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KFEST2 Starts this Friday!

Seats are already selling fast for HIFF's mini-festival of contemporary Korean cinema. People can’t get enough of the hallyu and they’re taking this opportunity to catch up with their favorite idols and rising stars. And with seven films over three days, there’s something here for everyone.

Mark off this weekend on your calendar, buy your tickets on-line or by phone, and ride the wave!


BAREFOOT KI-BONG boasts a stellar cast of highly-respected perfomers such as Shin Hyun-jun, Kim Soo-mi and Tak Jae-hoon, all of whom appeared in the 2005 hit MARRYING THE MAFIA 2 – arguably the most successful comedy in the history of Korean film. Film critics are buzzing about Shin Hyun-jun’s touching portrayal of the title character in BAREFOOT. The role is a daring departure for the handsome actor who is well-known for playing romantic leads and hard-hitting gangsters. It's a heartwarming story that KFEST2 audiences will love.

Cinephiles in the mood for laughs will love the high school comedy SEE YOU AFTER SCHOOL. Critics credit much of the film’s success to actor Bong Tae-gyu, a rising star recently featured in this summer’s Family Ties as well as the 2005 comedy sensation (and HIFF 2005 film) WHEN ROMANCE MEETS DESIRE. Korean critics praise Bong for flawlessly balancing comedy and drama and are already calling him the spiritual successor to Song Kang-ho and Ryoo Seung-beom — the heavyweights of Korean comedy-drama. It’s said that a talent scout actually discovered Bong Tae-Gyu on the street. He first appeared in the movie TEARS (2000) starring a teenage troublemaker. He went on to star in the comedies NO MANNERS (2002) and A GOOD LAWYER'S WIFE (2003). Local K-drama fans will recognize Bong from CAT IN THE ROOFTOP ROOM and NON-STOP 4

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE is directed by prolific director Park Jin-pyo. Known for a string of successful TV documentaries in Korea, Park also directed TOO YOUNG TO DIE, which was screened at the Cannes Film Festival and proclaimed an international hit. However, it was also a controversial because it featured a South Korean couple in their 70s having sex! After this uproar, Park moved on to romantic comedies and directed IF YOU WERE ME (Yeosutgaeui Sisun) in 2003 and SUNSHINE. He won the “Best Director” of 2005 at the 26th Blue Dragon Awards in Seoul.

--submitted by Programming Intern Jason Soeda

:: hu jintao, ziyi zhang, george bush

In honor of Chinese President Hu Jintao's offical visit to the U.S., National Geographic and the MPAA are co-presenting a Chinese Film Festival in Washington, DC.

Sixth generation film director Lu Chuan will be there for a special screening of KEKEXILI: MOUNTAIN PATROL. HIFF screened the film in Fall 2005; it's like BLACK HAWK DOWN...except with armed antelope game wardens in Tibet.

Ziyi Zhang, en route to serve on the jury at Cannes with Wong Kar-wai, will be on hand in D.C. for a screening of HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS. Zhang will also be promoting Chinese cinema in our nation's capitol. She told Channel News Asia, "If I had a chance to see President Bush, I think I would ask him the question, how many Chinese films have you seen?"

I wonder what President Bush's answer might be. I wonder.

Tim Kelly, the festival's organizer, goes on to make a great point in the same article: "There are about 10,000 feature films made outside of the US each year, but only about 20 of those get broad distribution here inside the United States." So perhaps we can let the President slide on this one.

:: reviews redux ::

Somewhat belatedly, I found Bob Greene's picks for the Spring Showcase on the Honolulu Weekly's website. My apologies for the delay.

Moon Yun and Albert Lanier wrote about the Opening Night of the Showcase for Aint-It-Cool News. Albert also has an AICN review for HARD CANDY here.

The Guardian (registration required) has an excellent article on TSOTSI, the Showcase's Opening Night Film. The article touches on the South African film industry, race, ticket prices and how comedies like There's a Zulu on My Stoep can drown out the new generation of directors.

Click here for a Chosun Ilbo article on the Korean indiefilm queen Bae Doo-na, who starred as the exchange student (and punk rock singer) in LINDA LINDA LINDA.

:: 1,200 pounds ::

The Ninth Edition of the Hawaii International Film Festival's Spring Showcase came to a close Thursday night.

The screens are dark at Houses 9 and 10 of the Dole Cannery, the staff rested and we need merely ship 1,200 pounds of film to festivals around the globe. LINDA LINDA LINDA travels to Argentina, LADY VENGEANCE to Hungary, PARINEETA to exotic Encino and 20 CENTIMETERS to Philadelphia. And so it goes.

Save the date for K-FEST II! Exact date is TBD, but look for a late August bow for the sophomore edition of our weekend mini-fest of Korean cinema.

:: closing night rush line update ::

It's closing night for HIFF's Spring Showcase No. 9! Here's the latest on tickets for today's shows!

3:00 PM Letter from an Unknown Woman -- more than 100 tickets
3:15 PM Moonlight in Tokyo -- more than 100 tickets


6:15 PM Love Is a Crazy Thing -- less than 100 tickets
6:30 PM Parineeta -- RUSH LINE
8:45 PM Friends with Money -- RUSH LINE
9:00 PM Rules of Dating -- less than 100 tickets

Unclaimed seats will be made available to the rush line on a “first come, first served” basis fifteen (15) minutes before screening time. The rush line starts one hour before showtime!

:: exclusive trailer for typhoon ::

We'll have an exclusive presentation of the 35mm trailer for Kwak Kyung-Taek's latest blockbuster Typhoon (태풍) at Thursday's screening of Rules of Dating!

The plot? A North Korean pirate (JANG Dong-Gun) is trying to launch a nuclear attack on the ROK and a South Korean agent (LEE Jung-Jae) is hellbent on stopping him!

The 20 billion won film - the most expensive Korean production ever - was shot on location in Korea, Russia and Thailand. Typhoon will be released in the US by Dreamworks/Paramount this year, making it the first Korean film represented directly by a major US distributor!

:: dollar hot dog night ::

OMG, I totally forgot to mention that today is dollar hot dog night at the Dole Cannery Stadium 18 Theatres! I think that there now serving Eisenberg Beef Hot Dogs: no phosphates, MSG, fillers or bi-products. All right!