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Venom: The Last Dance topped the Korean box office on its first weekend, capturing more than 60% of ticket sales.

The third instalment in the Sony franchise took $4.2m from Friday to Sunday (October 25-27) for a cume of $5.7m since opening on October 23, according to Kobis, the Korean Film Council’s box office tracking system.

It may struggle to match the $15.2 taken by predecessor Venom: Let There Be Carnage in 2021 let alone the $24.6m taken by 2018’s Venom.

In second place was mystery drama A Normal Family, which took $730,000 on its second weekend – half of the $1.45m claimed on its opening weekend,...

“Venom: The Last Dance” waltzed to a weekend win in South Korea, but failed to shake the country’s box office out of its recent torpor.

The third film in the “Venom” trilogy earned $2.66 million over the Friday to Sunday period, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). That represented a dominant 62% market share.

Over the five days since its opening on Wednesday, it built up a cumulative of $4.13 million. At that pace, the new film will struggle to overtake the $15.2 million total earned by “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” which was released in 2021 during the worst of the Covid pandemic.

That is indicative of a downturn at the Korean box office which is beginning to look like it has become structural. Across the nation, Korean cinema receipts were worth just $4.32 million over the latest weekend. By a narrow margin that was...

“Squid Game” star Lee Jung-jae was among the Korean celebrities to lead out a red carpet parade on the opening night of the 29th edition of the Busan International Film Festival. The festival kicked off Wednesday with a bright show of international solidarity and a spectacular, if controversial, Korean film from Netflix.

The ceremony, held under the semi-open roof of the futuristic Busan Cinema Center, was buoyant and attended by 4,500 guests, masking some the woes incurred by the festival itself and by the wider Korean film industry. Officials at the event debuted a new slogan — “Vision of Asia, Ocean of Cinema” — reflecting the South Korean port city’s revised ambitions ahead of next year’s 30th anniversary edition.

Last year, internal divisions ripped the festival management apart, causing sponsors to flee and a reduced budget. While some of the wounds have since been healed, replenished sponsorship and city government funds...

Claudia Kim and her husband Matthew Shampine have split after five years of marriage.

A report on Tuesday (September 23) claimed that the 39-year-old Avengers: Age of Ultron actress had recently finalized her divorce from her WeWork Korea CEO husband.

In response to the report, her agency Yg Entertainment confirmed: “After careful discussions, Claudia Kim has decided to conclude her marriage. The divorce was settled amicably through mutual agreement,” via Soompi.

Keep reading to find out more…

“Although they are now walking separate paths, they continue to support each other. We kindly request that you avoid making malicious comments and speculations, as this decision was reached after extensive deliberation and thorough discussions.”

The two got married in 2019, and they welcomed their first daughter in September of 2020.

Recently, Claudia Kim starred in Netflix’s Gyeongseong Creature and Jtbc’s hit drama The Atypical Family. Her Korean film debut, A Normal Family, premieres...

Song Kang-ho, star of Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” will headline a series adaptation of hit film “Inside Men.”

The project was revealed on Thursday by producer Hive Media Corp. which said that the show is in the early stages of pre-production. Cameras are expected to roll in 2025.

No broadcaster or streamer has yet been attached.

The 2015 film was a political thriller that was adapted from an incomplete webtoon, penned by Yoon Tae-ho called “The Insiders” and which was published 2010-2012 in the Hankyoreh newspaper.

The webtoon featured a political bruiser, played by Lee Byung-hun in the film, who seeks revenge after being ruined by politicians and the media. Directed and written by Woo Min-ho, the film added other elements including a prosecutor (portrayed by Cho Sueng-woo), a presidential candidate Portrayed by Lee Gyeong-young) and a newspaper editor (portrayed by Baek Yoon-sik).

The series, which will be directed by Mo Wan-il (“The World of the Married...

Marking its 4th year, Actors’ House is a special event that offers an in-depth look into the works of actors who represent the contemporary film industry, sharing their candid stories. This year’s event draws attention with prominent figures’ participation, including Sul Kyung-gu, Park Boyoung, Hwang Jung-min, and Chun Woo-hee.

