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Acclaimed South Korean filmmaker July Jung‘s emotionally devastating drama-thriller Next Sohee is set to make its highly anticipated U.S. theatrical debut this May. Following its world premiere as the Closing Film of the 2022 Cannes Critics’ Week–where it received a seven-minute standing ovation–Next Sohee has earned critical acclaim for its harrowing and deeply affecting narrative, anchored by an electrifying performance from Kim Si-eun (Squid Game season 2) and a powerhouse turn by Rebel Moon and The Host star Bae Doona.

Inspired by true events, Next Sohee follows the story of a high school student who takes on an internship at a call center, only to face grueling conditions that spiral into tragedy. As an investigator, played by Bae Doona, delves into the circumstances surrounding the case, she uncovers unsettling truths about systemic exploitation and institutional neglect. The film delivers a searing indictment of labor abuses while exploring themes of empathy,...

In a deal unveiled at Hong Kong FilMart, Korean filmmaker July Jung’s emotionally charged drama-thriller “Next Sohee” will make its long-awaited stateside theatrical debut in May through Zurty Studios and Echelon Studios, following a celebrated international festival run.

The film, which closed the 2022 Cannes Critics’ Week to a seven-minute standing ovation, offers a harrowing narrative inspired by true events. It follows a high school student’s tragic experience during an internship at a call center with grueling working conditions, and the subsequent investigation by a determined detective, played by Bae Doona.

Jung’s sophomore feature solidifies her reputation as a significant voice in Korean cinema after her critically acclaimed debut “A Girl at My Door” (2014), which also starred Doona. “Bringing ‘Next Sohee’ to audiences in the U.S. is incredibly meaningful,” Jung said. “This story reflects real struggles, and I hope it resonates with viewers as deeply as it has with me.

Kim Sae-Ron, a renowned South Korean actress known for her role in Netflix’s Bloodhounds, was found dead at her home in Seoul on Sunday. Authorities have reported her cause of death as suicide.

The 24-year-old was discovered by a friend who visited her residence in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, and immediately alerted the police. According to a statement from the authorities reported by Yonhap News Agency, “We believe she made an extreme choice and plan to handle it as a suicide.”

Career Challenges and Personal Struggles

Kim’s career faced challenges following a drink-driving incident in May 2022. The actress crashed her car into a guardrail, trees, and a transformer, leading to a temporary power outage in southern Seoul.

In April 2023, she was fined approximately £11,000 (20 million won) for the incident. Following the controversy, her role in Bloodhounds was significantly reduced, which ultimately became her last project.

In a heartfelt apology posted on social media at the time,...

The cause of death for South Korean actress Kim Sae-ron has been revealed. According to Seongdong Police in Seoul and Yonhap News Agency, Kim’s death has been ruled a suicide. No note was left, the news agency reported.

Known for her roles in The Man from Nowhere and The Neighbor, the actress was found dead on Sunday at her home in Seoul by a friend, who called police. She was 24.

One of South Korea’s highly praised and popular actors, Kim’s career paused after she was fined 20 million won for driving under the influence in 2022. At the time she had issued an apology on her Instagram account, saying “there is no excuse for this distasteful incident.” Following the incident, Kim left her role in the Sbs drama Trolley shortly after taking it, and she opted not to renew her contract with her agency Goldmedalist later that year.

She...

Warning: The following post contains discussions of suicide. South Korean actress Kim Sae-ron, who most recently starred in Netflix‘s 2023 K-drama Bloodhounds, was found dead in her home on Sunday, February 16. She was 24. As first reported by the Yonhap News Agency, citing law enforcement, Kim’s body was found by a friend in Seongsu-dong, a neighborhood in eastern Seoul, South Korea, just before 5 p.m. local time on Sunday. While a cause of death has not been made official, police stated that they are treating it as death by suicide. “We believe she made an extreme choice and plan to handle it as a suicide,” police told reporters, according to Yonhap. Born on July 31, 2000, Kim began her career as a child actor, appearing in films such as A Brand New Life (2009) and The Man From Nowhere (2010). In her teens, she landed more leading roles, most notably in the 2014 film A Girl at My Door.

