Korean film festival hits Philippines

By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Myrtle Iris Villaraza

There's good news out there for all the film buffs, especially fans of Korean movies. The Philippine 2017 Korean Film Festival opens next week. The event will be held from September to October in six different cities and provinces in the Philippines. Admission is free.

Manila

SM Megamall, Cinema 6

Sept. 7 to 10

Davao

SM Lanang Premier, Cinema 1

Sept. 14 to 17

Iloilo

SM City Iloilo, Cinema 8

Sept. 21 to 24

Cebu

SM City Cebu, Cinema 5

Sept. 28 to Oct. 1

Pampanga

SM City Clark, Cinema 3

Oct. 5 to 8

Cavite

SM City Dasmarinas, Cinema 5

Oct. 12 to 15

The Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines (KCC) has posted the following information and rules regarding the film festival.

Manila Screenings

- The first screening will be a VIP event and open only to a limited number of audience members.

- Tickets are available for free outside the cinema.

- Tickets will be released on a first-come-first-served basis.

- Viewers are suggested to line up outside the cinema and wait for the release of tickets.

- For the first screening at 12 p.m. noon, the tickets will be released one hour prior to the screening of the film, or earlier if the number of people in line is already too many to be contained in the waiting area.

- For the subsequent screenings, tickets for the next film will be released 30 minutes after the start of the prior movie, i.e., tickets for the 3 p.m. screening will be released at 12:30 p.m. and tickets for the 6 p.m. screening will be released at 3:30 p.m.

- One person can only get one ticket for themselves. If they wish to get a ticket for another person, they must get back in line to get another ticket.

- Only food bought at Snack Time, the SM Cinema food concession, will be allowed inside the cinema.

- The KCC reserves the right to refuse admission to any patron for any reason.

Regional screenings

- The first screening will be a VIP event and open only to a limited number of audience members.

- Tickets are available for free outside the cinema.

- Tickets will be released on a first-come-first-served basis.

- Viewers are suggested to line up outside the cinema and wait for the release of tickets.

- Ticketing procedures will vary depending on location. Please follow the direction of the SM Cinema staff.

- Only food bought at Snack Time, the SM Cinema food concession, will be allowed inside the cinema.

The movies to be shown this year are "My Brilliant Life" (두근두근 내 인생), "Twenty" (스물), "How to Steal a Dog" (개를 훔치는 완벽한 방법), "Very Ordinary Couple" (연애의 온도), and "The King of Jokgu" (족구왕).

'My Brilliant Life' is a drama starring Song Hye-Kyo and Kang Dong-Won. (Korean Film Biz Zone)

 'How to Steal a Dog' is a crime-drama-family film starring Kim Hye-Ja, Lee Re, Choi Min-Soo, Kang Hye-Jung and Lee Chun-Hee. (Korean Film Biz Zone)

The KCC has been hosting a Korean film festival for several years now, with screenings in different parts of the country to cater to many people.

On Oct. 15 last year, my sister and I attended the 2016 Korean Film Festival at SM Megamall in Manila. The theme was “Strong hearts.” The festival featured five different movies that depicted people’s strong spirit and determination amid life’s overwhelming difficulties. 

The 2016 Korean Film Festival in Manila is held at Cinema 6 of SM Megamall. (Myrtle Iris Villaraza)

People carry festival brochures. We wanted a copy, and a nice woman gave us her copy. Thank you! (Myrtle Iris Villaraza)

Take a look inside the 2016 Korean Film Festival brochure.( Myrtle Iris Villaraza)

Last year was our first time to attend the film festival, and we wanted to see all of the films that day, but due to time constraints, we decided to see just one movie.

We chose to watch "The Suspect" (용의자) (2013), an action thriller film starring Gong Yoo, the famous actor we know from soap operas like "Coffee Prince," "Big" and "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God," and from the movie "Train to Busan." 

