Latest news with #KoreanAcademyofFilmArts
Korea Herald
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Heo Ga-young's 'First Summer' wins top honor at Cannes' La Cinef
KAFA graduate becomes first Korean filmmaker to win La Cinef's top prize Heo Ga-young's graduation short "First Summer" won first prize at La Cinef at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first Korean film to receive the top honor, festival organizers announced Thursday. The Korean Academy of Film Arts graduate beat 15 other student films selected from nearly 2,700 entries worldwide. Her 15-minute work pairs veteran actor Heo Jin with Jung In-ki in a story about an older woman charting new territory after years devoted to her family. Jury president Maren Ade presented the 15,000 euro ($17,000) first prize during Thursday's ceremony at Bunuel Theatre in Cannes. Beijing Film Academy's Qu Zhizheng took second for "12 Moments Before the Flag-Raising Ceremony," while Japan's Miki Tanaka and Estonia's Natalia Mirzoyan shared third. The winning films screen at Paris's Cinema du Pantheon on June 6. The film marks Korea's second selection this year alongside animator Jung Yu-mi's "Glasses" in Critics' Week. No Korean feature film made it into the festival's lineup this year. La Cinef, formerly Cinefondation, serves as the festival's dedicated platform for student films. It selects 15-20 short and medium-length films annually from film schools around the world. Korean entries have appeared regularly since 2001, with several securing runner-up and third-place positions. Most recently, Hwang Hye-in's thriller "Hole" won second prize in 2023. Yoon Dae-won's "Cicada" also took second place in 2021.
Korea Herald
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Huh Ga-young's 'First Summer' heads to Cannes
KAFA grad's short film joins lineup showcasing next-generation film talent "First Summer," director Huh Ga-young's graduation film from the Korean Academy of Film Arts, has been selected for the Cinefondation section at the upcoming 78th Cannes Film Festival, the Korean Film Council said Wednesday. The short film, which pairs veteran actor Heo Jin with Jung In-ki, follows an elderly woman who begins to chart a new path for herself after having dedicated her life solely to her family. In interviews with local media, Huh described the work as a tribute to her grandmother. "First Summer" marks the second Korean work invited to this year's festival, following animator Jung Yu-mi's "Glasses," which will compete in the Critics' Week short film competition. A Korean feature film has yet to be included in the festival's lineup. Cinefondation, now known as La Cinef, was founded in 1998 as a platform to spotlight emerging filmmaking talent from film schools worldwide. The competitive section selects 15-20 short and medium-length student films annually from over 1,000 submissions. Korean films have maintained a presence in this section since 2001, when Kim Young-nam's "I Can Fly To You But You…" became the first Korean entry. The country has produced several award winners ever since. Most recently, Hwang Hye-in's thriller "Hole" claimed second prize at the 76th festival in 2023. Yoon Dae-won's "Cicada," which follows a transgender sex worker during one transformative night, also claimed second prize in 2021. Several Cinefondation alumni have made their marks in Korean commercial cinema. Cho Sung-hee, whose 2009 entry "Don't Step Out of the House" earned third place, went on to direct the smash-hit romance "A Werewolf Boy" (2012) and Netflix's sci-fi blockbuster "Space Sweepers" (2019). Park Young-ju, invited in 2016, recently directed the feature "A Citizen of a Kind" (2024) starring Ra Mi-ran. The 78th Cannes Film Festival runs May 13 to May 24.
Korea Herald
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Rising talents get spotlight at Korean Academy of Film Arts graduation film fest
38 works by academy graduates to be screened March 7-15 in Seoul and Busan The Korean Academy of Film Arts will host its annual Graduation Film Festival March 7-9 at Megabox Seongsu in Seoul, with an additional screening day on March 15 at the Korean Film Council's headquarters in Busan, organizers announced Tuesday. Under the slogan "Like a Movie," this year's festival will present 38 films from KAFA's latest graduates, offering audiences a first glimpse at Korea's emerging cinematic talents. The lineup includes 18 live-action short films, five short animations, seven feature-length animations, six feature-length live-action films and two demo productions from the KAFA Actors program. Notable works include "First Summer" (Korean title: "Cheotyeoreum") directed by Huh Ga-young, a live-action short film that pairs 1970s star Heo Jin with actor Jung In-ki, and the short animation "Fantasy Theater" (Korean title: "hwan-sang-geuk-jang") directed by Han Sol-mi, a tale about a historic single-screen cinema in Wonju awaiting demolition. The festival will also screen "Hana Meets Hana," directed by Kim Jung-byeon-ji, which won the best director award at the 20th San Diego International Kids' Film Festival, and "Tango at Dawn" directed by Kim Hyo-eun, a feature-length film previously invited to the 29th Busan International Film Festival's Korean Cinema Today section. Over its 41-year history, KAFA has established itself as Korea's premier film academy. Acclaimed directors who got their start in the program include Bong Joon-ho, Uhm Tae-hwa of "Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned" and "Concrete Utopia," and Jang Joon-hwan of "Save the Green Planet!," "Hwayi" and "1987." Screening times and tickets can be found on KAFA's official Instagram with options for advanced online booking and on-site purchases at the venue.
