This year marks the 20th anniversary of Asia’s leading studio CJ Entertainment, the signature film division of major media and content company CJ E&M. To commemorate this milestone, the studio will be rolling out some of the most beloved films in their library over the course of three days (November 5 – 7) at CGV Cinemas (621 Western Ave) in Los Angeles, providing a complete picture of CJ Entertainment’s success as they close out their first two decades. Since 1995, CJ Entertainment has been at the forefront of the Korean entertainment industry and a catalyst for South Korea’s industry presence globally.
Two of Korea’s most important and influential directors will be in attendance at the celebration: JK Yoon, director of “Ode to My Father,” and Hwang Dong-hyuk, director of “Miss Granny.” The esteemed directors will field questions from the audience following the screenings of their respective films. In 2014, JK Yoon’s “Ode to My Father” was the second most-watched Korean film and among the top ten highest grossing foreign films in North America. “Ode to my Father,” the story of a man and his family whose epic life is intertwined with Korean history after escaping from the North will open the festival, and “Miss Granny,” a quirky tale of an elderly woman who gets to relive being twenty years old again, will play on the closing night.
One of the festival highlights will be the newly remastered “Memories of Murder,” the critically acclaimed psychological thriller from internationally renowned auteur Bong Joon-ho (“The Host,” “Snowpiercer”). Festivalgoers who are fans of Director Bong are also in for a double treat as “Celebrating 20 Years of Korean Film History” Presented by CJ Entertainment will offer them the rare opportunity to see the chilling mystery “Mother” converted into black and white. This version has only been shown to the public a handful of times before this festival.
Screening Schedule: “Celebrating 20 Years of Korean Film History”
November 5
- · 7:00 pm – “Ode to My Father”– Amid the time of Korean War, a young boy’s vow to take care of his family marked the beginning of a lifelong promise spanning 60 years.
**Director JK Yoon will take the stage for a special Q&A session following the screening.
- · 10:15 pm – “Haeundae” – An underwater earthquake triggers a tsunami that devastates a South Korean resort town.
November 6
- · 5:00 pm – “Mother” (B/W) – A mother desperately searches for the killer who framed her son for a girl’s horrific murder.
- · 7:45 pm – “Thirst” – Through a failed medical experiment, a priest is stricken with vampirism and is forced to abandon his ascetic ways.
- · 10:30 pm – “Masquerade” – Though it places his own life in danger, a look-alike commoner (Lee Byung-Hun) secretly takes the place of a poisoned king to save his country from falling into chaos.
November 7
- · 10:00 am – “The Unjust” – A serial killer targeting elementary school students is on the loose. When the most probable suspect dies in custody and the case looks like it’s reached a dead end, high ranking police brass decide to create a killer – and anyone will do.
- · 12:30 pm – “Memories of Murder” – Based on the true story of Korea’s first serial murder in history, which took place between 1986 and 1991 in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. Song Kang-ho and KIimSang-kyung star as Detective Park and Detective Seo, respectively, two of the detectives trying to solve the crimes.
- · 3:15 pm – “Roaring Currents” – In 1597, Korean Adm. Yi leads 12 warships into the Battle of Myeong-Nyang against the formidable Japanese navy.
- · 5:50 pm – “Miss Granny” – An elderly woman (Na Moon-hee) regains her youthful appearance, changes her name and embarks on a quest for happiness.
**Director HWANG Dong-hyuk will take the stage for a special Q&A session following the screening.
