This year’s Busan International Film Festival (now BIFF, not PIFF) begins in less than three weeks on October 6th, and runs for eight full days of screenings until October 14th. A strong line-up of films again this year, a fine mix of international auteurs combined with a full slate of Korean works. Also debuting this year is a new cultural complex, the Busan Cinema Center, which will include: Cine Mountain (9 stories, ‘Haneulyeon Theater’, Midsize Theater, 2 Small Theaters, Office); Double Cone (4 stories, cafe, and restaurant); Big Roof (BIFF Public Square Roof); BIFF Hill (4 Stories, BIFF Office, Busan Cinematheque, Busan Asian Film Archive); and Small Roof (Covers the 4000 seat Outdoor Venue). The venue is widely regarded as a major architectural achievement as well. The following is a preview of my most anticipated screenings at this year’s festival. I should note that I have seen a few of the films already that otherwise would have made my list, most notably Terrence Malick’s  THE TREE OF LIFE (which I saw in Prague but has not opened in Korea yet) and Hong Sang-soo’s THE DAY HE ARRIVES. I recommend both, especially Malick’s. I’ve also included some honorable mentions. The dates and times of screenings are being released tomorrow (Wednesday, September 21st) at 5 pm local time. Tickets go on sale on-line at 9:00 am on September 28th. (more…)

Coming up from September 15th through to October 2nd at the Seoul Cinematheque is one of the more exciting retrospective programs in a long time: a 14 film showcase of the work of Japanese master Yasujiro Ozu, a strong contender for greatest director in the history of the medium. Included are all 13 films Ozu made from the classic LATE SPRING in 1949 until his last, 1962′s AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON. Also included is an early silent, I WAS BORN, BUT (1932). Ozu is mostly known for 1953′s TOKYO STORY, which is included in many lists of the greatest movies of all-time, but what is most remarkable about Ozu is the incredible consistency of his output. All of the films are showing with English subtitles and are presented in 35mm prints. The complete schedule is available here. The list of films are:

I WAS BORN BUT … (1932), LATE SPRING (1949), THE MUNEKATA SISTERS (1950), EARLY SUMMER (1951) (my personal favorite), FLAVOR OF GREEN TEA OVER RICE (1952), TOKYO STORY (1953), EARLY SPRING (1956), TOKYO TWILIGHT (1957), EQUINOX FLOWER (1958), GOOD MORNING (1959), FLOATING WEEDS (1959), LATE AUTUMN (1961), THE END OF SUMMER (1961), AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON (1962).

From September 3rd-14th, the Korean Film Archive will present seven French films on 35mm with English subtitles. They range from classic films like Jean Vigo’s L’ATALANTE (1934) through to Philippe Garrel’s REGULAR LOVERS (1995). Also included are two pre-New Wave films from Louis Malle, THE LOVERS (1958) and ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS (1958), two films from modern auteur Leos Carax, BOY MEETS GIRL (1984) and THE LOVERS ON THE BRIDGE (1991), and Alain Resnais’ HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR (1959). And as always at the archive, the screenings are free. Directions and the schedule can be found on their website http://koreafilm.org/main/main.asp

Showing on the final day of the Cinema Digital Seoul Film Festival (CINDI) was the opening night film, acclaimed Korean art-house director Hong Sang-soo’s THE DAY HE ARRIVES (which debuted at Cannes in May and is getting its first release domestically at the festival). Hong is currently my favorite working director and is easily the most consistent filmmaker, with no below average movies in his filmography. And while that streak continues here, I have to say that THE DAY HE ARRIVES was a disappointment on first viewing. This is certainly a good film, but it also may be Hong’s worst, ranking for me with 2002′s TURNING GATE and 2005′s A TALE OF CINEMA as his least successful attempts. There remains much to admire, but it doesn’t represent the growth of his more recent work, especially last year’s masterpiece OKI’S MOVIE. Of course, given that TURNING GATE and A TALE OF CINEMA are favorites of some of Hong’s critics, my view may end up in the minority. But I thought I’d try to work out both what I felt did and did not work in this effort. (MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD) (more…)

(SPOILERS AHEAD) One of the big and unexpected hits of the summer, RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES benefited from unusually positive critical praise for a summer blockbuster. Playing now in Seoul, I decided to see if it lived up to the hype, especially since summer action movies are usually not my favorite form of entertainment. To my surprise, this is one of the best action films I have seen in a long time, and one of the best American films of the last few years. Part of its achievement rests in its CGI technology, which allows the main character, an ape named Caesar (played by Andy Serkis, who also played the CGI Gollum in THE LORD OF THE RINGS), to have the facial characteristics of a human. But the film actually goes beyond this. I would argue that Caesar is the most sympathetic action hero lead I can ever recall because he is both human and also not human. In other words, the film calls upon a sympathy we extend to animals and not to other humans (Disney has made millions off this lesson) and combines this smartly with the CGI to give us a deeper connection to Caesar. The fact that Caesar leads a rebellion against humanity, wins this battle, and begins the destruction of mankind, all of which we are meant to celebrate, is what makes the film so remarkable. (more…)