First, actor Sul Kyung-gu, known for his limitless transformations through various roles, will be featured at the Actors’ House. Continuously expanding his spectrum by navigating different themes, genres, and characters, Sul Kyung-gu has consistently garnered praise from audiences for his solid acting skills. Most recently, he crafted a new iconic character in the 2024 Netflix series The Whirlwind (2024). At the Actors’ House, Sul Kyung-gu is set to showcase his true essence as an actor.

Actor Park Boyoung will also meet with the audience in Busan. After skyrocketing to fame as a rising star in Chungmuro with the success of the film...

Park Hoon-jung, director of hit Korean franchise The Witch and Disney+ series The Tyrant, is set to begin shooting revenge thriller Tristes Tropiques this month. Finecut has secured international sales rights and will introduce the project to buyers in Toronto.

The story follows a group of young assassins affiliated with an organisation known as Tristes Tropiques, who are trained by the tropical rainforest’s absolute ruler called ‘Master’. As they grapple with mutual distrust, they vow to exact bloody revenge.

The film is set to begin shooting in Thailand this September and is expected to wrap by December. Cast has...

Park Hoon-jung, an in-demand director of action-noir films, will begin production this month on “Tristes Tropiques.” The picture will be launched to distributors on the sidelines of the Toronto International Film Festival by Finecut, which is to handle sales rights.

The film follows a group of young assassins affiliated with the Tristes Tropiques organization, which specializes in jungle warfare and is under the absolute rule of Master.

The production will be located in Thailand and run from September to December. Finecut reports that it will boast an international cast adept at diverse styles of action, but it offers no details of either the Korean or foreign elements.

“Tristes Tropiques” is produced by director Park’s own production company, Gold Moon Film and is co-produced by Mindmark, a content IP company owned by the Shinsegae department stores and duty-free shopping group. Its recent slate also includes “A Normal Family,” “Victory,” “Love Reset” and “Honey Sweet.

Seoul-based Finecut has boarded Tristes Tropiques, an upcoming action film by Korean director Park Hoon-jung.

Tristes Tropiques will be Park’s fourth film under Finecut, following New World (2013), V.I.P (2017) and The Witch: Part 1 The Subversion (2018).

Park’s latest film follows a group of young assassins affiliated with the organization “Tristes Tropiques,” trained by the tropical rainforest’s absolute ruler called “Master.” As they grapple with distrust, they vow to exact bloody revenge.

The film is set to begin shooting in Thailand in September and is expected to wrap by December.

Finecut added that Tristes Tropiques will feature a multi-national cast.

Park started his career as a writer, penning Ryoo Seung-wan’s The Unjust (2010) and winning the Best Screenplay award for his work on the film at the 15th Fantasia International Film Festival. Park also wrote the screenplay for Kim Jee-woon’s I Saw The Devil (2010).

Park made his debut...

Two of South Korea’s biggest male stars Hyun Bin and Jung Woo-sung will go head-to-head in “Made in Korea,” an upcoming crime series.

Set in the turbulent 1970s, “Made in Korea” is a crime thriller about Kitae, a man consumed with a desire for wealth and power, and Geonyoung, a stalwart prosecutor that stands in his way. Constantly at loggerheads, the pair find themselves involved in an era-defining incident that will forever change their futures.

The show stars Hyun Bin as Kitae, and Jung as Geonyoung. Other cast members include: Won Ji-an, Seo Eun-soo, Cho Yeo-jeong and Jung Sung-il.

The screenplay was written by Park Eun-kyo and Park Joon-seok (“A Normal Family”) and is directed by Woo Min-ho. Production is by Hive Media Corp., which was previously responsible for feature films “Inside Men,” “The Man Standing Next,” “12.12 The Day” (aka “Seoul Spring”).

For Woo, it is his first TV series as director.

Two of Korea’s A-listers, Hyun Bin and Jung Woosung, are set to appear in Disney+ original Made in Korea. The series will premiere next year.

Set in the turbulent 1970s, crime thriller Made in Korea follows Kitae, a man consumed with a desire for wealth and power, and Geonyoung, a stalwart prosecutor that stands in his way. Constantly at loggerheads, the pair find themselves involved in an era-defining incident that will forever change their futures.

