A special film festival kicked off at the Seoul Art Cinema in Jongno-gu, downtown Seoul, on January 15, bringing together movie lovers to build a network with each other and to freely talk about their favorite movies.
It’s the 2015 Cinematheque Friends Film Festival, an event that has been around since 2006.
Over the past nine years, the festival has introduced a select range of great works, some of them produced here at home and others from around the world. The featured films were selected by so-called “movie buddies” who include actors, actresses, directors and film critics.
This year’s festival will feature a total of 23 films recommended by a group of 18 movie buddies.
As an opener, the late world famous actor and movie maker Charlie Chaplin’s last silent masterpiece, “City Lights” (1931), was brought to the screen, this time with piano melodies performed by Kang Hyeon-joo.
Running until February 15, the festival has a variety of programs on offer. In honor of the 10th festival this year, they will screen the documentary “Henri Langlois: Phantom of the Cinematheque” (2004), a film that focuses on Henri Langlois, the founder of one of the world’s largest archives of films, movie documents and film-related records, the Cinematheque Francaise.
He is also known as the “Father of New Wave,” a loosely organized movement of French filmmakers in the late 1950s and late 1960s.
A group of directors will bring their own favorite films to share with audiences. After screening their choice, they will take some time to discuss with viewers anything related to the movie.
Two world renowned filmmakers, Park Chan-wook, who directed the film “Oldboy” (2003), and “Snowpiercer” (2013) creator Bong Joon-ho chose the U.S. works “Heaven’s Gate” (1980) and “Zodiac” (2007) to screen, respectively.
Three film critics, too, will recommend two films each -- six in total -- which they regard as being the most remarkable works among those produced worldwide over the past ten years.
Their choices include Spain’s “Sangre” (2005), Argentina’s “History of Fear” (2014) and Russia’s “Leviathan” (2014), just to name a few.
A set of films selected by audiences themselves will be put on screen as well. Movie-lovers chose ten films when asked to choose movies with the theme of “the life of teens.” Among them are the 1988 U.S. film “Running on Empty” and director Bae Chang-ho’s 1982 film “People of Kkobang Neighborhood.”
“This festival will be a good chance to check out the latest trends in the global film industry and, also, to take a rare listen to experts’ insights into making movies and their thoughts on other global films,” said an official from the festival’s organizing committee.
By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: the Seoul Art Cinema
jiae5853@korea.kr
It’s the 2015 Cinematheque Friends Film Festival, an event that has been around since 2006.
Over the past nine years, the festival has introduced a select range of great works, some of them produced here at home and others from around the world. The featured films were selected by so-called “movie buddies” who include actors, actresses, directors and film critics.
The official poster for the 2015 Cinematheque Friends Film Festival, which is now underway in Seoul and will continue until February 15.
This year’s festival will feature a total of 23 films recommended by a group of 18 movie buddies.
As an opener, the late world famous actor and movie maker Charlie Chaplin’s last silent masterpiece, “City Lights” (1931), was brought to the screen, this time with piano melodies performed by Kang Hyeon-joo.
Scenes from Charlie Chaplin’s ‘City Lights’ (1931) (top) and the 1988 US film ‘Running on Empty.’ Both are being showcased at the 2015 Cinematheque Friends Film Festival.
Running until February 15, the festival has a variety of programs on offer. In honor of the 10th festival this year, they will screen the documentary “Henri Langlois: Phantom of the Cinematheque” (2004), a film that focuses on Henri Langlois, the founder of one of the world’s largest archives of films, movie documents and film-related records, the Cinematheque Francaise.
He is also known as the “Father of New Wave,” a loosely organized movement of French filmmakers in the late 1950s and late 1960s.
Scenes from the U.S. films 'Heaven’s Gate' (1980) (top) and 'Zodiac' (2007). Both are among movies to be screened at the 2015 Cinematheque Friends Film Festival.
A group of directors will bring their own favorite films to share with audiences. After screening their choice, they will take some time to discuss with viewers anything related to the movie.
Two world renowned filmmakers, Park Chan-wook, who directed the film “Oldboy” (2003), and “Snowpiercer” (2013) creator Bong Joon-ho chose the U.S. works “Heaven’s Gate” (1980) and “Zodiac” (2007) to screen, respectively.
Three film critics, too, will recommend two films each -- six in total -- which they regard as being the most remarkable works among those produced worldwide over the past ten years.
Their choices include Spain’s “Sangre” (2005), Argentina’s “History of Fear” (2014) and Russia’s “Leviathan” (2014), just to name a few.
A set of films selected by audiences themselves will be put on screen as well. Movie-lovers chose ten films when asked to choose movies with the theme of “the life of teens.” Among them are the 1988 U.S. film “Running on Empty” and director Bae Chang-ho’s 1982 film “People of Kkobang Neighborhood.”
“This festival will be a good chance to check out the latest trends in the global film industry and, also, to take a rare listen to experts’ insights into making movies and their thoughts on other global films,” said an official from the festival’s organizing committee.
By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: the Seoul Art Cinema
jiae5853@korea.kr
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