South Korean thriller inspired by former first lady invited to Toronto film fest SEOUL, August 11 (AJP) - Director Hur Jin-ho's latest film "Assassin(s)" has been invited to this year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which opens next month. The 131-minute thriller will be screened along with some 22 other films in the Gala Presentations of the annual festival, which runs from Sept. 10 to 20. Hur, alongside cast members Lee Min-ho, Park Hae-il and Yoo Hae-jin, will take part in various events including a red-carpet event to mee August 11, 2026

OTT killed the cinema. Korea's hottest summer revives it SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - South Korea’s longest summer heat wave has breathed new life into a pastime and industry nearly killed by streaming — moviegoing and theaters. For couples like Kim Soo-hyun, 29, the once-standard weekend date outdoors has become almost impossible. “It’s been really hard to go on dates on weekends because it’s so hot,” said Kim, an office worker living in southern Seoul’s Seocho district. “The car is cool August 10, 2026

South Korean animated feature invited to film fest in Toronto SEOUL, August 6 (AJP) - Director Youm Kyu-bock's animated film "Long Long Night" has been invited to this year's Toronto International Film Festival. The film will have its world premiere at the annual festival, which kicks off its 10-day run on Sept. 4, after being selected for the festival's Centrepiece programm, which showcases notable films from around the world, along with more than 50 other films. It marks the first South Korean feature-length an August 6, 2026

New association formed to tackle challenges amid growing AI use in filmmaking SEOUL, August 5 (AJP) - A new association has been launched to help establish standards for the growing use of generative artificial Intelligence (AI) in filmmaking including scriptwriting, image creation, video production, voice generation and post-production. At its inaugural meeting in Seoul last month, the non-profit Korea Association of AI Film Directors (KAIFD) said it was established to support directors and video creators using AI, as concerns over copyright, consent, credit August 5, 2026

AI becomes K-drama ingredient as soaring costs reshape filmmaking SEOUL, August 03 (AJP) - A recent K-drama hit, Agent Kim: Reactivated, had all the ingredients of a blockbuster action sequence — North Korean agents, a former security-service commando, gangsters, explosions and a high-speed chase through a snow-covered tunnel ending in a plunge into icy water. None of it was filmed. The roughly three-minute sequence that fooled audience as an expensive location shoot was generated entirely with artificial intelligence. Described by its cr August 3, 2026

Hollywood stars indulge in Seoul's charms ahead of  'The Odyssey' release SEOUL, August 3 (AJP) - The cast and crew of Hollywood's upcoming epic saga "The Odyssey" on Monday shared their experiences of spending time here after arriving in Seoul over the weekend. Director Christopher Nolan, his wife and producer Emma Thomas, actor Matt Damon, and actress Charlize Theron attended a press conference for the action fantasy film at the Four Seasons Hotel in central Seoul, where they shared their experiences exploring the capital after arriving August 3, 2026

Na Hong-jin's sci-fi thriller attracts over 4 million moviegoers SEOUL, August 3 (AJP) - Director Na Hong-jin's latest film "Hope" has attracted over 4 million moviegoers less than a month after its release. According to ticket sales data released by the Korean Film Council on Monday, the sci-fi film reached the milestone the previous day, becoming this year's third film to do so, after "The King's Warden" and "Colony." The milestone is particularly impressive given the film's competition from August 3, 2026

Actress Kim Min-ha to host this fall's Busan film fest SEOUL, July 31 (AJP) - Actress Kim Min-ha will host the opening ceremony of this year's Busan International Film Festival, to be held this fall in the southern port city. Organizers of the annual festival, now in its 31st year, said Friday that the rising actress has been chosen as the sole host of the ceremony. Since making her acting debut in 2016, she gained widespread recognition for her role in Apple TV+'s drama series "Pachinko" in 2022 and has since a July 31, 2026

Latest 'Spider-Man' installment tops domestic box office SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - American superhero film "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" topped the domestic box office, attracting about 680,000 moviegoers on its opening day this week. According to ticket sales data compiled by the Korean Film Council on Thursday, the film drew 689,076 moviegoers the previous day. The film had the best opening day among movies released in recent years, drawing more viewers than Hollywood animated film "Zootopia 2" and Japanese fantasy July 30, 2026

Korean director Lee Chang-dong to receive TIFF Ebert Director Award SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) — South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong will become the first Korean director to receive the Toronto International Film Festival's TIFF Ebert Director Award, Netflix said Thursday, as his latest film, "Possible Love," is also set to make its North American premiere at this year's festival. The award is part of TIFF's annual Tribute Awards, which recognize individuals for outstanding artistic achievement and contributions to cinema. July 30, 2026