  

Waiting is never a problem if you know it’s for something worthwhile. Here, we eagerly wait in line to be let inside Cinema 6 for the movie 'The Suspect' last year.( Myrtle Iris Villaraza)

"The Suspect" is about a former North Korean spy who's abandoned and betrayed by his own country during a mission. As he runs away, he faces serious challenges that test his heart and willpower. These include discovering that his wife and kids have been killed by a colleague, and being accused of murdering a man who became his boss when he defected to South Korea. During his escape, he's helped by a documentary maker as they try to uncover the truth behind an important secret entrusted to him by his boss. 

When the movie ended, the cinema was filled with the sound of applause. Many people even rose to their feet to give the screen a standing ovation. The movie was great and I highly recommend that you see it. It’s a combination of suspense, action, drama and even comedy. It also has clever plot twists that will most likely leave you stunned. 

My sister and I are so happy to experience the 2016 Korean Film Festival. (Myrtle Iris Villaraza)

When we left the cinema, we still had a faint hope to see another movie, but we learnred that many people had already lined up for it. We asked one of the staff members if the number of people who attend the Korean Film Festival is always like that every year. She smiled and said yes. 

Each year, lots of people flock to the Korean Film Festival in the Philippines. (Myrtle Iris Villaraza)

As mentioned earlier, the tickets are free. However, based on our experience and as mentioned in the guidelines above, it’s good to be at the festival venue early. This way, you’ll have a higher chance of getting a ticket because they run out fast. You can also ask for a ticket from the Korean Film Festival staff at the venue. Last year, there were only 500 tickets available per movie screening, the same number of seats available in the cinema.

So, mark your calendar now and get ready for the 2017 Korean Film Festival! You won’t only have lots of fun, but you’ll also take home some valuable lessons you can apply to your life and share with your family and friends.

For a detailed screening schedule and more information about the movies, please check out the official website and the Facebook profile for the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines:

http://phil.korean-culture.org/

https://web.facebook.com/KoreanCulturalCenterPH/

Enjoy! =) 

wisdom117@korea.kr

Korean film festival opens in Egypt

Visual Korea 2017 is held in Egypt in May.

By Korea.net Honorary Reporters Salwa Elzeny, Esraa Elzeny, Dina Khaled and Sara Khaled

Photos = Esraa Elzeny and Salwa Elzeny 

Everywhere in the world, cinemas are where people go to enjoy themselves. Cinema tells our stories and our lives, and as our lives vary, the stories of cinema can vary, too. Korean cinema suffered in the 1970s because of bureaucracy, censorship and the spread of television, but it made its way in the early 1990s with the emergence of a generation of talented young directors. During the 21st century, the film industry in Korea has undergone great development. Korean films have begun to be shown at international festivals, most notably Cannes, Berlin and Venice. The driving force behind the boom was government policies to promote movies and filmmaking. According to the strict quota system for first-run screens, each movie screen should display a Korean film for at least 73 days each year. Directors also receive support from the Korean Film Board, regional film commissions, local governments and international film festivals. In 2015, the number of films produced in Korea reached 232, compared with 57 films in 2000, while the number of theaters increased to 2,424 in all parts of the country, compared to 720 in 2000. According to the latest statistics, an average Korean moviegoer sees 4.22 movies per year in the cinema.

As part of the Korean government's keenness to promote Korean cinema and as a response to the passion of Egyptian fans for all things Korean, we are delighted to help organize this year's Korean Cinema Festival in cooperation with the Cultural Development Fund and the Cultural Palaces Authority.

"I hope that these cultural activities organized by the Korean Cultural Center in Egypt will strengthen the friendly relations and cooperation that exists between Seoul and Cairo across various fields, and promote understanding between our two friendly societies. I hope that the films will get your admiration and applause. Thank you very much."

Thus, Park Jae Yang, the media and cultural counselor at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Egypt and director of the Korean Cultural Center in Egypt, opened the Korean Cinema Festival, under the theme of "Visual Korea," at the Egyptian Opera House on May 17.

