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The 29th edition of the Busan International Film Festival opened Wednesday night with top stars like Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game), Song Joong-ki (Descendants of the Sun) and Gang Dong-won (Peninsula) walking the red carpet under the towering dome of the Busan Cinema Center, in front of more than 4,500 guests.

With a new leadership team headed by chairman and veteran filmmaker Park Kwang-su as well as Ellen Y.D. Kim, the festival awarded the Asian Filmmaker of the Year honors to Japanese auteur Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Kurosawa won Venice’s Silver Lion for best director in 2020 with Wife of a Spy.

The festival’s congratulatory video for Kurosawa featured praises from fellow Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Korean director Bong Joon-ho — both sharing how Kurosawa’s works inspired their own cinematic craft.

In his speech onstage, Kurosawa acknowledged how Biff has provided a platform for many of his works, saying that the...

The 2024 Busan International Film Festival is kicking off on Oct. 2 with the international premiere of Uprising, director Kim Sang-man’s historical war epic with a script written by an auteur Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) and distributed by Netflix. The 29th edition of the 10-day event closes with Singaporean director Eric Khoo’s Spirit World, starring French screen legend Catherine Deneuve.

“Uprising is a charming historical drama put together by an outstanding team of directors, writers and actors while Khoo’s Spirit World is a co-production that explores the fundamental questions of human existence and the meaning of life through beautiful cinematic expression,” said Park Do-shin, the festival’s acting director, who was previously Busan’s senior programmer. Uprising is also the first streaming title to be invited to screen as the festival’s opening film.

Park Kwang-su, a former director who was appointed as the festival’s chairperson in February,...

‘Korean Cinema Today – Special Premiere’ is a section that selects and premieres the latest and most prominent contemporary Korean commercial films, known for their mass appeal and significance. This year, the section has unveiled five films, including four world premieres, which are set to captivate the audience’s attention.

A Normal Family A Girl with Closed Eyes

The film A Girl with Closed Eyes (2024) is a thriller that delves into the complex and tense relationship between a criminal and a detective, who are reunited after the murder case of a bestselling author. The film features performances by Kim Minha, who gained global recognition from Pachinko (2022), and Moon Choi from Anarchist from Colony (2017). Director Hur Jin-ho’s latest work, A Normal Family (2023), is a well-crafted suspense thriller that depicts the unraveling lives of four individuals, each steadfast in their own beliefs, after they witness a crime scene involving their children captured on CCTV.

Song Joong Ki and Chun Woo Hee have officially been confirmed as the lead actors in the upcoming K-drama My Youth. This collaboration, announced on August 21 by production company HighZium Studio, marks a significant project in the romance genre. The series is penned by Park Si Hyun, the writer behind the popular drama Run On (Jtbc), and will be directed by Lee Sang Yeop, known for his work on Yumi’s Cells, Shopaholic Louis, and Familiar Wife.

Song Joong Ki, who recently starred in Reborn Rich, will portray Sunwoo Hae, a former child actor turned novelist and florist. His character is on the brink of starting a new chapter in his life after enduring a turbulent journey marred by the greed of adults that disrupted his artistic career. Chun Woo Hee, known for her role in The 8 Show, will play Sung Je Yeon, a team leader at Feel Entertainment...

South Korean actor Song Joong Ki, known for his role in “Vincenzo,” has confirmed that he and his wife, British actress Katy Louise Saunders, are expecting their second child. On July 8, 2024, Song’s agency, HighZium Studio, announced the happy news, stating, “Actor Song Joong Ki is becoming a father of two.” The agency emphasized the couple’s desire for privacy regarding the child’s gender and birth timing.

The couple, who married in January 2023, welcomed their first son in June 2023. Song Joong Ki, previously married to his “Descendants of the Sun” co-star Song Hye Kyo, is known for keeping his personal life private. Despite this, social media is already buzzing with congratulatory messages for the actor.

Last year, Song shared the joyous news of his first child’s birth with a heartfelt message and a photo. He expressed his gratitude for the health and happiness of his family, stating, “I...

by Khushi Jain

17 year old Yeon-gyu bashes open the head of a fellow student in the school playground and thus begins the Korean gangster film “Hopeless.” For his debut, Kim Chang-hoon dips his toes into a dark genre and creates something that respectfully nods to its predecessors. Premiering at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, “Hopeless” is a well-made saga of mob violence.

Hopeless Debuts Exclusively on Digital June 25 ,courtesy of Wellgo USA

Yeon-gyu (Hong Xa-bin) lives in a tiny, tightly packed apartment with his docile mother, abusive alcoholic stepfather and stepsister Hayan (Kim Hyoung-seo “Bibi”). He starts working for a local gangster Chi-geon (Song Joong-ki), mainly stealing bikes and occasionally helping manipulate a political election, so as to earn enough to one day leave the fictional ‘Myeongan City' for Amsterdam (where he believes everyone lives a good life). The world that he willingly enters forcibly...

