KOREAN CULTURAL SERVICE NY and ASIA SOCIETY
announce a new partnership and the first series schedule for
Screenings at
Asia Society
725 Park Avenue at 70th Street
New York City
Korean Cultural Service NY, a branch of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of the Republic of Korea, and Asia Society are proud to announce a new partnership to co-present the popular year-long film series Korean Movie Night New York (KMN). Since its inception in 2010, KMN has presented regular, twice a month screenings that introduce a full spectrum of contemporary and classic Korean cinema to New York audiences, including popular blockbusters, independent films, documentaries, animation, and children's films.
“It has been truly wonderful to see how Korean Movie Night New York has grown and evolved over the years. This new partnership with Asia Society allows us to develop even further, offering more exciting programming to a wider audience,” says Ilshik Loh, Representative of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
“Korean cinema is one of the most exciting and dynamic film industries in the world today. Korean Movie Night New York is indispensable in its role in introducing the latest and best Korean films to New York audiences,” says La Frances Hui, Film Curator, Asia Society.
The new partnership will begin with the series Fathers on Screen, which will explore the image of Korean father figures, both positive and negative, as they have been shaped by the cultural and socio-economic conditions in contemporary Korea: a hard-working, devoted family man in ODE TO MY FATHER, an authoritarian and cold blooded murderer in HWAYI: A MONSTER BOY, a vengeful vigilante in BROKEN, and a heroic ex firefighter forced to commit non-heroic acts in GUARDIAN. In all four films, which include three contemporary thrillers, fathers are pushed to extremes by various forces. As these otherwise ordinary men struggle to protect their families and live up to society's expectations of manhood, they are propelled by circumstances into taking extraordinary action and making morally ambiguous decisions.
The series' first film ODE TO MY FATHER is the latest epic drama from blockbuster director JK YOUN (HAUNDAE), which takes viewers through key events in modern Korean history with a deceptively simple story of a father who struggles to support his family. All upcoming screenings will take place at Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, New York City. All events are free admission, first come, first served. For information, call 212-517-2742.
For stills and screeners, please contact Jean Jo (212) 759-9550 (ext. 207) or jjo@Koreanculture.org or Elaine Merguerian at 212-327-9313 or elainem@asiasociety.org.
Schedule for Fathers on Screen series (February 9 - March 31, 2015) follows. Korean Movie Night Screenings in April and onwards shall be announced later and can.
ODE TO MY FATHER (국제시장 Guk-je-si-jang)
Directed by JK YOUN (YOUN Je-kyun)
Starring: HWANG Jung-min, KIM Yun-jin, OH Dal-su
2014. South Korea. 126 min. DCP. In Korean with English subtitles.
Monday, February 9, 2015, 6:30 PM
Well-known for his disaster film HAEUNDAE, the blockbuster filmmaker JK YOUN brings us this new epic melodrama, ODE TO MY FATHER. Selected for the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival Panorama, the film guides viewers through South Korea's modern history by following Duk-soo (HWANG Jung-min)'s struggles to support his family as he endures hardships during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and in German coal mines. This universal tale of loyalty and love is a tribute to the generation of Korean fathers who have sacrificed everything for the sake of their families, and have in process set the stage for Korea's rise as one of the world's leading economic and cultural powers.
About Korean Movie Night New York
Korean Movie Night New York (KMN) is a continuing series of bi-weekly film screenings that introduces the full spectrum of both contemporary and classic Korean cinema to New York audiences, from popular blockbusters, independent films, and documentaries, to animation and family movies. Every year, the KMN program consists of 6 thematic series. KMN was launched in 2010 as a successor to Korean Cine Forum, an earlier film screening series that was organized by the Korean Cultural Service in 1996. Keep up with the latest news at: www.Facebook.com/KoreanMovieNY.
Korean Cultural Service NY
Inaugurated in 1979, the Korean Cultural Service New York (KCSNY) is a branch of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of the Republic of Korea. Under the authority of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in New York, KCSNY works to promote cultural arts exchange and stimulate interest in Korean culture through various opportunities. KCSNY provides diverse activities including exhibitions, concerts, film festivals, and educational programs. KCSNY is located at 460 Park Avenue (at 57th Street), New York City. www.koreanculture.org.
Asia Society
Founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Asia Society is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational institution. Through exhibitions and public programs, Asia Society provides a forum for the issues and viewpoints reflected in both traditional and contemporary Asian art, and in Asia today. Asia Society is located at 725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street), New York City. www.AsiaSociety.org