Cinema lovers in Ho Chi Minh City are now treated to six days of free screenings of Korean blockbusters as part of the Ho Chi Minh City-Gyeongju World Culture Expo 2017.

Running from November 17 to 22, the movie fest is packed with blockbusters ranging in genres from action, horror to comedy and family movies.

All 12 selected films, including eight from South Korea and four from Vietnam, were produced between 2015 and 2017.

They will be screened at the BHD Star cinemas, on the third and fourth floor of the Bitexco Financial Tower in downtown District 1.

The film festival is aimed at broadening the understanding of Korean and Vietnamese movies and fostering cultural exchange through the participation of directors, actors and film industry personnel.

Korean-Vietnamese Film Festival Screenings   Nov 17 Nov 18 Nov 19 Nov 20 Nov 21 Nov 22 12:00 pm   The Tunnel (KOR) The World of Us (KOR) Ash Flower (KOR) The Silenced (KOR)   3:00 pm  

The Silenced (KOR)

Like an Old House (VIE)

Like for Likes (KOR)

The Silenced (KOR)

The Tailor (VIE)

Okja (KOR)   6:00 pm  

Okja (KOR)

Lost in Paradise (VIE)

Okja (KOR)

The Tailor (VIE)

Assassination (KOR)

Bitcoin Heist (VIE)

Phantom Detective (KOR) Assassination (KOR) 7:00 pm Like for Likes (KOR)           9:00 pm   Bitcoin Heist (VIE)

Phantom Detective (KOR)

Like an Old House (VIE)

The Tunnel (KOR)

Lost in Paradise (VIE)

The World of Us (KOR)

Smartphone Workshop Showroom

 

In Vietnam, Korean movies have been gaining popularity, evidenced by the dominance of South Korea-owned multiplex cinema chains CJ CGV and Lotte Cinema, which together account for more than 73 percent of the local cinema market, according to a 2016 report by KDB Daewoo.

Joining the week-long event is Kim Dong-ho, co-founder and chairman of the organizing committee of the Busan International Film Festival, among directors of the Korean blockbusters to be screened.

The Korean-Vietnamese Film Festival will also include a free workshop on filmmaking with a smartphone, aimed at aspiring young filmmakers in Vietnam who want to foster their passion on a budget.

Participants will be taught basic skills in shooting a movie by the South Korean directors themselves, and by the end of the workshop will be given a chance to produce short movies, the best of which are set to be shown for public viewing on Tuesday night.

A scene from Korean movie ‘Co Ba Sai Gon’ (The Tailor), to be screened in Ho Chi Minh City this week.

The Ho Chi Minh City-Gyeongju World Culture Expo 2017, co-hosted by two local governments, run for 23 days from November 11 to December 3.

This year’s expo is the third of its kind to be held overseas – following ones in Angkor Wat, Cambodia in 2006, and Istanbul, Turkey in 2013 – since the event’s inception in 1998.

The event in Ho Chi Minh City features 30 programs that combine the traditional cultures of the two countries with information and communication technology, and bring to light the values of the world's historical and cultural heritage in Gyeongju and Vietnam under the theme of "The Exhibition on Civilization Exchanges through Old Sea."

The programs include an opening ceremony, a parade, a variety of performances, a special exhibition on the two countries' cultural exchanges and an event involving Koreans in the Southeast Asian country.

A performance during the opening ceremony of the Ho Chi Minh City-Gyeongju World Culture Expo 2017, November 11, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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