“My Name is Loh Kiwan” is adapted from the homonymous book by Cho Hae-jin, which won the 2013 31th Sin Dong-yup (Korean poet) Prize for Literature. After its release on Netflix this month, the movie topped their global weekly chart for non-English movies between March 4-10, after racking in over 5 million views and making a mark in 31 countries like Peru, Portugal, Turkey and Malaysia.

Click on the image below to follow our Tribute to Netflix

The film is about the plight of Loh Kiwan, a North Korean defector who flees to China with his mother. While there, he becomes a fugitive due to an incident and soon the police come knocking at his door. During the chase that follows, he manages to get away but his mother is not that lucky and tragically killed. This eventually prompts him to defect again and this time to Belgium for another fresh start.

But...

The long road to escaping North Korea is marked with peril — threats of death and deportation, living as a refugee, finding oneself without a home. In My Name Is Loh Kiwan,a defector is desperate for survival when he meets a former professional athlete who’s lost her will to live. The drama film delves into the pair’s unlikely bond amidst near-impossible challenges. Kim Hee-jin’s feature directorial debut stars Song Joong-ki, Choi Sung-eun, and Cho Han-cheul.

Stream it now.

Check it out at the top of this page.

Thirtysomething Kiwan (Song) defected from North Korea in 2019 with his mother. They make it to China, where defectors are harshly criminalized. When the police come looking for Kiwan, he ends up being brutally separated from his mother. Eventually, Kiwan escapes China and ends up in Brussels — a place wholly unfamiliar to him — where he becomes homeless and struggles to stay...

Me llamo Loh Kiwan es una película escrita y dirigida por Kim Hee-jin y protagonizada por Song Joong-ki y Choi Sung-eun. Está basada en la novela de Hae Ji Cho.

¿Os apetece una película llena de romanticismo con una historia personal dramática a más no poder? “Me llamo Loh Kiwan” viene a cumplir vuestros más lacrimógenos sueños con esta historia cursi, lacrimógena y llena, llenísima de romanticismo.

La historia de un inmigrante norcoreano que, tras perder a su familia y ya como inmigrante en Bélgica, encuentra el amor… y un nuevo drama.

Una película que transita entre la tragedia de la inmigración, la crisis política y romance trágico. ¿Queríais algo alegre? Pues no.

Eso sí, si os van los dramas, estáis de enhorabuena.

Sobre la película

Una película que deja claras sus intenciones en cada secuencia: todas las situaciones están deliberadamente expuestas para producir acumulación de sentimientos a la manera trágica.

My Name Is Loh Kiwan is a movie written and directed by Kim Hee-jin starring Song Joong-ki and Choi Sung-eun. It is based on the novel by Hae Ji Cho.

Are you in the mood for a movie full of romance with a personal and dramatic story? “My Name Is Loh Kiwan” is here to fulfill your most tearful dreams with this cheesy, tear-jerking and extremely romantic story. It tells the story of a North Korean immigrant who, after losing his family and becoming an immigrant in Belgium, finds love… and a new drama. The film touches upon the tragedies of immigration, political crisis, and tragic romance. Were you looking for something cheerful? Well, this is not it. But if you’re into dramas, then you’re in luck.

About the movie

Each scene in the film is carefully crafted to evoke a sense of tragedy and emotion. From the...

My Name Is Loh Kiwan is a movie written and directed by Kim Hee-jin starring Song Joong-ki and Choi Sung-eun. It is based on the novel by Hae Ji Cho.

Are you in the mood for a movie full of romance with a personal and dramatic story? “My Name Is Loh Kiwan” is here to fulfill your most tearful dreams with this cheesy, tear-jerking and extremely romantic story. It tells the story of a North Korean immigrant who, after losing his family and becoming an immigrant in Belgium, finds love… and a new drama. The film touches upon the tragedies of immigration, political crisis, and tragic romance. Were you looking for something cheerful? Well, this is not it. But if you’re into dramas, then you’re in luck.

About the movie

Each scene in the film is carefully crafted to evoke a sense of tragedy and emotion. From the...

Exclusive: Sebastian Roché (1923) is making his K-drama debut in Netflix’s Queen of Tears premiering March 9. He will portray Dr. Braun, a German doctor who has an interesting relationship with the two leads.

From Studio Dragon, Showrunners and Culture Depot, the series follows Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won), the third-generation heiress to Queens Group and the queen of department stores, who has been married for three years to Baek Hyeon-u (Kim Soo-hyun), Yongdu-ri village chief’s son and the prince of supermarkets. As the couple weathers a marital crisis, they discover a miraculous new beginning that rewrites their love story.

Additional cast includes Park Sung-hoon, Kwak Dong-yeon, Lee Joo Bin with a guest appearance by Song Joongki.

Queen of Tears is written by Park Ji-eun. Jang Young-woo and Kim Hee-won direct.

Roché can currently be seen in Paramount’s Taylor Sheridan series 1923 starring opposite Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. He...