News broke over the weekend that South Korean actress Kim Sae-ron had passed away, and now police have reportedly revealed her cause of death.

If you did not see, she was found dead at her home at the age of 24.

Keep reading to find out more…

“We believe she made an extreme choice and plan to handle it as a suicide,” police reportedly told reporters, via Yonhap News Agency. They added that she left no note.

Kim Sae-Ron was an accomplished young actress in the country, but she faced a drunk driving incident in 2022 that caused her to bow out of the spotlight. She attempted to return to acting last year, but later dropped out over health issues, via Yonhap.

She began as a child star in films like A Brand New Life and The Man From Nowhere, and led films like A Girl at My Door and TV dramas like Listen to My Heart,...

South Korean actress Kim Sae-ron, whose career began at the age of nine, was found dead at her home in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on Sunday. A friend discovered her body after she missed a scheduled meeting, prompting police to investigate the circumstances. Authorities have ruled out any signs of foul play, with one official suggesting that her death may have been self-inflicted.

Kim, born in 2000, gained recognition for her role in A Brand New Life (2009), which secured her a spot at the Cannes Film Festival, and for her performance in The Man from Nowhere (2010). Her work extended to both film and television, including titles such as The Neighbor (2012), A Girl at My Door (2014), and the Netflix action series Bloodhounds (2023).

In May 2022, Kim was involved in a drink-driving incident in Seoul’s Gangnam District. While driving under the influence, she lost control of her vehicle and collided with an electrical transformer, causing damage to nearby establishments.

Kim Sae-ron, a promising young South Korean actress known for her roles in A Brand New Life (2009) and The Man From Nowhere (2010), South Korea’s highest-grossing film of 2010, has died. She was 24.

Kim was found dead in her home in Seoul on Sunday, by a friend who had plans to meet with her, police told South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. The police said there were no signs of foul play yet, but they were investigating the circumstances of her death.

On Monday, Yonhap reported that police said her death would be ruled a suicide.

“We believe she made an extreme choice and plan to handle it as a suicide,” a police official told reporters.

Born in 2000 in Seoul, Kim began her career as a child actress, reportedly becoming one of the youngest performers to be invited to Cannes for her role in A Brand New Life. She went on...

Kim Sae-Ron, a South Korean film and TV star and former acting child prodigy, was found dead Sunday at her home in Seoul, according to multiple media reports. She was 24.

Police said a friend found her dead in her Seongdong home in Seoul, and confirmed that she died Sunday. No signs of break-in our foul play were discovered, but the cause of her death was still under investigation.

Kim started acting at age nine, and was a popular cultural figure from films “A Brand New Life,” which premiered at Cannes in 2009, and “The Man From Nowhere,” a major box office hit in South Korea. She won mass critical acclaim and several awards from those roles, including Best New Actress at the Korean Film Awards and other organizations.

Her career continued in her teens with films like “A Girl at My Door” and Korean television dramas such “Listen to My Heart” and “The Queen’s Classroom.

Kim Sae-ron, a popular Korean actress known for her roles in The Man from Nowhere (2010) and The Neighbor (2012), has died. She was 24.

The actress was found dead at her home in Seoul on Sunday by a friend, who then called the police, according to the Yonhap News Agency. Police reportedly found no foul play and are investigating the cause of death.

Born July 31, 2000 in Seoul, Kim began her career as a child actress with roles in such films as A Brand New Life (2009) and I Am a Dad (2011), before taking on leading roles as a teen in movies like A Girl at My Door (2014) and The Villagers (2018), as well as shows like Listen to My Heart, The Queen’s Classroom and Love Playlist.

Kim’s work earned in A Girl at My Door won her Best New Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, years after winning the same accolade at...

Kim Sae-ron, the South Korean actress who appeared in the Netflix series Bloodhounds, has died at the age of 24.

Kim was found dead at her home in Seoul, South Korea after a friend discovered her body after she missed a scheduled meeting, police told the Yonhap News Agency (via Reuters). No cause of death was provided, but foul play is not suspected.