Hyun Bin, who has starred in hits like Crash Landing On You and Confidential Assignment, will play the role of Kitae. After featuring in 12.12: The Day and Hunt, Jung will play the role of Geonyoung.

Made in Korea will be director Woo Min-ho’s first series. He also recently collaborated with Hyun Bin on biographical period film Harbin, which will premiere in the Gala section of the Toronto International Film Festival on September...

‘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.

Knock-out Cast For ‘Knock-off’

Kim Soohyun, star of “My Love from The Star,” “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” and “Queen of Tears,” will team up with Cho Boah, in Korean crime series “Knock-Off,” which Disney has set for a 2025 release.

The show dives into the murky world of counterfeit goods, following a man whose life is ruined in the wake of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Desperate to rebuild what he once had, the man finds himself drawn into the knock-off goods trade, quickly climbing up to the top of the counterfeit market scene. That sets him on a collision course with his ex-girlfriend who is now a special police office tasked with cracking down on the fake goods trade.

Disney has been racing to build up its Korean content library and has release ten shows so far in 2024.

Its upcoming slate includes “The Tyrant,” “Unmasked,” “Seoul Busters,” Light Shop” and crime thriller “Gangnam B-Side,...

Crispin Glover is a man in search of an exit — from a hotel — in the TIFF-bound “Mr. K.” The cult-favorite character actor — known for “Willard,” “River’s Edge,” “Dead Man,” and, who could forget, Cousin “I’m making my lunch!” Del in David Lynch’s “Wild at Heart” — stars in Tallulah H. Schwab’s surreal tale headed for the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival’s Platform section. IndieWire shares the exclusive trailer for the film ahead of the festival, which runs September 5-15 in the thick of the fall fest season.

Here’s part of the synopsis courtesy of TIFF: “The ordeal for Mr. K’s misfortunate protagonist — a traveling magician played by Crispin Glover in one of the richest performances in his long and continually surprising career — begins when he checks into a once-stately hotel. The following morning, Mr. K is understandably confused by his inability to find the exit. Then again,...

Seoul-based Finecut has secured distribution deals in more than six territories for high school drama film Victory, ahead of the film’s Korean release on August 14.

Victory has been acquired by 815 Pictures (North America), Sky Films Entertainment (Taiwan), Lumix Media (Vietnam), Pt Prima Cinema Multimedia (Indonesia), House of M (Thailand), Emphasis Video Entertainment (Inflight) and Westec Media Limited (Cambodia).

The film received its world premiere as the opening film at the New York Asian Film Festival and stars Lee Hye-ri (Reply 1988) of K-pop group Girl’s Day and Park Se-wan (Life Is Beautiful).

It tells the story of a high school dance duo (played by Lee and Park), who inspire people in their village with their cheerleading performance. They also soon find themselves cheering on an underdog school soccer team on a remote island.

Directed by Park Beom-su, the cast also includes Cho A-ram...

Korean cheerleading movie Victory is headed to U.S. cinemas. Ahead of its upcoming South Korean release, the film was pre-sold by Seoul-based sales outfit Finecut to 815 Pictures for a North American theatrical run.

Described as “an uplifting and heartwarming drama centered around a high-school dance duo,” the film follows the cheerleaders as they inspire an underdog school soccer team and the surrounding village on a remote Korean island. Directed by Park Beom-su, known for Single in Seoul and Red Carpet, the film premiered as the opening title at the recent New York Asian Film Festival, where one of its stars, Lee Hye-ri, was honored with the event’s screen international rising star Asia award.

Finecut also has inked deals for the movie across Asia, including to Sky Films Entertainment for Taiwan; Lumix Media for Vietnam; Pt Prima Cinema Multimedia for Indonesia; House of M for Thailand; Emphasis Video Entertainment...

South Korea’s Finecut has sold upcoming comedy-drama Victory to a raft of territories including North America ahead of its local release on Wednesday (August 14).

The film, centred on a Korean cheerleading squad, has been acquired by 815 Pictures for North America and Lumix Media for Vietnam, both of which will open the feature theatrically on August 16.

It has also been picked up for Taiwan (Sky Films Entertainment), Indonesia (Pt Prima Cinema Multimedia), Thailand (House of M) and Cambodia (Westec Media Limited), which are set to release the film from late August to September. Inflight rights have gone to Emphasis Video Entertainment.