List of Movies and Korean Dramas Releasing on Netflix in 2024. ( Photo Credit – IMDb )

In recent years, Netflix has become a trustworthy source for Kdrama fans to binge on exciting shows. In 2023, the streaming giant released Kdramas from various genres: romantic comedy, romantic tragedy, horror, thriller, etc. Recently, the K-Content page revealed Korean Dramas Releasing On Netflix in 2024. The list is quite exciting and will make the Kdrama fans happy.

During the pandemic, many people discovered the world of Korean Dramas. Viewers love these shows for compelling narratives, fantastic music, the feel-good stories and the anticipation of the kiss between most Kdrama lead couples! So take a pen and paper and list the names of the confirmed Korean Dramas Releasing on Netflix in 2024. The platform has yet to reveal its release dates; they’re divided into three yearly quarters.

Korean Dramas Releasing on Netflix in 2024 – Quarter 1

My Name Is Loh Kiwan...

Netflix’s recent spate of international content showcases has continued today with an update on Korea.

Among the key updates for its 2024 Korea slate is Oldboy director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) releasing his first project with Netflix at the end of this year, titled Uprising.

The film, directed by Sang-man Kim and written by Shin Chul, was previously known as War and Revolt, and is due in Q4. It is billed as a “gripping journey through the lives of two childhood friends turned adversaries.” Gang Dong-won, Park Jeong-min, Cha Seung-won, Kim Shin-rock, Jin Sun-kyu and Jung Sung-ill star. Park will co-write and co-produce.

Elsewhere, Netflix will launch new seasons of Gyeongseong Creature, Hellbound and Sweet Home as well as unscripted shows like Physical: 100 and Single’s Inferno. The second season of mega-hit Squid Game will also premiere, as announced last week.

Korea has become one of the Netflix’s biggest priorities,...

Currently revelling in the success of recently-uploaded Don Lee-starring film “Badland Hunters” and already teasing the second season of “Squid Game,” Netflix has unveiled a major slate of Korean films and series for 2024.

In August last year, Netflix publicly committed to investing $2.5 billion on Korean content over the next four years. That reflected both Netflix’s position as the country’s leading streamer, with an estimated 6.5 million subscribers, and its adopted role as one of the biggest exporters of Korean film and TV content.

“We were able to make this [investment] decision because we have great confidence that the Korean creative industry will continue to tell great stories,” said the streamer’s co-chief Ted Sarandos at the time of the spending commitment.

The Tuesday reveal is a mix of: first-look images and updates for previously announced projects (including the retitled Park Chan-wook-produced film “Uprising” and the second season...

Netflix has unveiled a bumper slate of Korean films and series for the year ahead including a historical feature from Park Chan-wook and the return of the streamer’s biggest ever series, Squid Game.

Fresh details on more than 30 titles were revealed as part of Netflix’s ongoing showcase of what is to come in 2024, which has included upcoming slates from the US and Southeast Asia among others over the past week.

Leading the shows from South Korea is season two of Squid Game, the highly-anticipated follow up to the 2021 series that remains the platform’s most popular series of...

If you wanted more of Michelle Yeoh after Everything Everywhere All At Once, you will find Netflix’s new action comedy series The Brothers Sun quite entertaining. Created by Byron Wu and Brad Falchuk, The Brothers Sun revolves around one of the most powerful Taiwanese Triad families, when there is an assassination attempt on the head of the family the eldest son travels to America to protect his mother and his younger brother, who doesn’t know anything about the family business. The Brothers Sun also stars Justin Chen and Sam Li in the lead roles with Highdee Kuan, Alice Hewkin, and Madison Hu starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the action comedy series here are similar shows you might want to check out next.

Bloodhounds (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Bloodhounds and The Brother Sun have very different stories and character types but because of the similarities in their...

The Creator is a sci-drama film directed by Gareth Edwards, who co-wrote the film with Chris Weitz. Set in a dystopian future where a war between the humans and the artificial intelligence rages on, Joshua an ex-special forces agent is recruited to capture and kill the Creator, who is known as the architect of advanced AI. The Creator stars John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Allison Janney, and Madeleine Yuna Voyles. So, if you loved the original sci-fi film here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Space Sweeper (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Synopsis: Set in 2092, spaceship Victory is one of the many that live off salvaging space debris. Crewed with a genius space pilot Tae-ho(Song Joong-ki), a mysterious ex-space pirate Captain Jang(Kim Tae-ri), an spaceship engineer Tiger Park(Jin Sun-kyu), and a reprogrammed military robot Bubs(Yoo Hai-jin), Spaceship Victory surpasses all other space sweepers. After...

Stars Acting Up At Busan

Oscar-winning Korean actor Youn Yuh-jung will headline the Actors’ House section of the upcoming Busan International Film Festival, it was announced on Thursday.

Introduced in 2021, Actors’ House is a special series that connects audiences and film enthusiasts with iconic actors from the current generation through its in-depth discussions. “There’s much anticipation to hear her words of wisdom, as she’s known for her insightful observations,” said the festival.