An actress since the age of nine, Kim became one of South Korea’s most promising young stars when she starred in 2009’s A Brand New Day, which...

South Korean actor Kim Sae-ron, celebrated for her compelling performances from a young age, was found dead at her home in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on Sunday. She was 24.

A friend discovered her body after Kim failed to attend a scheduled meeting, according to Reuters. Authorities have found no signs of foul play and are investigating the circumstances surrounding her death. Seoul police said on Monday that Kim’s death was a suicide, according to the New York Times.

Born in 2000, in Seoul, Kim embarked on her acting career at the tender age of nine. She gained international recognition with her role in “A Brand New Life” (2009), which was showcased at the Cannes Film Festival, making her one of the youngest actors to be invited to the event. Her portrayal in “The Man From Nowhere” (2010) further solidified her status as a rising star in Korean cinema.

The actor transitioned seamlessly from child roles to more complex characters.

Kim Sae-ron has sadly passed away.

The South Korean actress was found dead at her home at the age of 24, police told Reuters on Sunday (February 16).

A friend who was going to meet the actress at her home and discovered her, calling the police, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Police found no evidence of foul play, and are investigating the cause of death but did not provide further details, according to the report.

Keep reading to find out more…

Kim Sae-Ron was an accomplished young actress in the country, but she faced a drunk driving incident in 2022 that caused her to bow out of the spotlight. She attempted to return to acting last year, but later dropped out over health issues, via Yonhap.

She began as a child star in films like A Brand New Life and The Man From Nowhere, and led films like A Girl at My Door...

The 19th edition of the London Korean Film Festival (Lkff), organised by the Korean Cultural Centre UK (Kccuk) and supported by the Korean Film Council, is proud to unveil its 2024 programme. The London Korean Film Festival will take place at BFI Southbank, Ciné Lumière, and Institute of Contemporary Arts (Ica) from 1 November to 13 November. It will feature two strands; Cinema Now and Women’s Voices, as well as a programme from the BFI Echoes in Time: Korean Films of the Golden Age and New Cinema.

Opening Gala Film: Park Beom-su‘s Victory

Closing Gala Film: E.oni‘s Love In The Big City

Special Screening: Choi Dong-hoon‘s Alienoid: Return To The Future

Victory by Park Beom-su will open the festival on the 6 November at BFI Southbank with the director in attendance. In 1999, two rebellious teenagers start a cheerleading squad for their provincial high school, bringing confidence and solidarity to themselves,...

July Jung made one of the best recent debuts of recent times in Korean cinema back in 2014 with her “A Girl at My Door”, a gritty and superbly acted social drama which screened in the Un Certain Regard category at Cannes Film Festival. It went on to receive much critical acclaim and multiple awards at film festivals, with both the director and lead actress Bae Doona receiving praise and accolades for their work. Jung instantly became a director to watch out for but little did we know that it would take eight years before she would step behind the camera again for “Next Sohee”, which closed the International Critics' Week at Cannes this year.

Next Sohee will be released in cinemas in the UK, starting June 14, courtesy of day for night

Bright, cheerful and feisty Sohee is like any other high schooler who wants to be a dancer, loves hanging...

New York's Metrograph Theater is proud to announce the details of Novel Encounters: the Films of Lee Chang-dong, their upcoming retrospective headlined by the New York Premieres of four new 4K restorations of Lee Chang-dong's directorial works; Green Fish (1997), Peppermint Candy (1999), Oasis (2002), and Poetry (2010). The series begins April 5th and also includes Lee's critically acclaimed Burning, South Korea's entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, and his 2007 Cannes Award-Winning Secret Sunshine, alongside a filmmaker-curated duo of his most celebrated and valued writing and producing efforts: Ouni Lecomte's A Brand New Life and July Jung's A Girl at My Door. Each restoration title, which are being released by Film Movement Classics in North America, will have a week-long run at the esteemed Lower East Side repertory and first-run cinema, marking their US Theatrical Premieres.

Poetry

Filmmaker, playwright, and novelist, Lee Chang-dong has been a vital force...