The Toronto International Film Festival unveiled the 10 films that will comprise its Platform lineup, a section that is intended to highlight emerging filmmakers from around the globe.

The selection includes “Pedro Páramo,” the feature directing debut of acclaimed cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto; “Viktor,” a documentary about the Russian invasion of Ukraine told by war photographer Olivier Sarbil; and “The Wolves Always Come at Night,” Gabrielle Brady’s look at the impact of climate change on Mongolian herders. There’s also Tallulah H. Schwab’s Kafkaesque “Mr. K” featuring the mercurial Crispin Glover as a traveling magician, as well as Goya-winner Carlos Marqués-Marcet’s contemporary dance-musical and ensemble drama “They Will Be Dust.”

Nacho Vigalondo’s “Daniela Forever,” which stars Henry Golding and “The White Lotus” breakout Beatrice Grannò, will be the section’s opening film. The films represent 17 countries including Spain, Taiwan, Bulgaria, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Mexico and Ukraine.

This...

Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF) competitive Platform section will open with Daniela Forever by Nacho Vigalondo, whose Colossal premiered at the festival in 2016.

The 10-title selection also includes Mexico-set Pedro Páramo from renowned cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, 10,000Km filmmaker Carlos Marqués-Marcet’s They Will Be Dust, and Gabrielle Bradys’ hybrid documentary The Wolves Always Come At Night set in Mongolia.

The Platform jury will be led by Canadian auteur Atom Egoyan whose Seven Veils premiered at TIFF last year. His two fellow jurors are South Korean filmmaker Hur Jin-ho who also played the festival last year with A Normal Family,...

The Platform lineup for the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has been unveiled, along with its jury.

The festival’s competitive program dedicated to strong, singular visions includes 10 films from 17 countries, with Canadian staple Atom Egoyan serving as the jury head. Hur Jin-ho, whose “A Normal Family” had its world premiere at TIFF 2023, is also on the jury along with “I Saw the TV Glow” writer/director Jane Schoenbrun.

The Platform program has awarded past prizes to films such as Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Darius Marder’s “Sound of Metal,” which received multiple Oscar nominations and won Best Sound and Best Film Editing.

This year, “Colossal” director Nacho Vigalondo will open the program with his latest film, “Daniela Forever,” starring Henry Golding as a grieving man who reunites with his lost love. Highlights include Tallulah H. Schwab’s sophomore film “Mr. K...

TIFF has announced the competitive Platform lineup today with a jury that includes Oscar nominated filmmaker Atom Egoyan as its Head, South Korean filmmaker Hur Jin-ho and award-winning American filmmaker and essayist Jane Schoenbrun. Jin-ho directed last year’s A Normal Family which made its world premiere at TIFF.

Named after Jia Zhang-Ke’s groundbreaking second feature, Platform, the nine-year old program showcases bold and distinct directorial voices and emerging international talent. This year there’s ten in the sidebar from 17 countries. Of those Platform films that continued on to bigger success are Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Darius Marder’s Sound of Metal, which received multiple Oscar nominations, winning Best Sound and Best Film Editing. The 10 films in the section are eligible for the Platform Prize, an award of $20,000 Cad given to the best film in the program.

Previous jury members include: Claire Denis,...

Korea’s Finecut has landed pre-sales of upcoming action-comedy The Desperate Chase and secured further deals for black comedy A Normal Family in the US and Asia.

The Desperate Chase, which marks the second feature of Devils director Kim Jae-hoon, has been snapped up for Japan (Rights Cube), Taiwan (Apex Success Global), and Vietnam (Mockingbird Pictures) ahead of its market premiere in Cannes, where a rough cut will be screened for buyers.

Starring Kwak Si-yang (The Battle Of Jangsari), Park Sung-woong (Hunt) and Yoon Kyung-ho (Alienoid), the caper centres on a detective on the case of a Chinese triad boss...

Stories about moral conundrums and the slippery side of justice and integrity are universally attractive and tent to travel well from one side to the other of the world. It's what happened to Herman Koch's novel “The Dinner”, an international bestseller translated in many languages and adapted into four films, Dutch, Italian, American and finally a Korean version directed by Hur Jin-ho with a different title, “A Normal Family”.