Others this year include: Han Hyo-joo, Song Joong-ki and Korean-American actor and author John Cho. Han is known for performances in 2015’s “The Beauty Inside,” “W” (2016), “Happiness (2021), and last year’s “The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure.” She will be in Busan with Netflix-backed “Believer 2” and recently appeared in the Disney+ original series, “Moving.”

Song, who hosted the 2021 Busan festival’s opening ceremony, was recently seen in “Hopeless,” one of the handful of Korean films in Cannes this year.

The Busan International Film Festival has unveiled its selections for the popular Korean Cinema Today – Special Premiere and On Screen strands.

The On Screen section, introduced in 2021, showcases series and this year boasts six world premieres – five from Korea and one from Indonesia.

Tving show “I Am a Running Mate,” about an ordinary student trying to become student president marks the directorial debut of Han Jin-won, winner of best original screenplay as a co-writer for Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite.” The series merges the coming-of-age genre with elements of a political drama, and stars Yoon Hyun-soo, Lee Jung-sic, Choi Woo-sung, Hong Hwa-yeon and Lee Bong-jun. Three of the nine episodes will screen at the festival.

“The Deal,” a Waave original series, is a tale of criminal intrigue in which two young men kidnap their friend and demand KRW10 billion ($7.5 million) as ransom. The cast features Yoo Seung-ho’s streaming debut alongside Kim Dong-hwi,...

There’s something about K-dramas that Western TV series cannot replicate, no matter how hard they try. Whether you want to feel giddy with romantic shows, dive into captivating fantasy worlds, or simply experience the rollercoaster of human emotions, K-dramas have it all. While K-drama fever has been around for many years now, there are still many people who just have started exploring this exciting world.

If you’re a beginner looking to start your Korean drama journey, here are ten dramas you shouldn’t miss watching. But just a friendly piece of advice, make sure to have fast and stable internet from reputable internet providers like HughesNet to have the best streaming experience. So, without ado, let’s explore the ten K-dramas you must watch.

Descendants of the Sun

Descendants of the Sun follows the story of Captain Yoo Shi-jin (Song Joong-ki), a member of the Special Forces, and Dr.

On June 14, Song Joong Ki took to his fancafe to confirm that he and his wife Katy Louise Saunders were blessed with a healthy son in Rome. He also reassured the fans that the wife and son are completely healthy.

He said that he was in his wife’s hometown and he is eternally grateful to the fans for being a part of the wonderful time. He expressed his happiness and gratitude towards his family for being there as well.

Song Joong Ki revealed his relationship with his British girlfriend, who is now his wife, in December of last year. He is currently getting ready for the release of the films Bogotá and Hopeless. Born in 1985, Song Joong Ki made his acting debut in the 2008 film A Frozen Flower.

After that, he performed in films like Itaewon Murder Case, A Werewolf Boy, Battleship Island, and Space Sweepers, as well as in dramas like Sungkyunkwan Scandal,...

by Khushi Jain

17 year old Yeon-gyu bashes open the head of a fellow student in the school playground and thus begins the Korean gangster film “Hopeless.” For his debut, Kim Chang-hoon dips his toes into a dark genre and creates something that respectfully nods to its predecessors. Premiering at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, “Hopeless” is a well-made saga of mob violence.

Hopeless screened at Cannes Official poster – 76th edition © Photo © Jack Garofalo/Paris Match/Scoop – Création graphique © Hartland Villa

Yeon-gyu (Hong Xa-bin) lives in a tiny, tightly packed apartment with his docile mother, abusive alcoholic stepfather and stepsister Hayan (Kim Hyoung-seo “Bibi”). He starts working for a local gangster Chi-geon (Song Joong-ki), mainly stealing bikes and occasionally helping manipulate a political election, so as to earn enough to one day leave the fictional ‘Myeongan City' for Amsterdam (where he believes everyone lives a good...

Written and directed by Kim Chang-hoon, the debut feature Hopeless is marked by a morose atmospheric tone that forces the audience to be spectators in the dismal lives of others. Despite the story being ripe with promise, its progress is hampered by an overlong runtime, shoddy editing and its inability to tap into any other feelings besides discontent.

In Myeongan City, South Korea, 17-year-old Yeon-gyu (Hong Xa-bin) is starting trouble. He gets into a violent altercation at school and is quickly reprimanded. His mother expresses disappointment but doesn’t do much to discipline him. In addition to his mom, he lives with his alcoholic stepfather and step-sister Hayan (Kim Hyoung-seo), who he treats like trash. Yeon-gyu is working to save enough money to travel to Holland, but with everyone in the family making meager earnings, travel outside the city is a distant goal. Outside of that, the young boy doesn...

Kim Chang-hoon’s feature directorial debut plays in Un Certain Regard.

Korea’s Plus M Entertainment has sold Cannes Un Certain Regard title Hopeless to a raft of territories led by Japan (Happinet) and France (Bac Films).