At the end of last year we learned that Film Movement picked up four new 4K restorations of the films of Lee Chang-dong: Green Fish (1997), Peppermint Candy (1999), Oasis (2002), and Poetry (2010). Now today finally brings news of when we’ll be able to see them. New York City’s Metrograph Theater announced their retrospective Novel Encounters: the Films of Lee Chang-dong, taking place April 5-27, featuring the four aforementioned restorations as well as Burning, Secret Sunshine, and Ouni Lecomte’s A Brand New Life (which Lee co-wrote) and July Jung’s A Girl at My Door (which Lee produced).

“We are thrilled to present a retrospective of Lee Chang-dong’s outstanding body of work, celebrating him as one of the most esteemed auteurs in contemporary cinema,” said Metrograph’s Director of Programming Inge de Leeuw. “Each film in this retrospective delves into the profound complexities of the human condition. As big admirers of his filmmaking,...

South Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong is getting his flowers stateside, thanks to a retrospective exhibit curated by New York’s Metrograph Theater. Titled “Novel Encounters: the Films of Lee Chang-dong,” the upcoming program is headlined by the New York premieres of four new 4K restorations of Lee’s directorial works, including “Green Fish” (1997), “Peppermint Candy” (1999), “Oasis” (2002), and “Poetry” (2010). “Novel Encounters” runs from April 5 through 27.

“We are thrilled to present a retrospective of Lee Chang-dong’s outstanding body of work, celebrating him as one of the most esteemed auteurs in contemporary cinema,” Metrograph’s Director of Programming Inge de Leeuw said. “Each film in this retrospective delves into the profound complexities of the human condition. As big admirers of his filmmaking, we are delighted to bring his compassionate films to the big screen and we are proud to work with the North American distributor Film Movement to present the restored versions...

Distributor, Day for Night has acquired a trio of Asian titles for U.K. and Ireland at the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Contents and Film Market.

Day for Night is acquiring the late Pema Tseden’s “Snow Leopard” from Rediance. Pema Tseden, the Tibetan art house film director known for “Jinpa” and “Balloon,” died at 53 earlier this year. The film explores the complicated coexistence of animals and people on the Tibetan plateau. After a snow leopard kills nine rams owned by a herder, a bitter conflict ensues between the herder who wants to kill the snow leopard and the father who wants to release it.

“Snow Leopard” world premiered at Venice and subsequently played Toronto and will next be at Tokyo.

“Next Sohee” by Korean filmmaker July Jung (“A Girl at My Door”), which premiered at Cannes’ Critics Week in 2022 and played at Busan and London, has been...

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced the U.S. and international recipients of the 2023 Academy Gold Fellowship for Women.

Erica Eng and July Jung are the most recent filmmakers to receive the fellowship, each with a prize of $35,000. Now in its sixth year, this is the second year the fellowship has worked in partnership with Chanel.

Part of Academy Gold, a global talent development and inclusion initiative, the Fellowship for Women is a one-year program that combines direct support, personalized mentorship and access to once-in-a-lifetime networking opportunities for emerging women filmmakers to further their pursuits in the field. Other initiative operating within Academy Gold include Gold Rising, the Student Academy Awards and Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting.

“We are honored to advance the work of Erica and July – two extraordinary filmmakers. The Academy’s Gold Fellowship for Women is a crucial part of the Academy...

$35,000 prize for US and international winners.

The Academy has selected Erica Eng and July Jung as its 2023 Academy Gold Fellowship For Women recipients.

The fellowship is part of the Academy Gold global talent development and inclusion initiative and offers a one-year programme offering direct support, mentorship and access to top-level networking opportunities for emerging women filmmakers to further their careers.

Two fellowships are awards each year with a $35,000 prize for each category.

Eng and Jung will Fellows also get career advancement support through the Gold Alumni Program providing provides continued access, opportunity, professional development and education for alumni of Academy Gold programmes including Gold Rising,...

