KOFFIA 2012's International Short Film Showcase line-up revealed

For the first time KOFFIA will present a selection of the best and latest short films from Korean filmmakers based all across the world. This International Short Film Showcase will see 11 Australian Premieres and 1 Sydney premiere take place across 3 categories in this free program at KOFFIA 2012.

Click through for the line-up and read about our 3 categories, PANORAMA, K-MYSTERY and SCHOOL DAYS.

Interview: "A Brand New Journey" with Kim Hee-jin

Director Kim Hee-jin's award-winning short film A Brand New Journey tells a story of Byung-hwa, a middle school boy, who wants to go on a school trip but doesn't have the money to afford it. Having already screened at 6 film festivals, including the likes of the Jeonju International Film Festival, Seoul Independent Film Festival and Asiana International Short Film Festival where it won the Special Jury Prize, Best Short Film prize and Best Korean Short Film prize respectively, A Brand New Journey is an enlightening story of a young man who simply longs to be an ordinary school boy.

A Brand New Journey will screen in the SCHOOL DAYS section of KOFFIA's new shorts program, the International Short Film Showcase, which will feature a variety of short films from up and coming Korean directors from around the world. For more information, see our official website.

Read on for a short interview with director Kim Hee-jin and her new short A Brand New Journey.

Calling all bloggers! Join the Connection!

This year's festival tagline 'Discover Your Connection' asks you to discover what brings you closer to Korea. Film has, without a doubt, the power to do this. From stories of love to war, comedy to heartache, the 3rd Korean Film Festival in Australia will both strengthen and help you discover your own connection to Korean Cinema.

With less than 50 days till KOFFIA, we are looking for bloggers to be a part of our KOFFIA Blog team, and to share their very own connections. No matter if you are a seasoned film buff, the occasional blogger, or someone who simply wants to be a part of the connection, WE WANT YOU!

Join us!

Entries can be a review of a Korean film you love or have recently seen, or they can be about your favourite Korean actor, director, cinematographer, music supervisor, gaffer... (you get the picture). Have a read of Samson's review of director Bong Joon-ho's masterpiece Mother, or delve into Sarah's article about the very talented Song Kang-ho.

We also welcome you to write about your connection to Korean cinema. Tell us about how you found your interest in Korean cinema, or about your curiosity to know more about it. For an example, check out Paul's article about his first encounter with Korean Cinema, or an aarticle I wrote for this year's Korean Film Blogathon on my discovery of Korean Cinema.

If writing isn't your thing, but you still want to share (or if you love to talk!), send us a short video of your connection to Korean cinema! See our Hungry For Talk compilation we made from last year's videos below:

TAEBAK!

Now you might be wondering - what's in it for me? You will have your article or video posted here on the blog, which will be shared across our social media sites for others to join your connection. Your name will also be added to a very exclusive list of connections on our website along with the article or video you have submitted. 

So start writing and join the connection! Submit all your articles, videos, expressions of interest or enquiries to me at r.loong@koffia.com.au.

Raelene
KOFFIA Marketing Assistant

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Cinema On The Park Review: The Host (Bong Joon-Ho, 2006)

I was excited to watch The Host, having been recommended it on several occasions. It is not only a hugely popular film in Korea, but has been well-received by international audiences. I had the chance to see it at Cinema on the Park last week, playing as part of their 'Birth of the Blockbuster' program.

The Host is a South Korean monster film directed by Boon Joon-ho, following the success of his 2003 crime drama, Memories of Murder. The Host, which became the highest grossing South Korean film of all time and was critically acclaimed - picking up Best Film at the Asian Film Awards – works not just as an original and terrifying creature film, but as a social and political commentary. It introduces an additional biological threat which exposes government incompetence, identifies implications of the American military presence in Korea, and allows political activism to become a part of the drama. It is also a compelling family drama too.

The cause of the mutation of the giant amphibious creature that will later terrorize Seoul is revealed in the film’s opening sequence; the order of an American military pathologist to a reluctant Korean assistant to violate protocol and dump 200 bottles of formaldehyde into the sewer system, which flows into the Han River. A period of time passes, and there are several sightings of a large creature beneath the surface.