The first feature from director Kim Chang-hoon stars top Korean actor Song Joong-ki of TV’s Reborn Rich and rising actor Hong Xa-bin. The latter plays a teenager who is sucked into the violent world of a local thug.

The film has also sold to Taiwan (MovieCloud), Hong Kong (Edko Films), India (Mvp Entertainment), the Philippines (Viva Communications), Thailand (Sahamongkolfilm International), Vietnam (Lotte Entertainment Vietnam), Singapore,...

Multi-territory Asian streaming platform Viu is to deliver a Thai version of hit drama series “Reborn Rich.”

The 16-episode Korean drama was produced by Korea’s Jtbc Studios and Viu, aired on Jtbc in Korea between November and December 2022 and was branded as a Viu Original in the 16-territoires in which it operates.

Its story sees a long-term employee of a large family-run conglomerate falsely accused of embezzlement. After he is shot on an overseas business trip, he finds himself in the body of the family’s grandson and decides to use his new identity as a means by which to take revenge on the family and the corporation.

Starring Song Joong-ki, “Reborn Rich” was one of the top-ranking dramas of all time on Jtbc and on Viu.

Viu announced news of the Thai remake at an upfront event in Bangkok on Thursday evening. But it disclosed no information – production company,...

Multi-territory Asian streaming service Viu has publicly disclosed key performance metrics for the first time and said that it was cash flow positive on an annual basis in 2022.

The company, which operates in 16 Asian and Middle East markets and is seen as a rare success story in regional streaming, counts Hong Kong conglomerate Pccw as its principal shareholder, which also unveiled its own profits and loss figures for the 2022 calendar year.

Viu which operates both ad-supported and paying tiers, said that it had 66.4 monthly active users in 2022, an increase of 13% year-on-year. Paying subscribers increased by 45% to 12.2 million over the same period.

The company’s revenue, a mix of subscriptions, advertising sales and content licensing, also grew by 45% year on year to $206 million in 2022. The company said that it achieved positive Ebitda in the year, a key indicator that the company is viable, but did not disclose the figure.

Founded in...

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s new strand in which, each fortnight, we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films killing it in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track. So we’re going to do the hard work for you.

We kick off with a buzzy resurrection drama breaking records in Korea, the nation that introduced the world to Netflix’s Squid Game but in reality has been making smash-hit shows for decades.

Name: Reborn Rich

Country: Korea

Network: Jtbc

Seller: Studio LuluLala

Where can I watch: On Viu in Korea, South East Asia and the Middle East

For fans of: Netflix’s Dark or Christopher Nolan’s Inception

There had never been a “reincarnation drama” on Korean cable before...

A new report into content consumption patterns by premium video users in ten Asia-Pacific countries shows that content from Asia accounts for 75 of viewership. Local and regional programming is key to attracting and retaining subscribers to premium streaming platforms.

The study, “The Rise of Asian Content” produced by Media Partners Asia and its Ampd sub-unit, leans on passively collected data from January-to mid-December 2022, from 40,000 video users in Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Australia.

The top reaching categories in 2022 in terms of monthly reach were Korean dramas and romance; Japanese anime; U.S. science fiction and fantasy; Korean crime and thriller; U.S. crime and thriller; and U.S. comedy.

Korean dramas garnered 30 of total measured premium online video viewership in 2022. Four of the top 15 Korean dramas of 2022 were Netflix originals. All other top titles were also distributed on Netflix, though shared with networks and streamers in Korea.

Exclusive: Pan-regional streaming service Viu, owned by Hong Kong telco and media group Pccw, has been one of the biggest local success stories in Southeast Asia, holding its own against the entrance of global giants including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.

The streamer is number one in terms of monthly active users (MAUs) across Southeast Asia, according to data from Media Partners Asia (MPA), and number three in paid subscribers behind Disney+ and Netflix. In the first half of 2022, Viu’s MAUs grew by 23 to 60.7 million, while paid subscribers increased by 31 to 9.1 million.

Viu’s ‘freemium’ business model and partnerships with regional telcos and other tech providers have contributed to that success, but as Asia content chief Marianne Lee explains, it’s also down to a nimble and hyper-localized content strategy.

“We serve a very young audience,” says Lee, who joined Viu last year from WarnerMedia in the role...

Other winners included ‘Sex Education’ and ‘Help’.

UK thriller Vigil picked up best drama series at the 50th International Emmy Awards ceremony in New York on Monday (November 21).

The series stars Suranne Jones as a detective investigating a murder on a Hms submarine. It was produced by World Productions and premiered on BBC One in 2021.

TV shows and performers from the UK scooped up seven awards in total, the most of any country.

This included best comedy for Netflix’s Sex Education and best mini-series for Help which stars Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham and is set in a care home during the Covid pandemic.

Click here to read the full article.

Sex Education, Dougray Scott and Lou de Laâge were among the winners at the 2022 International Emmy Awards.