Where South Korean cinema has boomed over the past two decades, making a big impression on audiences worldwide, some subjects are still significantly under-represented within it. Despite some superb efforts – A Distant Place and A Girl At My Door spring to mind – there is very little queer Korean cinema, and this reflects a tendency toward cultural and social neglect of LGBTQ+ communities in the country more generally. Given this, it’s fascinating to get a cinematic glimpse into the history of one of those communities courtesy of director Kwon Aram, whose documentary served as the closing gala of the 2023 Queer East film festival in London.

The subject is South Korea’s lesbian community and its development in the 1990s. To put it in perspective, one must understand that this was a period more equivalent to the 1950s in the West, as far as social awareness was concerned. Many...

Next Sohee Photo: courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival

Just the second feature by South Korea’s July Jung, Next Sohee won her the Best Director award at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival and came second in the Audience Awards vote for Best Asian Film. The closing film of the festival, it’s a blistering exploration of the exploitation of school children through work experience programmes, presented as a drama in two parts. Having very much admired Jung’s previous film, A Girl At My Door, I was delighted to get the chance to speak to her at the festival and ask her a few questions about it.

Since seeing the film, I have spoken to people in several countries who have told me that the same kind of exploitation happens where they are, so I ask her how she first came across the issue.

“At the beginning,...

July Jung made one of the best recent debuts of recent times in Korean cinema back in 2014 with her “A Girl at My Door”, a gritty and superbly acted social drama which screened in the Un Certain Regard category at Cannes Film Festival. It went on to receive much critical acclaim and multiple awards at film festivals, with both the director and lead actress Bae Doona receiving praise and accolades for their work. Jung instantly became a director to watch out for but little did we know that it would take eight years before she would step behind the camera again for “Next Sohee”, which closed the International Critics’ Week at Cannes this year.

“Next Sohee” is screening on Fantasia International Film Festival

Bright, cheerful and feisty Sohee is like any other high schooler who wants to be a dancer, loves hanging out with her friends and boyfriend and would...

Epic Pictures Releasing has licensed North American rights to Korean action film “Hot Blooded,” from leading Seoul-based film sales agency Finecut. The deal is one of several struck by the agency ahead of Cannes, where it is also launching sales on Critics’ Week title “Next Sohee.”

Starring Bae Doona and Kim Si-eun, “Next Sohee” is directed by Jung July, whose acclaimed “A Girl at My Door” played in Un Certain regard in 2014. It tells the tale of a detective probing the death of a call center worker.

“Hot Blooded,” the directing debut of screenwriter Cheon Myeong-kwan (“Whale”) was also licensed by Finecut to Japan (New Select), Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia (Cj Enm Hong Kong) and the Philippines (Viva Networks). These are in addition to previous deals for France (the Jokers Films), Thailand, Cambodia and Laos (M Pictures).

Finecut closed multiple deals on “Chun Tae-il: A Flame That Lives On,” an...

Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut ’When You Finish Saving The World’ will open the section focused on first and second films.

Cannes Critics’ Week, the parallel section focused on first and second films, has unveiled the line-up for its 61st edition, running May 18-26.

The section will showcase 11 features, seven of them in competition, and another 13 shorts.

It is the first selection piloted by incoming Critics’ Week artistic director Ava Cahen, since taking over the reins from Charles Tesson, who stepped down at the end of last year’s 60th edition after 10 years at the helm.

At 36, she is the...

July Jung’s first feature movie revolves around Young-Nam (Bae Doo-na), a policewoman, who is temporally transferred from Seoul to the police station of a small seaside village, habitable mostly by elderly citizens. As soon as she arrives, she confronts schoolgirl Do-hee (Kim Sae-ron), who not only is bullied by her classmates but also she is a victim of abuse by her alcoholic stepfather Yong-ha (Song Sae-byeok). One night, Do-hee runs to Young-nam’s door, searching for protection from her abusive stepfather. Young-Nam, feeling sympathy for the young girl, takes her under her protection until the new school year, despite the demands of Do-hee’s stepfather to return home. Things get complicated when Yong-ha sees Young-Nam kissing her ex-girlfriend and he uses her homosexuality against her.

From the movie’s summary, it becomes apparent that this is a melodrama, but as the story unfolds and comes to a turning point,...

