling the stories of different women.
The film is directed by Daniela Thomas, Elizaveta Stishova, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Liu Yulin, Sara Blecher and produced by Jia Zhangke, the Chinese auteur who established the festival.
The festival, which runs Oct. 11-20 and counts Marco Mueller as its artistic director, is located in the United Nations heritage town of Pingyao in North East China’s Shanxi Province. Purpose-built venues include a main theater in a converted diesel engine factory, and five smaller halls.
The female angle is given additional heft with “Lust Stories,” a four-part anthology film telling stories about women, which joins “Sky” among the four gala screenings. Its three men and sole woman director are Anurag Kashyap,...
The film is directed by Daniela Thomas, Elizaveta Stishova, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Liu Yulin, Sara Blecher and produced by Jia Zhangke, the Chinese auteur who established the festival.
The festival, which runs Oct. 11-20 and counts Marco Mueller as its artistic director, is located in the United Nations heritage town of Pingyao in North East China’s Shanxi Province. Purpose-built venues include a main theater in a converted diesel engine factory, and five smaller halls.
The female angle is given additional heft with “Lust Stories,” a four-part anthology film telling stories about women, which joins “Sky” among the four gala screenings. Its three men and sole woman director are Anurag Kashyap,...
- 9/27/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Running from 1- 14 November in London before taking highlights around the country with its annual UK Tour, the festival will feature an in-depth special focus entitled A Slice of Everyday Life, along with an exciting mix of UK and International premieres, guests and events across a diverse set of strands; Cinema Now, Women’s Voices, Indie Firepower, Contemporary Classics, Artists Video, Animation and Shorts.
Korea is regularly in the world news cycle of late due to some tense international political
machinations. This year’s festival moves from this global outlook to an intimate view of the dayto-day lives and struggles of the people of the country on the ground. The 13th London Korean Film Festival proudly presents a programme that incorporates and engages with many of the topical conversations taking place in society today, through the international language of cinema.
Highlighting the festival’s dual commitment to championing the work...
Korea is regularly in the world news cycle of late due to some tense international political
machinations. This year’s festival moves from this global outlook to an intimate view of the dayto-day lives and struggles of the people of the country on the ground. The 13th London Korean Film Festival proudly presents a programme that incorporates and engages with many of the topical conversations taking place in society today, through the international language of cinema.
Highlighting the festival’s dual commitment to championing the work...
- 9/21/2018
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
With the Toronto International Film Festival concluding today and Telluride, Venice, and Locarno in the rearview, the first phase of fall film festivals have concluded. Ahead of the New York Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, AFI Fest, and more we’ve rounded up our favorite films seen over the past month or so, resulting in a selection of premieres to have on your radar.
Stay tuned over the next months (or years) as we bring updates on films as they make their way to screens. One can also click here for a link to all of our festival coverage, including news, trailers, reviews, and much more. As always, thanks for reading, and let us know what you’re most looking forward to in the comments below. Also, for a more substantial look at what’s coming to theaters this season, check out our fall preview, which also includes titles from Cannes,...
Stay tuned over the next months (or years) as we bring updates on films as they make their way to screens. One can also click here for a link to all of our festival coverage, including news, trailers, reviews, and much more. As always, thanks for reading, and let us know what you’re most looking forward to in the comments below. Also, for a more substantial look at what’s coming to theaters this season, check out our fall preview, which also includes titles from Cannes,...
- 9/16/2018
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
By now we have all noted that Hong Sang-soo has been getting a bit more serious lately. One does not necessarily register less humor in the films on a moment-by-moment basis; nor do all his recent films reflect this trend. But something is definitely up with him. Right Now, Wrong Then (2015) is the first time I felt the structure of Hong’s films shifting away from surrealist humor and toward affirmation: unexplained repetition of situation and story has always been typical of Hong, but I recall no other instance in his career in which a second repetition seems to be a moral improvement that carries the filmmaker’s endorsement. On the Beach at Night Alone (2017) uses repetition more in Hong’s usual fashion, but its story is less keyed to the surrealism of the repetition and more to a progression toward an emotional climax that Hong allows to stand unmolested by postmodern subversion.
- 9/15/2018
- MUBI
Long walks, meals, drinks, conversations and Kim Min-hee are all back in Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo’s latest monochrome offering “Hotel by the River”.
Synopsis
An old poet staying for free in a riverside hotel summons his two estranged sons. This is because he feels, for no apparent reason, like he is going to die. After being betrayed by the man she was living with, a young woman gets a room at the hotel. Seeking support, she summons a friend. The poet spends a day with his sons and tries to wrap up the loose ends in his life. But it’s not so easy to do that in one day. But then he sees the young woman and her friend, after a sudden, unbelievably heavy snowfall.
Apart from Hong Sang-soo’s muse Kim Min-hee, the film stars regular Hong Sang-soo collaborators Song Seon-mi, Kwon Hae-hyo, Yoo Jun-sang, who won...
Synopsis
An old poet staying for free in a riverside hotel summons his two estranged sons. This is because he feels, for no apparent reason, like he is going to die. After being betrayed by the man she was living with, a young woman gets a room at the hotel. Seeking support, she summons a friend. The poet spends a day with his sons and tries to wrap up the loose ends in his life. But it’s not so easy to do that in one day. But then he sees the young woman and her friend, after a sudden, unbelievably heavy snowfall.
Apart from Hong Sang-soo’s muse Kim Min-hee, the film stars regular Hong Sang-soo collaborators Song Seon-mi, Kwon Hae-hyo, Yoo Jun-sang, who won...
- 8/31/2018
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
A Land Imagined director Yeo Siew Hua Below you will find the awards for the 71st Locarno Festival, as well as an index of our coverage.AWARDSInternational CompetitionGolden Leopard: A Land Imagined (Yeo Siew Hua) Special Jury Prize: M (Yolande Zauberman) Special Mention: Ray & Liz (Richard Billingham) Best Direction: Dominga Sotomayor (Too Late to Die Young) Best Actress: Andra Guti (Alice T.) Best Actor: Ki Joobong (Hotel By the River)Filmmakers of the Present Golden Leopard: Chaos (Sara Fattahi) Special Jury Prize: Closing Time (Nicole Vögele) Prize for Best Emerging Director: Tarik Aktas (Dead Horse Nebula) Special Mention: Fausto (Andrea Bussmann)Rose in Matthieu Bareyre's L'EpoqueSigns of Life Best Film: The Fragile House (Lin Zi) Mantarraya Award: The Glorious Acceptance of Nicolas Chauvin (Benjamin Crotty)First Feature Best First Feature: Alles Ist Gut (Eva Trobisch)Art Peace Hotel Award: Acid Forest (Rugile Barzdziukaite)Special Mention: Erased, Ascent of the...
- 8/24/2018
- MUBI
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