CINEMA ON THE PARK Season 2 Launches!

The Korean Cultural Office in Sydney is proud to announce another exciting Season of Cinema on the Park, the film night that delighted audiences in 2011 will return once again in 2012. A surprise hit with more than 1,000 people attending, Thursday nights are now etched firmly on the Sydney cinema calendar as Korean night and will see 21 feature films and 14 guest speakers in the first half of the year alone, surely enough to satisfy anyone’s appetite for Korean cinema!

The screenings take place directly opposite Sydney’s iconic Hyde Park at the Korean Cultural Office, in our multifunctional theatre that seats around 100 guests. It is a unique experience, as the theatre doubles as a modern art gallery, so we hope people take up the opportunity to look around aswell!

Season 2 promises an exciting program of films once again provided free for the general public. Films screen every Thursday from 6:30pm, and have English subtitles making them accessible to all. Entry is free but booking is required, which you can do online, over the phone or in person. Program and bookings details are available online or contact cinema@koreanculture.org.au

The Films and Themes

• The season launches a focus on Literature in Film, with Lee Chang-dong’s mesmerizing POETRY (Feb 9), awarded Best Screenplay at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. Also featured in this section are SOPYONJE (Feb 16) from Korea’s most active director Im Kwon-taek, and the award winning animation OSEAM (Feb 23).
• Korea is known for their hardcode crime thrillers and Cinema on the Park has an excellent selection of X-treme Korea in March, including brand new hits THE MAN FROM NOWHERE (Mar 1), I SAW THE DEVIL (Mar 8), THE CHASER (Mar 15) and a must watch, Na Hong-jin’s THE YELLOW SEA (Mar 22).
• A Special Screening of Park Ki-yong’s documentary response to the Christchurch earthquakes MOVING (Mar 29) will mark the New Zealand Korea Year of Friendship 2012, with the screening followed by a Q&A with producer Michael Stephens.
• April sees the works of world renowned art-house directors take the limelight in Dramatic Relationships, with Park Chan-ok’s PAJU (April 5), Im Sang-soo’s A GOOD LAWYER’S WIFE (April 12), Hong Sang-soo’s THE POWER OF KANGWON PROVINCE (April 19) and Kim Ki-duk’s BIRDCAGE INN (April 26) all featured.
• The program then takes a look back at the developments the Korean industry has made in recent years, with an analysis on the Korean Wave and the Birth of the Blockbuster. Classic hits SHIRI (May 3), J.S.A. Joint Security Area (May 10) and THE HOST (May 24) screen which if you haven’t seen, now is your chance. Also featured is the delightful surprise success THE WAY HOME (May 17).
• To round out the selection an inspiring program of Sporting Triumphs screen in June in the lead up to the London Olympics, including Kim Ji-woon’s FOUL KING (Jun 7), Ryoo Seung-wan’s CRYING FIST (Jun 21) and Lim Soon-rye’s FOREVER THE MOMENT (Jun 28). For full program details see the Korean Cultural Office website.

The Guests

To help generate an entertaining, educational and important dialogue around Korean Cinema, we have lined up 14 guests speakers from various fields to introduce the films in the program. From industry professionals and film jounralists, to academics and cultural specialists, surely something for everyone to enjoy! We hope people get their questions ready and participate in these cinema forums aswell!

• Julie Rigg, ABC National Radio's 'Movie Time'
• Michael Stephens, Producer of Moving
• Dr. Leonid Petrov, Korean Studies, USYD
• Yvonne Boag, Australian Artist
• Matt Ravier, Director of The Festivalists
• Dr. Jane Park, Gender and Cultural Studies, USYD 
• Deborah Szapiro, Co-director, Sydney International Animation Festival
• Neil Foley, Director Fantastic Asia Film Festival
• Richard Gray, Editor, The Reel Bits
• Roald Maliangkay, School of Culture, History and Language, ANU
• Russell Edwards, Film Critic, Variety
• Locust Jones, Australian Artist
• Elizabeth Connor, Administrator, USYD