What started as the Korean New Wave in the late 90s really flourished in the 2000s. The 2010s, however, is where we saw what we can call the “new” golden age for Korean cinema, where several new-name directors made their mark, established filmmakers cemented their names in world cinema, actors became stars, blockbuster cinema raked in big money and independent cinema also thrived. Thanks to the success of films like “The Handmaiden” and “Train to Busan” on a global level, a new audience started having a much keener interest in films from the country, while the unprecedented, historic success of “Parasite” at the end only went on to bookend the truly spectacular decade that the 2010s was for South Korean cinema.

In an effort to winnow some of the best Korean movies of the decade (2011-2020), we came up with 40 we felt were the ones that truly stand out in terms of quality,...

Films like “Parasite” or “Train to Busan” may send ripples all over the international movie world, but Korean cinema is not just filled with expensive studio productions and blockbusters. On the contrary, the independent film industry is equally rich and also features a number of great movies, which unfortunately, do not reach so many people outside of the festival circuit. This list has exactly this purpose, of highlighting a number of titles that may not feature big budgets, but boast original stories, unique cinematic approaches, and muchartistry. Furthermore, in an initiative that started from Busan and Jeonju festival, a number of films of female directors were nurtured and promoted, in an effort to create titles that stray away from the male-dominated standards and stories that permeate the Korean film industry. Films like the “House of Hummingbird” and “A Bedsore” were the outcome of this effort and are also included in this list.

Thessaloniki Cinematheque invites you to discover the exciting world of modern Asian cinema this week, through the tribute “A complicated origami: The concept of family in modern Asian cinema”, which will take place Sunday 23 to Wednesday 26 February 2020, at the favorite cinefil location, Stavros Tornes screening room.

The tribute includes four movies that revolve around the concept of family, with three of them being presented in Greece for the first time.

Norwegian Wood (2010) by Ahn Hung Tranh

The film could be described as abstract to the point of ambiguity, the same does not apply to the visual, where Mark Lee presents another excellent work, creating a dramatically beautiful setting where the lives of the protagonists unfold. From the Tokyo of the 60s with the student movements (and a subtle but very derogatory comment), to the bucolic beauty of Kyoto and the tragic symbolism of the sea, all of Lee’s frames...

Korean Film Nights continue with a second season for 2019 “Love Without Boundaries” – a programme of titles exploring Korean cinema’s bold exploration of romantic relationships existing on society’s margins. From the 4th of July to the 8th of August.

This season is programmed in collaboration with the Birkbeck Film Programming and Curating Ma course.

Love, in its many guises, has always been a central concern in cinema. From the long-established vision presented in Hollywood studio pictures to the local dialect of any national cinema, romance has always had a place on film. Outside of cinema’s mainstream however, many exemplary filmmakers have long strove to represent a range of transgressive love stories in their work, bucking the idealised view codified in typical cinema fare. Delving deep into the key works from Korean cinema that have pushed against socially-accepted views of love and relationships, our season seeks to offer a...

Has passed 14.5 million admissions.

In South Korea, Cj Entertainment’s action comedy Extreme Job has become the second biggest hit in history after reaching a total of more than 14.5 million admissions today (February 18), according to the Korean Film Council (Kofic).

Released January 23, the film has now made more than $111.3m at the local box office from 2,003 screens.

Directed by Lee Byoung-heon (Twenty), Extreme Job follows a team of narcotics detectives that goes undercover working at a fried chicken joint to bring down an organized crime gang. Their plans go awry when their chicken recipe is so good the place becomes the hottest eatery in town.

A lyrical yet assertive work, “House of Hummingbird” is the soulful debut feature of Korean director Kim Bo-ra, a Columbia University School of the Arts Alumna, following a series of shorts, often focused on family life. Her subtle indie film had its world premiere with a “bang” at the 23rd Busan International Film Festival, where it has been met with praise and won the Knn Audience Award as well as the Netpac (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) Award.

