Monday, October 30, 2006

Over 80 Korean films to be shown at American Film Market

SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- Most South Korean films released this year, including Lee Joon-ik's "Radio Star" and Kim Ki-duk's "Time," will be entered in the American Film Market this week in an effort to find foreign buyers, the market's Web site said Monday.

The American Film Market that opens Wednesday in Los Angeles will screen 85 Korean films among the 589 films it offers over nine days, it said.

The Korean list reflects a wide spectrum of local productions, ranging from the gender-bending monster movie and blockbuster hit "The Host" by Bong Joon-ho, human drama "Radio Star," to the real-life film about a disabled man, "Barefoot, Gibong" by Kwon Soo-kyung.

"Woman on the Beach" and "Time" by Hong Sang-soo and Kim Ki-duk, acclaimed but commercially underrated South Korean directors, will also be shown in L.A.
"Time" and "The Host" have been selected to be screened in the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival along with "Family Ties" by Kim Tae-yong.

South Korea's movie industry has shown a steady growth since the mid 1990s, with its annual production now surpassing 80 movies. Their overseas sales last year reached US$76 million, up from US$7 million in 2000.

"The fact that most of the Korean movies go to foreign film markets suggests that they now have a mature sales network and also that there's a growing demand abroad for Korean films," Hwang Dong-mee from the public Korean Film Commission said.
The American Film Market is considered one of the largest of its kind in the world along with one at Cannes. South Korea's Pusan International Film Festival inaugurated its own Asian Film Market this year.

credit rubie soompi
hkim@yna.co.kr(MORE)
Source: Yonhap News
http://www.afi.com/onscreen/afifest/2006/fulllineup.aspx#intfeature
http://english.yna.co.kr/Engnews/20061030/670000000020061030114113E2.html

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