A 19-strong delegation of Korean feature and short films will be making its way to Canada later this month to take part in the Montreal World Film Festival. A special ‘Korean Cinema of Today’ program is being devoted to the nation’s cinematic output during the festival, which will open its doors on August 22nd.

 

Nine feature films will be presented as part of the ‘Korean Cinema of Today’ program. Mai Ratima, an independent film that takes a hard look at the realities of immigration in Korea, comes from debut feature director YOO Ji-tae, the famed actor known to many as the villain from PARK Chan-wook’s Oldboy (2003). An Ethics Lesson is a dark whodunit that assembles a top cast including LEE Je-hoon (The Front Line, 2011) and MOON So-ri (Oasis, 2002). O Muel’s Jiseul, which casts an artistic but sober eye on the Jeju massacre of 1948, was awarded the Grand Jury Prize in the World Dramatic Feature category at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. LEE Won-sik’s A Boy’s Sister deals with a young woman coping with the loss of her brother.

 

CHUNG Ji-young’s National Security, which debuted to raves at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), chronicles the unjust internment and torture of a political dissident in Seoul during the mid-1980s. LEE Don-ku's Fatal, a contender for the New Currents prize at last year’s BIFF, is a sobering debut about the aftermath of sexual abuse. KIM Yong-han's Don’t Cry Mommy, with its frank depiction of high school sexual violence, shocked many when it in opened in Korea last fall. My Paparotti, starring HAN Suk-kyu (The Berlin File) and LEE Je-hoon, follows the unlikely quest of a teenage gangster to become an opera singer.

 

Among the nine shorts in the ‘Korean Cinema of Today’ program will be Jury, the debut of KIM Dong-ho, the honorary director of BIFF. Also on show will be LEESONG Hee-il’s Suddenly, Last Summer, LEE Han-uk's Hide N Seek, KIM Hyun-kyu’s Love Potion, HWANG Kyu-il's It's Okay!, SHIM Hyun-seok's Dinner, KANG Jung-soo's Creative Masturbation, KIM Jung-in's Soso, MOON Sang-hyun's Big Daddy and SO Jae-ick's A Rabbit Bag.

 

In addition, one Korean project will be featured in the festival’s World Competition for short films.  LEE Joon-sang will take part with his short Animal. The Montreal World Film Festival, which features a total of 432 films this year, will run from August 22nd to September 2nd.