“House of Hummingbird” received the Pitch & Catch Megabox Grand Award from Seoul International Women’s Film Festival and received production support from Korean Film Council, Seoul Film Commission and Seongnam Cultural Foundation. Moreover, it was selected for Ifp Narrative Lab and received post production support from Sundance Film Festival.

“House of Hummingbird” is screening at Berlin Film Festival

Eun-hee (Ji-hu Park) is a 14-year-old girl entering the problematic age of adolescence in 1994’s Seoul.

Police procedural comedies are more often than not a fun ride. The latest to tackle the genre is director Lee Byung-heon with his new film “Extreme Job”.

Synopsis

A drug squad consists of 5 detectives: Detective Squad Chief Go, Detective Jang, Detective Ma, Detective Young-Ho and Detective Jae-Hoon. The team attempts to take down a criminal organization and they must go undercover to do so. The detectives begin work as employees at a chicken restaurant across the road, but the chicken restaurant becomes famous for its delicious chicken. Due to the restaurant’s unexpected popularity, the detectives find themselves in a situation they never expected.

Director Lee Byung-heon is no stranger to comedy, with his previous two films “Twenty” and this year’s sleeper hit “What A Man Wants” both being well-received, as well as having written the screenplays for “Scandal Makers” and “Love Forecast”.

Starring as Chief Go a leaner,...

Ma Dong-seok’s rise from strongman side roles to one of the most bankable stars in South Korea and a global superstar has been nothing short of incredible. 2018, in particular, was a strong year for the ex-Mma coach, with starring roles in the arm-wrestling comedy-drama “Champion” and the upcoming “Wonderful Ghost” (also called “The Soul-mate”), as well as a key role in the tentpole film “Along With the Gods: The Last 49 Days”. Looking to finish the year off on a high, his final film of 2018 will be director Lim Jin-soon’s “The Villagers”.

Synopsis

Ki-Cheol begins work as a contract gym teacher at a high school in a quiet countryside village. Ki-Cheol feels weird because a female high school student went missing, but nobody in the village seems to care. Only Yoo-Jin, who is the missing girl’s friend, is sure that her friend has been kidnapped. Yoo-Jin...

This morning the Toronto Film Festival added several more films to their lineup including the world premiere of Thomas McCarthy's The Cobbler which stars Adam Sandler as a New York City cobbler who, disenchanted with the grind of daily life, stumbles upon a magical heirloom that allows him to step into the lives of his customers and see the world in a new way. The film co-stars Method Man, Ellen Barkin, Melonie Diaz, Dan Stevens, Steve Buscemi and Dustin Hoffman. Additionally, Sundance standouts Infinity Polar Bear and Laggies starring Keira Knightley and Chloe Grace Moretz were added to the Gala selection. Joining The Cobbler as new additions to the Special Presentations field include Olivier Assayas' Clouds of Sils Maria starring Kristen Stewart and Juliette Binoche and Two Days, One Night from Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne and starring Marion Cotillard. Both films made a splash at Cannes earlier this year,...

Toronto film festival organisers have programmed features from 42 countries in the Contemporary World Cinema (Cwc) programme and unveiled eight South Korean selections in the City To City.

Cwc features latest work by Jessica Hausner, Rolf de Heer, Christian Zübert and Ryuichi Hiroki, among others.

For the third year, Tiff (Sept 4-14) has partnered with the University of Toronto’s Munk School Of Global Affairs on the Contemporary World Speakers series, pairing five films in selection with expert scholars.

The Contemporary World Speakers series is programmed in conjunction with the Tiff Adult Learning department.

Contemporary World Cinema

Wp = World premiere / Nap = North American premiere / IP = International premiere / Cp = Canadian premiere.

Aire Libre (Argentina), Anahí Berneri IP

Amour Fou (Austria-Luxembourg-Germany), Jessica Hausner Nap

Behavior (Conducta) (Cuba), Ernesto Daranas Cp

Bird People (France), Pascale Ferran Nap

Black Souls (Anime Nere) (Italy), Francesco Munzi IP

Breathe (Respire) (France), Mélanie Laurent Nap

Charlie’s Country (Australia), Rolf de Heer Nap

*John Stackhouse...