Remember the nameless old lady lost in a mad, trancelike dance against the sunset in Bong Joon-ho's "Mother"? The taut 2009 thriller was one of Bong's earliest masterpieces, way before "Parasite" made him a name the whole world knew. And holding it all together was a tour de force performance from Kim Hye-ja as a widow hell-bent on clearing her intellectually disabled son's name. At home, Kim has been the nation's favorite TV mom for generations. K-drama fans might recognize her from "The Light

“Street Fighter” (US) Opened Oct. 14 Action Directed by Kitao Sakurai Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken (Noah Centineo) to take on M. Bison (David Dastmalchian) at his martial arts tournament. Based on Capcom’s video game series. “Chiikawa the Movie” (Japan) Opened Sept. 30 Animation/Adventure Directed by Kei Oikawa Chiikawa and friends travel to a remote island to stop a siren terrorizing the locals. Based on Nagano’s manga. "The Assassin(s)" (South Korea) Open

The Busan International Film Festival recorded more than 200,000 admissions this year, its highest tally since 2015, organizers said Thursday, as the 31st edition reached its final day. Screenings accounted for 200,043 admissions, according to the festival's final report. Add in talk sessions, stage greetings and other side events, and total attendance climbed to 277,027 — about 40,000 more than last year. The uptick was thanks to a reshuffled schedule, according to festival organizers. For the

It is not every day that an actor needs police protection over a movie role. Yoo Hae-jin is finding out what that’s like. On Oct. 6, police said they had given the 56-year-old a smartwatch to call for help in an emergency and stepped up patrols near his home. Two days earlier, dozens of protesters had gathered outside his house in northern Seoul. Yoo's offense, as it were, was starring in "The Assassin(s)," a journalism thriller that reimagines the 1974 shooting death of then-first lady Yuk Youn

Actors Ha Jung-woo and Cha Jung-won are tying the knot. The couple is set to marry on Dec. 13 at a hotel in Seoul. The venue has not yet been disclosed. They have been dating since 2020 and went public with their relationship in February. Ha, 48, made his film debut with the 2002 film “Madeleine” and went on to star in “The Chaser,” “Kundo: Age of the Rampant,” “Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time” and “The Handmaiden,” among others. Beyond acting, the veteran actor has also worked as a directo

"Parasite" director Bong Joon-ho's first animated film "Ally" will be released in South Korea in July next year, its production company said Friday. The animated film will debut in Korea next July, Barunson C&C said, without disclosing its release date. In France, "Ally" will open on July 14, 2027, and is also set to be released in the United States. The animated film tells the story of deepwater creatures fascinated by humans and their lives above the surface. At the center of the plot is Ally,

BUSAN — Alfonso Cuaron shared his love of movies with his son. Having him follow in his footsteps was another story. The two-time Oscar-winning auteur of "Gravity" and "Roma" is visiting Busan on his first trip to Korea, with a talk on his career scheduled for later Thursday at the Busan International Film Festival. Next to him was his son Jonas, a fellow filmmaker and longtime collaborator who co-wrote "Gravity" with him. "I kind of discouraged him from studying film or anything related," Cuaro

BUSAN -- "Diary of a Mad Old Man" opens with its stroke-stricken protagonist trying, and failing, to masturbate under his desk. Half-paralyzed at nearly 70, the old man (Lily Franky) pours what's left of his strength into furiously lusting after his daughter-in-law. He sneaks glances at her in the shower, but his true obsession is her feet — specifically, getting to suck her toes. That daughter-in-law is played by Fan Bingbing. And she says she had a blast with the role. "For me, what matters mo

The Singapore International Film Festival will open its 37th edition with "The Assassin(s)" as planned, organizers said Wednesday, rebuffing calls from South Korea's conservative People Power Party to drop the political thriller from its opening-night slot. In a statement to Singaporean media, the festival said it was aware of the controversy but stood by its selection. Its programmers chose the film independently, the statement added, on grounds of its artistic merit and contribution to contemp

BUSAN — A Korean carmaker commissioning a short film about Marilyn Monroe for her 100th birthday feels somewhat out of left field. That, in a nutshell, is "Flesh Impact," a short film made for Hyundai Motor Group's luxury marque Genesis — a key sponsor of the Busan International Film Festival. Writing and directing the project is Maggie Gyllenhaal, the Oscar-nominated actor who has been building a career behind the camera since her 2021 directorial debut, "The Lost Daughter." Having made her fir

BUSAN — Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh sees a bit of herself in the Busan International Film Festival. Both started out in Asia but set their sights on the wider world. Three decades on, both have more or less made it. "Like the Busan International Film Festival, I have come a long way," Yeoh said at Wednesday's press conference at Busan Cinema Center. "We started here in Asia with the hope of going global — to share our films and our culture with the rest of the world. I hope in some small way we h

BUSAN — The Busan International Film Festival opened its 31st edition Tuesday with a small-scale anthology film. Hours earlier, organizers had sidestepped questions about a political thriller whose entire team pulled out of the event amid fierce backlash. At a press conference for the opening film, "The Table: Day and Night," a reporter asked director Kim Jong-kwan to weigh in on the controversy, raising concerns over apparent political pressure. Programmer Jung Ji-hye, who oversees the festival

The 31st Busan International Film Festival opened Tuesday at the Busan Cinema Center, with actors and filmmakers walking the red carpet to kick off the 10-day event. Running through Oct. 15, the festival will screen 247 films from 59 countries. Kim Jong-kwan's "The Table: Day and Night" served as the opening film, with Kim Min-ha, one of its lead actors, hosting the opening ceremony. The competition section for Asian cinema returns for its second year, with 13 films from across the continent vyi

Seoul police began protective measures for actor Yoo Hae-jin on Tuesday after protests outside his home and online threats over his role in "The Assassin(s)," a film accused by conservatives ciritcs of distorting history. Seongbuk Police Station said it acted at his agency's request, providing him with a smartwatch, registering him in the emergency response system and stepping up patrols around his home. No dedicated protection officers have been assigned. Earlier Tuesday, Seoul's police chief s

The 31st edition of the Busan International Film Festival begins its 10-day run Tuesday, with the festival seeking to bolster its global presence with its first "A-list" accreditation by a prominent global organization of filmmakers. This year's event will run through Oct. 15 in the southeastern South Korean city of Busan with 247 official selections from 59 nations, which marks the biggest slate since 2019, according to organizers. Of the total, 95 films will have their world premieres at BIFF.