The 5th Cinema Digital Seoul Film Festival (CINDI) opens on Wednesday night with the Korean debut of Hong Sang-soo’s latest THE DAY HE ARRIVES. The festival runs for one week and features a lineup of many Korean films along with a few acclaimed international auteurs such as Catherine Breillat’s THE SLEEPING BEAUTY, Nuri Bilge Ceylon’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA, Kevin MacDonald’s LIFE IN A DAY, and a short film from Apichatpong Weerasethakul. There will also be a screening of Park Chan-wook’s iphone film NIGHT FISHING and of the restored Kim Ki-young film THE BOXES OF DEATH from 1955. Following the Jeonju model, there is a cine-class with British film scholar Ian Christie and French scholar Alain Bergala and a master class with Im Kwon-taek, who will be screening his film HANJI. Kim Ki-duk’s ARIRANG is screening but apparently without subtitles.

Information on the festival in English is available here.

Starting this Thursday is one of the best programs of the Seoul Cienmatheque’s yearly schedule, the massive 30 film, month long CineVacances event. The line-up this year is especially great, with some of the greatest films in the history of the medium. Here are some highlights:

For American cinema, there are three Hitchcock masterpieces, VERTIGO, PSYCHO, and THE BIRDS; Orson Welles’ THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS; Jacques Tourneur’s CAT PEOPLE; Ernst Lubitsch’s HEAVEN CAN WAIT; Vincent Minnelli’s BRIGADOON; Robert Aldrich’s THE FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX; Richard Fleischer’s THE PLANET OF THE APES; Brian DePalma’s DRESSED TO KILL; Michael Cimino’s THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT, THE DEER HUNTER, HEAVEN’S GATE, and THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON; and Michael Mann’s HEAT.

For French cinema: Jacques Becker’s TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI; Henri-Georges Clouzot’s DIABOLIQUE; Jacques Tati’s MON ONCLE; Alain Resnais’ MURIEL; Jean-Pierre Melville’s THE RED CIRCLE; Robert Bresson’s L’ARGENT; Jean-Luc Godard’s FIRST NAME CARMEN and FILM SOCIALISME; and Olivier Assayas’ complete CARLOS.

Click here for the complete schedule.

Following the Ingmar Bergman exhibit at the Arthouse Momo, which closes this Sunday, July 10th, there will be another major event celebrating the late great auteur at the end of the month. From July 21st until August 3rd, the Korean Film Archive will be showing 17 Bergman films, all in 35 mm and with English subtitles. While most of his most famous works are missing – no SEVENTH SEAL, WILD STRAWBERRIES, PERSONA, CRIES AND WHISPERS, SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE or FANNY AND ALEXANDER – it is still an impressive lineup, with many films rarely shown from Bergman’s early and late periods. There is also his most underrated movie, A PASSION (aka THE PASSION OF ANNA). As an added bonus, all the screenings at the archive are free. Directions can be found here. The screening schedule with links to each film is given below. Those interested in Bergman should also check out the collection of links over at Film Studies for Free.

July 21st          2:00 CRISIS; 4:30 THE SILENCE; 7:00 HOUR OF THE WOLF and CRISIS

July 22nd        2:00 PORT OF CALL; 4:30 THIRST; 7:00 THE SERPENT’S EGG

July 23rd         1:00 THE TOUCH; 3:30 PRISON

July 24th         1:00 LESSON IN LOVE; 3:30 WINTER LIGHT; 6:00 A PASSION

July 26th         2:00 SECRETS OF WOMEN; 4:30 TORMENT; 7:00 LIFE OF THE MARIONETTES

July 27th         2:00 SAWDUST AND TINSEL; 4:30 THE MAGICIAN; 7:00 SHAME

July 28th         2:00 LESSON IN LOVE; 4:00 PRISON; 7:30 THE TOUCH

July 29th         2:00 THIRST; 4:00 TORMENT; 7:30 WINTER LIGHT

July 30th         1:00 HOUR OF THE WOLF; 3:30 THE SILENCE

July 31st          1:00 SHAME; 3;30 THE SERPENT’S EGG; 6:00 LIFE OF THE MARIONETTES

Aug. 2nd         2:00 PORT OF CALL; 4:30 SAWDUST AND TINSEL; 7:00 THE MAGICIAN

Aug. 3rd          2:00 SECRETS OF WOMEN; 4:30 CRISIS; 7:00 A PASSION