Korean-made Films Gain Growing Int'l Recognition
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The latest honor of "Oldboy" winning the Grand Prize of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival highlights how far Korean movies have come since the country's first moving pictures were produced more than 80 years ago. It also shows that Korea, which remains one of the few countries in the world where homegrown cinema outpaces Hollywood blockbusters, is starting to win the acclaim of moviegoers abroad.
Director Park Chan-wook is among a growing list of Korean filmmakers who are starting to win international acclaim. The emergence of Korean cinema at such renowned film festivals as Cannes, Venice and Berlin is prompting big-name distributors and producers to take notice of what used to be an irrelevant market.
Park's violent thriller Oldboy is a prime example of how homegrown flicks are appealing to many, especially those seeking new approaches to moviemaking. Described as the most creative work among 19 movies in competition by Cannes jury president Quentin Tarantino, Oldboy which was a domestic box office hit last year proved that Korean films can win over audiences on a broader platform.
Case in point, Korea's megablockbuster "Taeguekgi". The Korean War epic attracted more than 10 million moviegoers earlier this year and now, it's looking to hit silver screens in Japan and Southeast Asian countries in the summer, before making its debut on some 60 U.S. theaters this fall.
As international demand for Korean cinema grows, it's helping to boost contracts for films which have yet to crank in. Sales for movies in pre-production shot up to US$24 million so far this year, up a stellar 40 percent compared to the same period last year.
Arirang TV
Director Park Chan-wook is among a growing list of Korean filmmakers who are starting to win international acclaim. The emergence of Korean cinema at such renowned film festivals as Cannes, Venice and Berlin is prompting big-name distributors and producers to take notice of what used to be an irrelevant market.
Park's violent thriller Oldboy is a prime example of how homegrown flicks are appealing to many, especially those seeking new approaches to moviemaking. Described as the most creative work among 19 movies in competition by Cannes jury president Quentin Tarantino, Oldboy which was a domestic box office hit last year proved that Korean films can win over audiences on a broader platform.
Case in point, Korea's megablockbuster "Taeguekgi". The Korean War epic attracted more than 10 million moviegoers earlier this year and now, it's looking to hit silver screens in Japan and Southeast Asian countries in the summer, before making its debut on some 60 U.S. theaters this fall.
As international demand for Korean cinema grows, it's helping to boost contracts for films which have yet to crank in. Sales for movies in pre-production shot up to US$24 million so far this year, up a stellar 40 percent compared to the same period last year.
Arirang TV
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