Jia Zhangke is a name inseparable from contemporary cinema, especially this year. Over the past few months, he has appeared at major festivals worldwide, championing cross-cultural exchange: first the Taipei Film Festival in June, then Venice in August, Busan in mid-September, and finally his own Pingyao International Film Festival (PYIFF) at the end of the…
Kim Kang-min and OMEGA X’s Kevin on Hot New BL Drama “My Bias Is Showing!”
The tides are turning, and actor Kim Kang-min and OMEGA X’s Kevin are mermen. BL (Boys’ Love) and other LGBTQIA+ themed dramas are abundant in regions like Thailand and the Philippines, but South Korea is not quite there yet. That’s why Webtoon phenomenon My Bias Is Showing!’s adaptation is such a big deal; there are…
Sweet and Sour: JUNNY’s “null” Review
K-R&B sweetheart JUNNY has just released a buffet of sonic pleasantries with null. The introductory Korean verse of “No Morning”, the album’s first song, comes in like a live recording on a dusty mobile. JUNNY’s voice is ever-soft, and the moment feels like one you’re living in. When it transitions to studio sound, the fullness…
Discover Lánre: The Rising Star in Modern R&B and Pop – Exclusive Interview
As someone who loves old-school R&B and soul, hearing Lánre for the first time a few months ago felt like a breath of fresh air. It’s wonderful to see high-quality, thoughtful pop and R&B music back in the spotlight, and Lánre is leading that charge with his latest single, Last Night Alone. Drawing on early…
BLOO Delivers an Intimate Show in London – Concert Review
It’s hard to believe it’s been nine years since BLOO first broke into the Korean music scene. His path has never been the easiest – personally or professionally – but he remains, still making music that a devoted audience genuinely treasures. So when I learned he was returning to London, I was beyond excited. Taking…
Get Ready for SF9’s Love Dawn Tour in Europe
SF9 (Sensational Feeling 9) is a South Korean boy group formed by FNC Entertainment in 2016 as the company’s first dance-focused act. The group currently includes Inseong, Youngbin, Jaeyoon, Dawon, Zuho, Yoo Taeyang, Hwiyoung, and Chani. Originally nine members, they debuted with the single album Feeling Sensation and quickly gained attention with the energetic track…
Understanding the Emotions Behind JUNHEE’s “The First Day & Night” – Exclusive Interview
Park Junhee, a.k.a JUNHEE, carries a confidence that comes through in conversation and in his music. It’s the same instinct that colours his first solo mini-album, The First Day & Night, with warmth and a touch of mischief. When he remembers the first time he heard the demo for Umbrella (10:00), the album’s opening track,…
Experience the Magic of Another Fanmeet: JIB DREAM FANMEET in Rome Details
Over the past decade, Thailand’s Boys’ Love (BL) dramas have become far more than niche entertainment. They are vibrant, emotionally rich stories that allow characters and viewers to explore vulnerability, identity, and romance without apology. One of the genre’s most unique strengths is pairing consistency: actors who work together across multiple series build trust and…
30th Busan International Film Festival: In Conversation with Frederik Sølberg, Director of “Hana Korea”
Frederik Sølberg is a Danish filmmaker whose work connects the worlds of documentary and narrative cinema, exploring stories that illuminate human identity and belonging. He is known for his careful attention to detail and for bringing real-life experiences to the screen. Fifteen years ago, a first visit to South Korea left an impression on Sølberg….
30th Busan International Film Festival: “I Only Rest in the Storm” Review
Pedro Pinho’s I Only Rest in the Storm is a hypnotic and textured look at power, identity, and longing, set in a tense West African city. The film follows Sergio, an environmental engineer working on a controversial road between the desert and the forest, as it explores the tangled realities of neo-colonialism, expat privilege, and relationships in…
30th Busan International Film Festival: “Shape of Momo” Review
Shown at this year’s Busan International Film Festival, Tribeny Rai’s debut feature, Shape of Momo, is a wonderful piece of writing. A powerful film that listens closely to the hidden struggles of women living within the limits of tradition. The narrative centres on Bishnu, a 32-year-old who abandons her city job and returns to her…
Sylvia CHANG Receives BIFF x CHANEL 2025 Camellia Award at the 30th Busan International Film Festival
Taiwanese filmmaker Sylvia Chang has been awarded the 2025 Camellia Award for her groundbreaking contributions across generations and roles, paving the way for Asian women in cinema. The Camellia Award, presented by CHANEL in partnership with the Busan International Film Festival, honors women whose cultural and artistic impact shapes the film industry. At the 30th…
30th Busan International Film Festival: “Dear Stranger” Review
Tetsuya Mariko’s Dear Stranger begins not with the disappearance of a child, but with the erosion of a marriage. Kenji (Hidetoshi Nishijima: Drive My Car, Serpent’s Path), a Japanese architecture professor in New York, and Jane (Gwei Lun-Mei: The Wild Goose Lake), a Taiwanese-American puppeteer who has put her art aside to raise their young…
30th Busan International Film Festival: “Hana Korea” Review
For many North Korean defectors, crossing the border is not the end of a story but the start of another kind of struggle. Frederik Sølberg’s Hana Korea, co-written with Sharon Choi, goes straight into that fraught second chapter. The film is a great story of adaptation and loss: how the comforts of a new country…