The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the winners during Monday’s ceremony in New York City at the New York Hilton Midtown Hotel.

Sex Education took home the award for best comedy. Other shows awarded include Vigil for drama series, and Love on the Spectrum‘s season 2 for nonscripted entertainment. On the acting side, Scott won for best performance by an actor while De Laâge won in the actress category.

Miky Lee, vice chairwoman of Cj Group, was honored with the International Emmy Directorate Award. She was presented the award by South Korean actor Song Joong-ki.

“I am delighted and proud as a Korean that our content is being recognized, but I share this joy with the greater global community,” Lee said during her acceptance speech.

The United Kingdom swept the two marquee categories at the 50th anniversary International Emmy Awards, which here handed out Monday night in New York. Vigil took Best Drama Series, and Sex Education took the Comedy Series prize. See the list of winners in all 15 categories below.

The Brits dominated this year’s awards, scoring seven overall. France took two, the only other country with multiple wins. Australia’s Love on the Spectrum won for Non-Scripted Entertainment, and Iraq’s Lost Generation (France) took the Documentary prize.

Related Story 2022-23 Awards Season Calendar – Dates For The Oscars, Golden Globes, Guilds & More Related Story News & Documentary Emmys: National Geographic Laps The Field On Night 2 Related Story Game Shows Moving To Primetime Emmys Competition Under Television Academy

“Television around the world has really come of age,” International Academy President & CEO Bruce Paisner said. “What is especially gratifying on this 50th anniversary is...

The 2022 International Emmy Awards are underway.

23 countries are represented across 15 categories and 60 nominees at the 50th International Emmys, which was hosted by Penn & Teller’s Penn Jillette. The gala took place Monday at the New York Hilton Midtown Hotel.

During the show, South Korean actor Song Joong-ki will present the International Emmy Directorate Award to Miky Lee, vice chairwoman of Cj Group, while Ava DuVernay will receive the International Emmy Founders Award from Blair Underwood.

Check out the full list of winners below, which Variety will be updating live throughout the ceremony:

Arts Programming

“Bios: Calamaro”

Buena Vista Original Productions (Disney) / Nat Geo

Argentina

“Charlie Chaplin, Le Génie De La Liberté” [“Charlie Chaplin, The Genius Of Liberty”]

France Télévisions / Kuiv Productions

France

“Freddie Mercury: The Final Act” (Winner)

Rogan Productions

United Kingdom

“Wonderful World: A New York Jazz Story”

Nhk

Japan

Non-Scripted Entertainment

“La Voz Argentina” [“The Voice”] – Season 3

Viacomcbs / Telefe

Argentina

“Lol: Last...

In the lead-up to the upcoming “Andor” finale on Disney+, The Walt Disney Company will air the first two episodes of the series across networks including ABC, FX and Freeform, and also make it available to view on sister streamer Hulu.

“Andor” episodes “Kassa” and “That Would Be Me” will be made available on the following schedule across the Thanksgiving holiday, with Hulu offering an extended streaming window:

ABC: Wednesday November 23, 9 p.m. Et FX: Thursday, November 24, 9 p.m. Et Freeform: Friday, November 25, 9 p.m. Et Hulu: Available from November 23 through December 7

The two-episode finale for the Disney+ “Star Wars” series, which stars Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, premieres on Wednesday, November 23.

Additional cast members for the series include Genevieve O’Reilly, Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, Fiona Shaw, Forest Whitaker and Andy Serkis. The executive producers are Kathleen Kennedy, Tony Gilroy, Sanne Wohlenberg, Luna and Michelle Rejwan.

Both upcoming films are by first-time feature directors produced by South Korean powerhouse Sanai Pictures.

South Korea’s Plus M is launching sales on action comedy Cross (working title), starring Hwang Jung-min of Netflix’s Narco-Saints, and noir drama Hwa-ran (working title) at the American Film Market (AFM).

Both upcoming films are from first-time feature directors and produced by Sanai Pictures, the Seoul-based company behind Cannes titles such as Lee Jung-jae’s Hunt and Yoon Jong-bin’s The Spy Gone North as well as the local box office hit A Violent Prosecutor, which took more than 9.7 million admissions and 54.5m in 2016.

Directed by Lee Myeong-hoon,...

“Bogota: City of the Lost,” one of the most expensive Korean films ever made, heads the sales slate presented at Busan by Megabox Plus M, part of Korea’s J Contentree listed company.

Crime noir, “Bogota” took 21 months to produce and saw its principal photography start in January 2020 but soon become a victim of Covid. Song Joong Ki (“Space Sweepers”) stars as a young man moving to Colombia with his family for a better life, but he ends up living from hand to mouth. He later goes against all odds to dominate Bogota’s black market. The picture also stars Lee Hee-jun (“The Drug King”) and was directed by Kim Seong-je (“The Unfair”).

It is also pitching “Don’t Buy The Seller,” a thriller directed by Kim Hee-gon (“Fengshui”) that might make one rethink the purchase of second-hand items via online apps. Shin Hae-sun plays the protagonist who reports the...

