South Korean filmmaker Jang Kun- jae is one of the emerging filmmakers in Korea, who is known for his naturalistic films such as Eighteen (2010), Sleepless Night (2013) and A Midsummer Fantasia (2015). Kun- jae is a handy man when it comes to filmmaking; he edits, produces and directs his own films. His debut feature Eighteen…
The 59th London Film Festival: Assassination
A genius storyteller for his spectacular ability to develop elaborate stories, someone once said about Choi Dong-hoon, one of the most successful South Korean film directors in modern Korean cinema. All his five productions, The Big Swindle (2004), Tazza: The High Roller (2006), Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard (2009), The Thieves (2012) and his latest hit Assassination…
The 10th London Korean Film Festival: The Royal Tailor
Lee Won- seok debuted in 2013 with the vivacious romantic comedy How To Use Guys With Secret Tips. It became an unexpected hit among critics as well as the viewers. Nevertheless, it did not do well in the box office mainly because it was up against three biggest production of the 2013; The Berlin File…
The 59th London Film Festival: In Conversation with Jerzy Skolimowski
Jerzy Skolimowski, born in 1938, is a Polish film director, screenwriter and actor, who is also a painter and a poet. He spent his childhood and teenage years in Prague, where he befriended future filmmaker Milos Forman and Vaclav Havel, a writer, philosopher and politician. He returned to Poland to study Polish Literature and…
The 59th BFI London Film Festival: 11 Minutes
After a 5 year hiatus, Jerzy Skolimowski has finally released his new film entitled 11 Minutes. The apocalyptic thriller has already received positive reviews at this year’s Venice International Film Festival, where it was nominated to Golden Lion in the main competition section. It was also screened in the Masters section of the 2015 Toronto…
23rd Raindance Film Festival: Fires on the Plain and In Conversation with Shinya Tsukamoto
Japan’s involvement in the World War II began on December 7 1941, when it attacked the American base in Hawaii, Pearl Harbor. On the same day, Japanese airplanes raided airports in the Philippines, and two days later, the Imperial Army landed in the country and started its carnage. After a few turbulent months of fighting,…
The 59th BFI London Film Festival: He Named Me Malala
He Named Me Malala is a documentary directed by Davis Guggenheim, an American filmmaker whose films, An Inconvenient Truth, It Might Get Loud and Waiting for ‘Superman’, have been in the top 100 highest-grossing documentaries since 2009. Guggenheim’s film tells the story of Malala Yousafazai, a young Pakistani girl who advocates for girls’ education and human rights….
Zandari Festa 2015
Bands from all over the world travel to music showcase-style festivals like The Great Escape in the UK and SXSW in the US each year to share their music with new audiences and network with other musicians and music industry professionals. Started in 2012, Zandari Festa is Korea’s largest music showcase festival. And while it’s…
23rd Raindance Film Festival: In Conversation with Kai Barry
American filmmaker Kai Barry is the brains behind Newcomer, the gritty spy thriller that opened this year’s Raindance Film Festival. Starring Bafta award-winning actor James Floyd, Newcomer is about Alex, a newly recruited contractor who is framed for killing his team when a mission goes wrong. In order to clear his name, Alex must go…
London’s Festival of Korean Music: In Conversation with No Brain
Exceedingly open-minded, outspoken and humerous, who else could it be but No Brain, a Korean punk rock band founded in 1996. Often called “the godfathers of the Korean punk scene”, No Brain is comprised of Woo-yong (Bass), Hyun-seong (Drums), Min-jun (Guitar) and Sung-woo (Vocals). Whenever I see their shows, there is always a thrilling atmosphere in the…
London’s Festival of Korean Music: The Barberettes
In 2013, London Evening Standard cited that the Korean Music Festival was “original, powerful and thrilling like nothing you have heard before.” It took further two years before the London Korean Cultural Centre, in association with Serious, co-ordinated more stirring celebration of live contemporary and traditional music. London has already introduced to us the vigorous…
In Conversation with Ryu Seong-hie
Ryu Seong-hie is a Korean Film Production Designer whose creativity and passion for film has no limits. She made a name for herself in 2001, when she gave a helping hand on Song Il-gon’s film Flower Island. The film was later presented with 7 awards, including CinemAvvenire’s award for Best First Film at the Venice Film…
The 9th London Korean Film Festival: Cold Eyes Review
“A slick and clever thriller, with dynamic pacing, strong lensing and a particularly strong use of space” – Pierce Conran, TWITCH Cold Eyes (2013) by Jo Ui-seok and Kim Byung-seo, will grab you by the throat from the very first minute you see Jung Woo-sung (The Divine Move) on the big screen. It is common…
In Conversation with James Bradley on the London Lift-Off Film Festival
Look beyond the gloss, put talent before technology – that is the motto for the upcoming London Lift-Off Film Festival, which aims to expose audiences to the beauty of independent cinema. In the four years since its creation, The Lift-Off Film Festival has grown from a local event into a global exhibition of independent films…
VIEW OF THE ARTS 