A Normal Family is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival

The film's tone of voice is immediately established when we witness a horrific road rage between two cars, ending in one of the drivers being killed and his 6-yer-old daughter left critically injured. The culprit, a rich and arrogant kid with a powerful father, will likely get away with it, as his case is given to the capable hands of rampant and expensive attorney Jae-wan (Suo Kyung-gu). Coincidentally, the...

Leading South Korean sales company Finecut has picked up international sales rights to action comedy film “Boss.” It will launch the title at next week’s FilMart in Hong Kong.

Directed by Ra Hee-chan, the film follows gang members embroiled in fierce competition. They struggle not just for supremacy within their clan, but also to achieve their own dreams in everyday life.

“Boss” stars Jo Woo-jin as a man who wants to run his family’s Chinese restaurant; Jung Kyung-ho (“Men of Plastic”), who believes it is his destiny to be a Tango dancer; and Park Ji-hwan (“The Roundup” film series), who is the most eager member to be the boss, but nobody wants him.

Production is by Hive Media Corp., the company behind the late 2023 box office hit “12.12: The Day,” which garnered over 13 million admissions.

Finecut will be screening the first footage from the new title at its booth in FilMart.

South Korean sales company Finecut has picked up international sales rights to upcoming action-comedy Boss and will introduce the film to buyers at Hong Kong Filmart this week.

The feature is produced by Hive Media Corp, the company behind South Korea’s biggest box office hit of 2023, 12.12: The Day.

The story follows members of a gang amid the search to appoint a new boss. But rather than fight for the title, the gangsters dream of escaping to a normal life.

The cast is led by Jo Woo-jin of Netflix series Narco-Saints, whose character wants to run his family’s...

Seoul-based sales company Finecut has boarded international sales on the action-comedy Boss and will launch sales at this week’s Filmart in Hong Kong.

The synopsis reads: This action-comedy follows gang members embroiled in fierce competition, struggling not for the title of the next boss but to achieve their own dreams in normal life.

Starring are Jo Woo-jin (Inside Men), who wants to run the family’s Chinese restaurant, Jung Kyung-ho (Men of Plastic), who believes in the destiny of being a Tango dancer and Park Ji-hwan (The Roundup), who is most eager to be the boss but nobody wants him. The film is directed by Ra Hee-chan (Going By The Book). Boss is produced and presented by Hive Media Corp, the production company behind Kim Sung-soo’s record-breaking 12.12: The Day. The first exclusive footage of the film will be available at Finecut’s booth during Filmart.

Finecut’s...

The 44th edition of genre film festival Fantasporto, which runs in Portugal’s second city Porto from March 1-10, has bestowed its best film award on Japanese sci-fi fantasy pic “From the End of the World,” directed by Kaz I Kiriya.

The movie follows 10-year-old Hana, whose dreams transport her across various eras in Japanese history, and have the ability to save humanity.

The jury’s special award went to “The Complex Forms,” Italian director Fabio D’Orta’s debut feature. The sci-fi horror centers on a man who has sold his body so it can be possessed by a creature of unknown nature.

The prize for best direction was nabbed by Spanish filmmaker Gonzalo López-Gallego for horror movie “The Shadow of the Shark” (La Sombra del Tiburon). In the film, a young woman, Alma, is undergoing therapy as she is unable to sleep. With the help of surveillance cameras, she...

South Korea’s Finecut has secured international sales rights to animated feature Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning and will launch the title at the European Film Market next month.

The film is based on Lee Woo-hyuk’s best-selling fantasy novel Toemarok, which sold nearly 10 million copies following its release in 1994, and will mark the feature directorial debut of Kim Dongchul.

It is set in a world where superheroes intermingle with the occult and includes an excommunicated priest, a young woman with telekinesis, a man who lost his sister to a malevolent spirit, and a young prodigy skilled in arcane magic.

Billed...

Canadian filmmaker Denys Arcand’s satire “Testament” will open the 44th edition of Fantasporto, which runs March 1-10 in Portugal’s second city, Porto. Chinese fantasy epic “Creation of Gods I: Kingdom of Storms,” directed by Wuershan, closes the eclectic event.