Asian streaming firm Viu is approaching profitability by staying its lane and sticking with the business principles that have made it a regional success story – Asian content, AVOD and SVOD models under one roof, and resistance to over-expansion.

“The industry for streaming has matured very rapidly [in part due to Covid],” said CEO Janice Lee, speaking Wednesday at the Apos convention in Singapore. “But what makes Asia different is that Asia has not yet reached mature market status.”

After some six years in business Viu is now Ebitda positive. “We always been focused on monetization. Our AVOD-svod mix remains the sustainable model,” said Lee, who also confirmed the company has been able to raise subscription prices in selected markets. The launch of advertising-supported models is now a direction being embraced by the sector giants Netflix and Disney.

“We continue to see growth in all of our 16 markets and are not looking to grow elsewhere and spread ourselves thinner,...

One of the most popular films streaming on Netflix is the live-action, science fiction feature "Space Sweepers" directed by Jo Sung-Hee:

"...the space crew of the 'Victory', living off salvaging space debris in the year 2092, include genius pilot 'Tae-ho' (Song Joong-Ki), ex-space pirate 'Captain Jang' (Kim Tae-Ri), engineer 'Tiger Park' (Jin Sun-Kyu), and reprogrammed military robot 'Bubs' (Yoo Hai-Jin). 

"Earth is nearly destroyed by pollution and a group of upper-class people build a new habitable world in outer space. Surpassing other space sweepers and successfully snatching a crashed space shuttle in the latest debris chase, the crew finds a 7-year-old girl inside who is later revealed to be a human-like robot wanted by 'Space Guards'.

"Seeing it as an opportunity to make more money, the crew demands a ransom in exchange for the girl..."

Click the images to enlarge... ...

The Busan International Film Festival kicked off in South Korea’s bustling southern port city Wednesday night with the world premiere of Heaven: To the Land of Happiness from veteran director Im Sang-soo (The Housemaid).

Despite a smaller scale (with theaters at 50 percent capacity) and a mask mandate for all visitors, about 1,200 audience members filled the seats of the outdoor theater of the Busan Cinema Center, the festival’s main screening venue. The event was hosted by South Korean stars Song Joong-ki (Vincenzo) and Park So-dam (Parasite), giving the country its first red carpet ceremony since the coronavirus pandemic began....

The Busan International Film Festival kicked off in South Korea’s bustling southern port city Wednesday night with the world premiere of Heaven: To the Land of Happiness from veteran director Im Sang-soo (The Housemaid).

Despite a smaller scale (with theaters at 50 percent capacity) and a mask mandate for all visitors, about 1,200 audience members filled the seats of the outdoor theater of the Busan Cinema Center, the festival’s main screening venue. The event was hosted by South Korean stars Song Joong-ki (Vincenzo) and Park So-dam (Parasite), giving the country its first red carpet ceremony since the coronavirus pandemic began....

They include the anticipated ’Bogota: City Of The Lost’ directed by actor-filmmaker Kim Seong-je.

South Korea’s Megabox Plus M is launching sales on a trio of films: Kim Seong-je’s Bogota: City Of The Lost, starring Song Joong-ki, actor Lee Jung-jae’s directorial debut Hunt and action drama Decibel.

Bogota: City Of The Lost is a highly anticipated large-scale production featuring the star of K-drama hits such as Descendants Of The Sun and Vincenzo.

The noir thriller follows a young man who moves to Bogota in the 1990s with his family and, starting from the bottom, works his way...

One of the most popular new films now streaming on Netflix is the live-action, science fiction feature "Space Sweepers" directed by Jo Sung-Hee:

"...the space crew of the 'Victory', living off salvaging space debris in the year 2092, include genius pilot 'Tae-ho' (Song Joong-Ki), ex-space pirate 'Captain Jang' (Kim Tae-Ri), engineer 'Tiger Park' (Jin Sun-Kyu), and reprogrammed military robot 'Bubs' (Yoo Hai-Jin). 

"Earth is nearly destroyed by pollution and a group of upper-class people build a new habitable world in outer space. Surpassing other space sweepers and successfully snatching a crashed space shuttle in the latest debris chase, the crew finds a 7-year-old girl inside who is later revealed to be a human-like robot wanted by 'Space Guards'.

"Seeing it as an opportunity to make more money, the crew demands a ransom in exchange for the girl..."

Click the images to enlarge... ...

A Korean space opera with a large budget and a star-studded cast. Possibly the first of its kind, it’s hard for it to live up to its hype. Despite the film not being perfect, it’s still a big step for Korean cinema to branch out, and try new things.

“Space Sweepers” revolves around the crew of ‘Victory’, a notorious space-junk collector ship in 2092. Earth is becoming uninhabitable, and humans are quick to ruin space next. The crew is down on their luck, need money, and need it fast. It is then rather convenient that such a solution falls into their laps, a humanoid robot girl, wanted by police as well as terrorists. Before long, it turns into a story about putting others above yourself or saving yourself.

