Wednesday, May 18 07pm
IFC Center
323 Ave of the Americas, New York, NY 10014
Korean Cultural Center NY, a branch of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of the Republic of Korea, is proud to announce a new film series to launch Korean Movie Night New York: Premiere Showcase – special screening of the freshest Korean blockbuster films.
Since its inception in 2010, Korean Movie Night New York presented regular, twice a month screenings that introduce a full spectrum of contemporary and classic Korean cinema to New York audiences, including popular blockbusters, independent films, documentaries, animation, and children’s films. This year it is redesigned as premiere event of the latest blockbuster films.
Over the past 6 years, new Korean films have been receiving regular limited U.S. theatrical releases, mostly through self-distribution efforts of Korean film companies, including at the AMC theaters in New York and New Jersey, shortly after their debuts at the Korean box office.
The intent of the Premiere Showcase is to provide audiences and film critics with a special preview screenings of the latest Korean hits, in advance of their U.S. releases.
The series’ first film is PHANTOM DETECTIVE, the latest genre effort from director JO Sung-hee, a talented independent filmmaker (post-apocalyptic mystery horror END OF ANIMAL (2010), and Cannes prize-winning short DON’T STEP PUT OF THE HOUSE (2008)), who made a successful transition to commercial filmmaking with period-set fantasy melodrama A WAREWOLF BOY (2010), which earned him Best New Director award at Paeksang Arts Awards in Korea.
Inspired by the folk tale “The Story of Hong Gil-dong” (a Korean equivalent of Robin Hood), PHANTOM DETECTIVE is a stylish neo-noir thriller set in the unspecified past. Private investigator Hong Gil-dong (LEE Je-hoon, ARCHITECTURE 101, BLEAK NIGHT) has one goal in life: to find the one-eyed man who murdered his mother and exact revenge on him. It’s been 20 years since he witnessed the murder, and he finally has the culprit’s name: Kim Byung-duk. When he tracks him down to a hut in the countryside, instead of Byung-duk, Gil-dong finds Byung-duk’s two young granddaughters, who will become his unlikeliest sidekicks. As Gil-dong continues his pursuit, he will discover the truth behind his mother’s death and uncover a vast conspiracy.
The screening will take place at IFC Center, 323 Ave of the Americas. All events are free admission, first come, first served.
For information visit: http://www.koreanculture.org