The festival, which was named by MovieMaker magazine this year as one of the “25 coolest festivals in the world,” is headed by film critics Beatriz Pacheco Pereira and Mário Dorminsky. Around 600 feature films were submitted this year and 1,200 shorts.

Pacheco Pereira says they select films that have a “special touch but still a universal language.” Dorminsky adds: “We try to discover new directors.” These directors – having established a relationship with the festival – often return with their subsequent films, he says.

“Testament” epitomizes one trend that Pacheco Pereira identifies, which is “old people asking: ‘Where is the world going?'” She adds: “‘Testament’ is a wonderful film in which an...

Following the announcement of the London Korean Film Festival’s (Lkff) upcoming 18th edition which gives special commemoration to the 40th Anniversary of the Korean Academy of Film Arts (Kafa), the festival is delighted to reveal its 2023 programme. At the BFI Southbank, the London Korean Film Festival will host the Opening and Closing ceremonies in celebration of the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the UK and Korea.

The Festival runs from 2 November – 16 November 2023 with a programme of 40 films comprising the following strands: Cinema Now, Special Focus : 40th Anniversary of Kafa, Women’s Voices, Special Screenings and Korea Season.

A Normal Family by Hur Jin-ho will open the festival on the 2nd November at BFI Southbank with the director in attendance. The story is based on the celebrated Dutch novel Het Diner (The Dinner) by Herman Koch, which has sold over a million copies. The latest...

Marks the second feature of ‘Red Carpet’ director Park Beom-su.

South Korean sales agency Finecut has boarded international sales of high school drama Victory and will launch the title at the Asian Contents & Film Market (Acfm) in Busan this week.

It marks the latest feature of Korean director Park Beom-su, known for his 2014 debut Red Carpet, and stars Lee Hye-ri (aka Hyeri) of K-pop group Girl’s Day and Park Se-wan of 2022 feature Life Is Beautiful.

They play two high school girls who create a cheerleading club to pursue their love for dance but soon find themselves cheering for an...

Venue: Louis Koo Cinema, Hong Kong Arts Centre

Date: 2023.10.27 – 2023.11.12

Price: Standard Hkd 85. Concession Hkd 68.

Tickets and ticket package are now available on Popticket.hk.

When we see how a people love, marry and have a family, we get an impression of their national character, etiquette, lifestyle and culture. Korea has made a great variety of romance films that have moved the hearts of audiences around the world. We live our romances under spell – they bloom, out of control, into different shapes, colours and smells. Some are beautiful, ugly, or both. But no matter, romantic love is one of the most intense and flavourful human experiences. As part of an annual cultural event in autumn, Festive Korea, Hong Kong Arts Centre and Korean Cultural Center in Hong Kong co-present The Look of Love: Korean Romance Film Showcase to let you experience the diversity of love with eight films and chat with filmmakers.

Four years ago, before Covid turned everything upside down, a new Asian masterpiece world premiered virtually unnoticed at the Toronto Film Festival. That film was “A Sun,” a multifaceted Taiwanese family saga from director Chung Mong-Hong that seemed to shift and evolve as it unfolded, challenging what audiences thought they knew about the characters. Tucked away in TIFF’s overcrowded (and under-promoted) Contemporary World Cinema section, the film easily slid under the radar.

Toronto programmers weren’t about to make the same mistake with “A Normal Family,” a film of similar force from South Korea, giving it a coveted Gala spot. Director Hur Jin-ho’s complex, complacency-shattering moral study boasts a heightened yet easily relatable premise, and strong potential to play well around the globe. Like “A Sun,” the movie comes roaring out of the gate with a shocker of an opening scene: An aggro jerk in a blood-red Maserati...

