Shin Sang-ok Youth Film Festival
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A film festival named after late Korean master director Shin Sang-ok will hold its inaugural edition this year. The Shin Sang-ok Youth Festival held a special reception February 15th to announce the launch, agenda, and awards program for the event which will take place August 10th to 14th in Gongju city, South Chungcheong Province.
The reception was attended by around 300 film industry representatives including director Lee Joon-ik and actors Ahn Sung-ki and Park Joong-hoon. The festival's purpose is to discover outstanding films by young directors and to foster a new generation of filmmakers. A call for submissions of works from high school, college and university students as well as young amateur directors was announced. Selected filmmakers will have a chance to work with the Korea Film Directors' Society.
Executive Chairperson of the festival, Jeong In-yeop, announced a total of US$170 000 in funding awards to be handed out to filmmakers with winning films at the end of the 5-day event. The best film as selected by a jury will receive the festival's top award of US$50 000. Second prize, provided by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will be US$30 000. Im Kwon-taek, Kang Woo-suk, Kang Je-gyu, and Jung Il-sung will donate awards worth US$10 000 each.
The festival will also pay tribute to prolific filmmaker Shin Sang-ok who played a pivotal role in advancing the Korean film industry during the 1960's and early '70's. Director Shin passed away on April 11th, 2006 at the age of 80. During his lifetime, he completed over 70 films, many of them Korean cinema milestones. He directed such classics as My Mother and Her Guest (1961), The Red Gate (1963), The Eunich (1968), and Farewell (1973).
He was born in 1926 in Cheongjin, North Hamgyeong Province, in what is now North Korea. In 1945, he graduated from the Tokyo Fine Arts School and made his debut as a director with "The Evil Night" (1952) during the Korean War. In 1953 he married Choi Eun-hee, a popular movie actress who would later star in many of his films.
In 1963 Shin started a powerhouse production company 'Shin Films' that had a profound influence on the Korean film industry and on a young generation of filmmakers. In the '70's it ran into increasing difficulties with the Korean military government, and his artistic career was effectively shut down.
In 1978 while in Hong Kong, Shin was apparently abducted to North Korea. His wife was also abducted six months after him. The movie-loving Kim Jong-Il forced the couple to make films and tour communist countries. After completing seven features there, including Pulgasari (1984), Shin and his wife eventually escaped, returning to South Korea in 1986. His contributions to Korean cinema can not be underestimated.
Nigel D'Sa (KOFIC)
The reception was attended by around 300 film industry representatives including director Lee Joon-ik and actors Ahn Sung-ki and Park Joong-hoon. The festival's purpose is to discover outstanding films by young directors and to foster a new generation of filmmakers. A call for submissions of works from high school, college and university students as well as young amateur directors was announced. Selected filmmakers will have a chance to work with the Korea Film Directors' Society.
Executive Chairperson of the festival, Jeong In-yeop, announced a total of US$170 000 in funding awards to be handed out to filmmakers with winning films at the end of the 5-day event. The best film as selected by a jury will receive the festival's top award of US$50 000. Second prize, provided by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will be US$30 000. Im Kwon-taek, Kang Woo-suk, Kang Je-gyu, and Jung Il-sung will donate awards worth US$10 000 each.
The festival will also pay tribute to prolific filmmaker Shin Sang-ok who played a pivotal role in advancing the Korean film industry during the 1960's and early '70's. Director Shin passed away on April 11th, 2006 at the age of 80. During his lifetime, he completed over 70 films, many of them Korean cinema milestones. He directed such classics as My Mother and Her Guest (1961), The Red Gate (1963), The Eunich (1968), and Farewell (1973).
He was born in 1926 in Cheongjin, North Hamgyeong Province, in what is now North Korea. In 1945, he graduated from the Tokyo Fine Arts School and made his debut as a director with "The Evil Night" (1952) during the Korean War. In 1953 he married Choi Eun-hee, a popular movie actress who would later star in many of his films.
In 1963 Shin started a powerhouse production company 'Shin Films' that had a profound influence on the Korean film industry and on a young generation of filmmakers. In the '70's it ran into increasing difficulties with the Korean military government, and his artistic career was effectively shut down.
In 1978 while in Hong Kong, Shin was apparently abducted to North Korea. His wife was also abducted six months after him. The movie-loving Kim Jong-Il forced the couple to make films and tour communist countries. After completing seven features there, including Pulgasari (1984), Shin and his wife eventually escaped, returning to South Korea in 1986. His contributions to Korean cinema can not be underestimated.
Nigel D'Sa (KOFIC)
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