The King of Jokgu(North American Premiere)
Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at 6:30PM
Asia Society
(725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, NYC)
WOO Moon-gi,
2013. South Korea. 104 min
KOREAN CULTURAL SERVICE NY and ASIA SOCIETY
present
Korean Movie Night New York’s April-May 2015 Series
Emerging Talent
Screenings at
Asia Society
725 Park Avenue at 70th Street
New York City
Free Admission
Korean Cultural Service NY and Asia Society are proud to announce Korean Movie Night New York’s April-May 2015 series: Emerging Talent. The series of 5 films celebrates emerging filmmakers and actors in contemporary Korean cinema and will run from April 14 to May 27, 2015 at the Asia Society. Free admission for all screenings.
While mainstream, big-budget films have dominated the Korean film market, young directors are finding room to make independent films that prove to be no less creative and inspiring despite fewer resources. Four films in this series, The King of Jokgu (Woo Moon-gi), 10 Minutes (Lee Yong-seung), Fatal (Lee Don-ku), and Alive (Park Jung-bum), are independently financed projects. Director Park Jung-bum doubles as the acting lead in Alive to impressive result. The series also includes Gangnam Blues (Yoo Ha), which features the young and hugely popular actor Lee Min-ho in his feature film debut. Known as a TV drama (City Hunter, The Heirs) heartthrob, Lee transitioned to the big screen with great fanfare in this action thriller by veteran director Yoo Ha.
The films in this series follow a coming of age theme. Youthful dreams give way to adult reality in The King of Jokgu and 10 Minutes; life-altering experiences threaten to spin out of control in Fatal and Alive; and a childhood bond is tested as two friends grow apart in Gangnam Blues.
Korean Movie Night New York is an ongoing, approximately twice-a-month film program that introduces the full spectrum of contemporary and classic Korean cinema to New York audiences, from popular blockbusters, independent films, and documentaries to animation and family movies. The series is co-presented by Korean Cultural Service NY and Asia Society. For information on the series, visit our website at www. Koreanculture.org or www.asiasociety.org/korean-movie-night. Like us on FaceBook: Facebook.com/KoreanMovieNY. All screenings 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, please contact Jean Jo (212) 759-9550 (ext. 207) / jjo@Koreanculture.org or Elaine Merguerian at 212-327-9313 / elainem@asiasociety.org. For screeners, please contact film curator Kyungmi Kim (646) 925-6149 or kyungmi007@gmail.com
North American Premiere
The King of Jokgu (족구왕 Jog-gu-wang)
Directed by WOO Moon-gi
Starring: AHN Jae-hong, HWANG Seung-un, JUNG Woo-sik
2013. South Korea. 104 min. DCP. In Korean with English subtitles.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015, 6:30 PM
In this arguably the funniest and silliest Korean movie of recent memory, man-child Man-seob returns to college after completing compulsory military service. Restless and bored, he campaigns to convert a tennis court into a jokgu (a volleyball/soccer hybrid invented in Korea) court. A tournament is organized, and Man-seob aims to shine on the battlefield and score the heart of a gorgeous girl along the way. Hilarious, satirical, athletic, with a spark of romance, The King of Jokgu reignites all the youthful passion lost in everyday life.
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