2010 Korean Film Festival in New Zealand

The fourth bi-annual Korean Film Festival in New Zealand, which opens on 25 November, will showcase five full-length films that represent the best in contemporary Korean film. The 2010 Festival coincides with growing international recognition for Korean film and when Korean film makers are increasingly forming co-production partnerships with the New Zealand film industry. According to Michael Stephens, a leading New Zealand film and entertainment lawyer from Wellington law firm Stephens Lawyers, the growth in Korean/New Zealand co-production partnerships is a direct result of the 2008 NZ-Korea Co-production agreement. Michael, who chairs the Korean Cinerama Trust responsible for the Festival in association with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Film Council, says: “The Korean film industry is responsible for box office sales of over US$1 billion per annum. “This year’s Festival aims to not only bring the best in Korean film to a wider audience but also to foster greater cooperation between our respective film industries. Warriors Way, a recent $40 million plus Korean film was shot entirely in New Zealand with much of the production and post production being carried out in this country. Other examples of significant Korean/New Zealand involvement include Korean films: Old Boy, a Grand Prix runner-up at the Cannes Film Festival; The Hosts; Silmido; and the New Zealand film Black Sheep which received equity funding from Korean interests.” The five films selected include two period dramas The Servant and Frozen Flower, described as engaging films with beautiful storylines featuring Korean traditional culture. Haeundae, an action/adventure thriller billed as Korea’s first disaster movie which depicts a tsunami hitting the city of Pusan. Harmony starring Yun-jin Kim, a well-known Korean actress who appeared in the American drama series Lost; and 71 into the Fire a Korean war-themed film that marks the commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War this year. 71 into the Fire will also be screened for VIP guests in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The Festival will screen in Auckland at Academy Cinemas, 44 Lorne Street; in Wellington at the Paramount Theatre, 25 Courtenay Place; and in Christchurch at Hoyts Regent on Worcester, 94 Worcester Street. All films will be shown in Korean with English subtitles. “The Korean Cinerama Trust acknowledges the generous support of our many valued sponsors and supporters who have made the 2010 Festival possible, including the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) the Auckland Council and Korean Air,” Michael Stephens said.

Source: website