Next Goal Wins (Taika Waititi, 2023).The lineup is being unveiled for the 2023 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, starting with 60 selections from the Gala and Special Presentations programs. The festival takes place from September 7–17, 2023.Gala PRESENTATIONSConcrete Utopia (Um Tae-Hwa)Dumb Money (Craig Gillespie)Fair Play (Chloe Domont)Flora and Son (John Carney)Hate to Love: Nickelback (Leigh Brooks)Lee (Ellen Kuras)Next Goal Wins (Taika Waititi)Nyad (Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin)Punjab ’95 (Honey Trehan)Solo (Sophie Dupuis)The End We Start From (Mahalia Belo)The Movie Emperor (Ning Hao)The New Boy (Warwick Thornton) The Royal Hotel (Kitty Green)The Holdovers.Special Presentationsa Difficult Year (Éric Toledano, Olivier Nakache)A Normal Family (Hur Jin-ho)American Fiction (Cord Jefferson)Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet)Close to You (Dominic Savage)Days of Happiness (Chloé Robichaud)The Rescue (Daniela Goggi)Ezra (Tony Goldwyn)Fingernails (Christos Nikou)Four Daughters (Kaouther Ben Hania...

The programme comprises 47 films from 45 countries.

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has unveiled the line-up for its Centrepiece programme, with 47 titles screening from filmmakers representing 45 countries.

Included in the programme (previously known as Contemporary World Cinema) are Victor Erice’s Close Your Eyes, getting its North American premiere; Aki Kaurismaki’s Fallen Leaves, receiving its Canadian premiere; and Agnieszka Holland’s Green Border, a North American premiere.

Scroll down for the full list of Centrepiece titles

TIFF also announced additional titles for its Galas, Special Presentations and Documentaries programmes, among them the world premiere of Brian Helgeland’s Finestkind.

The Toronto International Film Festival has added 59 more films to the lineup of its 2023 festival, including 47 international films in the Centrepiece program, which in previous years was known as Contemporary World Cinema. New films were also added to the Galas, Special Presentations and Documentary sections.

World premieres among the new selections include “Finestkind,” a crime thriller from Brian Helgeland (screenwriter of “L.A. Confidential”) starring Tommy Lee Jones and Ben Foster; The Movie Teller,” a film set in Chile starring Berenice Bejo from “An Education” director Lone Scherfig; and Jessica Yu’s “Quiz Lady,” with Sandra Oh and Awkwafina.

The Centrepiece selections include a number of films from May’s Cannes Film Festival, among them Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days,” Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “About Dry Grasses,” Aki Kaurismaki’s “Fallen Leaves,” Ramata-Toulaye Sy’s “Banel & Adama,” Amjad Al Rasheed’s “Inshallah a Boy,” Joanna Arnow’s “The Feeling That the...

The Toronto International Film Festival continues to expand its 2023 lineup with 47 films from 45 countries in the Centerpiece program, previously known as Contemporary World Cinema. The highlights include Cannes Film Festival winners “Fallen Leaves” from Aki Kaurismäki and “Perfect Days” from Wim Wenders as well as Agnieszka Holland’s Venice-bound “Green Border.” See the full lineup below.

“We are very excited to present the new Centrepiece program, a cinematic journey that transcends boundaries and embraces the art of human experience,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer, in an official statement. “The rebranding of the TIFF program, formerly Contemporary World Cinema, is a reflection of the festival’s vision to provide an elevated platform for international cinema, for acclaimed titles from festivals around the globe, highly anticipated premieres from Canadian and international talents, and the latest work of influential filmmaking luminaries.”

Centerpiece Program 2023

About Dry Grasses (Kuru Otlar Üstüne) Nuri Bilge Ceylan...

Despite the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actors and WGA writers strikes, the Toronto Film Festival continues to turn up the star wattage for its 48th edition, adding movies with Dakota Johnson, Bérénice Bejo, Awkwafina, Sandra Oh and Mads Mikkelsen to its lineup on Thursday.

For the Gala section, TIFF unveiled the A-list heavy crime drama Finestkind from Brian Helgeland, the Oscar-winning writer-director behind Mystic River and L.A. Confidential; and A Knight’s Tale, which stars Ben Foster, Jenna Ortega, Tommy Lee Jones and Toby Wallace.

Also headed to Roy Thomson Hall is the South Korean drama A Normal Family, directed by Hur Jin-ho, the Korean auteur who in the past premiered Dangerous Liaisons and April Snow in Toronto. TIFF earlier tapped fellow Korean director Ryoo Seung-wan’s Smugglers for its Special Presentations sidebar, and has now bumped that drama up to a gala screening in Toronto after a world bow in Locarno.