We are introduced to the family who will become the primary protagonists for this tale. Park Gang-du (Song Kang-ho) runs a snack bar with his father, Hee-bong (Byeon Hee-bong), which is set up along the bank of the Han River. It is revealed he has a sister and brother; a skilled national medallist archer, Nam-joo (Bae Doona) and an alcoholic former-activist, Nam-il (Park Hae-il), as well as a young daughter, Hyun-seo (Ko Ah-seong). Each of the characters surprise us in different ways and it is easy to forge an emotional connection to their stories.

When civilians spot the large creature beneath a bridge along the Han River, Park joins the curious crowd who try to bait it. Soon enough, he and his family find themselves in danger when it emerges from the water and runs amok. As an audience, the arrival of the creature is just as much of a shock as it is to the bemused witnesses. People are mauled and killed and in a stunning capture, Hyuk-seo is grabbed by its tentacle and taken back to its lair. 

During the struggle, Park comes into contact with the creature, which is feared to be the host of a deadly virus, and as a result is considered to be an extreme threat to national health. Park has reason to believe his daughter is still alive and he enlists his family to help him escape from the facility and hunt down the creature, placing themselves on the Government wanted list in the process.

For most of the film the visual effects were exceptional and the CGI design of the monster is most interesting, save for the finale where I thought the effects became a little ambitious and weren’t quite pulled off. The beginning – conveying the reasons for the mutation of the monster – was also a bit weak. As original as the primary characters are in The Host I felt like Nam-joo was shortchanged, spending a large part of the film trapped in one of the drains.

That’s about the only obvious weaknesses, because The Host was a lot of fun, with Joon-ho breaking genre conventions and keeping the audience guessing. Though very amusing, mounting tension and genuine stakes are never surrendered for comedy, and there is great energy provided by the score, the innovative photography and the terrific performances. Song Kang-ho was excellent as the seemingly-boneheaded Park, who is revealed to be much smarter than initially suggested, scarred by events in his past and with an unshakeable dedication to finding his daughter. It is very cleverly crafted, effectively developing a supportable band of disparate heroes, and finding ways for them to participate and utilize their unique individual skills.

It is one of the few films that I have seen that has remained compelling for the duration having revealed the creature so early. Some of the best monsters films – Jaws and Alien for example – don’t reveal the monster until after the half way, while there are many that offer brief early glimpses and are obviously trying too hard to keep their monster hidden. Here, blessed with the budget to utilize the monster at his will, Joon-ho has enlisted a stellar creative team to come up with a very unique creature – and one that was utilized in original and inventive ways. Certainly one of my favourite Korean films to date.

My Rating: ★★★★
By Andrew Buckle

Short Film Comp: $5000 worth of prizes to win!

CALL FOR ENTRIES

2012 KOFFIA Short Film Competition

The Korean Film Festival in Australia (KOFFIA) will return for 2012 in Sydney, Melbourne and for the first time, Brisbane. Three years, Three Cities, Three times the scale! The KOFFIA Short Film Competition will complement the 3rd KOFFIA, an opportunity to showcase the developing talent from our up and coming filmmakers. 

The competition is open for all Australians who wish to embrace Korea through film or have / are a Korean staff contributing to it. KOFFIA wants you! To submit the best short film as a promising Korean Australian’s and promising young director to ‘wow’ the theatre! 

Awards

Jury Award 1^st: $2,000 cash prize

Jury Award 2^nd: $1,000 cash prize

Jury Award 3^rd: $500 cash prize

NIDA Best Actor Award: 2 day weekend course (RRP $260)

NIDA Best Actress Award: 2 day weekend course (RRP $260)

Metro Screen Audience Award: TBC

The KOFFIA Short Film Competition screening and awards ceremony will take place on the 25^th of August, 2012 during KOFFIA’s run at Dendy Opera Quays Cinema. We hope to see you at the festival watching your own little masterpiece on the big screen! 

To participate in the competition for the screening and prizes for the Korean Cultural Office’s KOFFIA Short Film Competition supported by Metro Screen, the University of Sydney Faculty of Arts and NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art), an applicant must complete and submit the application form along with their film in DVD or HD file format to the Korean Cultural Office before 6pm, July 24th, 2012. 

You can download the 2012 application form, and entry requirements on the KOFFIA Short Film Comp page. With thousands of dollars in cash prizes and the chance to meet talented industry professionals and academics on the jury, it's time to get filming!

Enquiries: submissions@koffia.com.au