The Cairo Opera House is the main performing arts venue in Cairo. 

The Korean Cinema Festival was held at the Cairo Opera House, part of the National Cultural Center and the main performing arts venue in the Egyptian capital. The Korean Cinema Festival was held from May 14 to 17 and screened four popular Korean movies: "The Thieves" (도둑들) (2012), "No Breathing" (노 브레싱) (2013), "The Plan Man" (플랜맨) (2014) and "Welcome to Dongmakgol" (웰컴 투 동막골) (2005).

"The Thieves" was the first movie to be shown at the Korean Cinema Festival, on May 14. The movie was produced in 2012. It's a Korean heist film directed by Choi Dong-hoon and stars Kim Yoon-seok, Lee Jung-jae, Kim Hye-soo, Jun Ji-hyun and Kim Soo-hyun. With over 12.9 million ticket sales, this action-comedy is currently the fifth highest-grossing movie in Korean film history. The movie was filmed in Seoul, Busan, Macau and Hong Kong. "The Thieves" recorded the fifth highest single day opening of all time in Korea.  I think it's one of the most successful Korean film of all time.

The story was unpredictable and you can’t figure out what will happen next. It totally throws off the audience, including a lot of situations that teach us that things aren't always what they seem. That’s the effect of a perfect storyline that provides plenty of twists, turns and flashbacks as the story progresses. All in all, "The Thieves" is highly entertaining thanks to its mix of comedy, complex plot, excellent performances and, of course, the action scenes.

  

Brochures for the Korean Cinema Festival tell the audience about the event. 

Korean Ambassador in Egypt Yoon Soon-gu and Park Jae Yang, the media and cultural counselor, both attended the opening ceremony and watched with us the opening movie. They gave welcoming speeches for the people who came to the event. A lot of people showed an interest in this event. They were very glad to know that there will be a Korean movie festival in Egypt. They wrote a lot of good comments on the official Facebook profile of the Korean Cultural Center in Egypt. Moreover, on the first day of the festival, many people of various ages  attended the screenings. There were even some families that came together to enjoy the movies. As they all watched the movies, the audience interaction was really amazing. The audience was really absorbed in the movie and it was both laughing and clapping at various parts in the movie.

Posters for the four movies are on display at the film festival. 

After the screening of the movie "The Plan Man," a seminar was held attended by Egyptian cinematic critic Nader Adly, director Ashraf Al-Fayeq, and cinematic critic Andrew Mohsen, as well as the Korean cultural counselor. They discussed the role that Korean cinema and film has played in the dissemination of Korean soft power. They talked about how Korean movies have sprung up and spread around the world, and talked about the idea of  joint exchanges between the Egyptian and Korean companies in the field of filmmaking and directing. Some of the attendees commented on their desire to translate the films into Arabic, to make it easier for them to understand Korean films better. 

Egyptian director Ashraf Al-Fayeq (right), cinematic critic Nader Adly (second from right), the Korean cultural counselor, and cinematic critic Andrew Mohsen (left) talk with the audience. 

Some of the people asked the Korean cultural counselor to invite famous K-pop stars to Egypt and to hold concerts at the Egyptian Opera House or at the Pyramids Theater. They also asked that more Korean soap operas be broadcast, and asked that they be aired with Arabic subtitles, rather than being dubbed. They believe that dubbing kills the sense of "spirit" in the Korean soap operas.

On the flip side, they believe that subtitles help them to learn and understand the Korean language. Finally, the audience agreed that it would want to hold this festival each year and have more films every year. 

The Egyptian audience enjoy the Korean movies and the seminar afterward. 

Finally, the Korean Cinema Festival is not only held in the Egyptian capital. It also visited the historic city of Luxor from May 17 to 19 at the Luxor Culture Center. 

Hope to see you all next year. 

  

wisdom117@korea.kr