The production ends up being a little cheesy, yet charming. Fun, but in the large scope of science-fiction films, middle-of-the-road. This...

Directed by Jo Sung-Hee, the live-action, South Korean science fiction feature "Space Sweepers", streams February 5, 2021 on Netflix:

"...the space crew of the 'Victory', living off salvaging space debris in the year 2092, include genius pilot 'Tae-ho' (Song Joong-Ki), ex-space pirate 'Captain Jang' (Kim Tae-Ri), engineer 'Tiger Park' (Jin Sun-Kyu), and reprogrammed military robot 'Bubs' (Yoo Hai-Jin). 

"Earth is nearly destroyed by pollution and a group of upper-class people build a new habitable world in outer space. Surpassing other space sweepers and successfully snatching a crashed space shuttle in the latest debris chase, the crew finds a 7-year-old girl inside who is later revealed to be a human-like robot wanted by 'Space Guards'.

"Seeing it as an opportunity to make more money, the crew demands a ransom in exchange for the girl..."

Click the images to enlarge... ...

"If you want to live, run away. Otherwise..." Netflix has released a full-length trailer for their debut of the South Korean sci-fi film Space Sweepers, an epic spaceship comedic thriller from director Sung-hee Jo. We featured the original international trailers a few months ago, and the US teaser trailer just a few weeks ago as well. Set in 2092, Space Sweepers tells the story of a crew on board of the spaceship called "Victory", trying to escape the destruction of Earth - and make some money while at it salvaging space debris. After successfully snatching a crashed space shuttle in the latest debris chase, Victory's crew find a 7-year-old girl inside. They realize that she's the humanlike robot wanted by Uts Space Guards, and decide to demand ransom. Starring Song Joong-Ki, Kim Tae-Ri, Jin Sun-Kyu, and Yoo Hae-Jin. I'm so looking forward to watching this! Don't care if it's cheesy or dumb,...

Directed by Jo Sung-Hee, the live-action, South Korean science fiction feature "Space Sweepers", streams February 5, 2021 on Netflix:

"...the space crew of the 'Victory', living off salvaging space debris in the year 2092, include genius pilot 'Tae-ho' (Song Joong-Ki), ex-space pirate 'Captain Jang' (Kim Tae-Ri), engineer 'Tiger Park' (Jin Sun-Kyu), and reprogrammed military robot 'Bubs' (Yoo Hai-Jin). 

"Earth is nearly destroyed by pollution and a group of upper-class people build a new habitable world in outer space. Surpassing other space sweepers and successfully snatching a crashed space shuttle in the latest debris chase, the crew finds a 7-year-old girl inside who is later revealed to be a human-like robot wanted by 'Space Guards'.

"Seeing it as an opportunity to make more money, the crew demands a ransom in exchange for the girl..."

Click the images to enlarge... ...

Space Sweepers Trailer — Jo Sung-hee‘s Seungriho / Space Sweepers (2021) teaser trailer has been released by Netflix and stars Song Joong-ki, Kim Tae-ri, Jin Seon-kyu, Yoo Hae-jin, Richard Armitage, Milan-Devi Labrey, Daniel Joey Albright, John D. Michaels, and Ana Ruggiero. Crew Iskra Nacheva coordinated the visual effects for Space Sweepers. Desislava Valcheva composited the [...]

Continue reading: Space Sweepers (2020) Teaser Trailer: A Crew of Space Scavengers Discover a State-of-the-art Android...

"Let's go make some money!" Netflix has released a new US teaser trailer for their upcoming debut of the South Korean sci-fi film Space Sweepers, an epic spaceship comedic thriller from director Sung-hee Jo. We featured the original international trailers a few months ago, and the film will be arriving on Netflix in February (only for the US). Set in 2092, Space Sweepers tells the story of a crew on board of the spaceship called "Victory", trying to escape the destruction of Earth - and make some money while at it salvaging space debris. After successfully snatching a crashed space shuttle in the latest debris chase, Victory's crew find a 7-year-old girl inside. They realize that she’s the humanlike robot wanted by Uts Space Guards, and decide to demand ransom. Starring Song Joong-Ki, Kim Tae-Ri, Jin Sun-Kyu, and Yoo Hae-Jin. Featuring tons of stunning space action and thrills." Yeah this looks awesome!

The streaming giant stated its investment in Korean content from 2015 to 2020 reached $700m.

Netflix has signed leases for two new production facilities in South Korea in response to global demand for more original Korean films and series.

The streaming giant stated its investment in Korean content from 2015 to 2020 reached $700m “with more than 80 shows made in Korea and watched by audiences around the world.”

The two production facilities are situated in Gyeonggi Province in Paju-si and Yeoncheon-gun, outside Seoul.

Netflix is leasing six stages and supporting spaces of approximately 9,000 square meters at Ycdsmc - Studio 139 in Yeoncheon-gun. It is also...