News

South Korean producer Barunson E&a has announced it first collaboration with Thai studio Gdh on a film that expands the universe of hit Thai series Delete.

Delete The Movie will be written and directed by Parkpoom Wongpoom, who was also writer-director on the Gdh series, Delete, which was released worldwide on Netflix.

It will expand the story of a mysterious phone that has the power to erase people from existence, but shift the setting to Seoul, with most of the production taking place in Korea. Barunson E&a will be leading the physical production and serve as an investor in the project.

Parkpoom said: “With the story set in a new environment, I believe the narrative of Delete will evolve in really interesting ways”. Producer Nopparat Wattanawaraporn, from iSM Bangkok, added: “Our team is excited to take audiences into an even bigger and more thrilling world of the Delete phone.

South Korea’s Showbox has boarded a Korean remake of Chinese romantic drama Us And Them and upcoming crime drama The Verdict.

Buyers will be introduced to both upcoming projects at the Asian Contents & Film Market, which is taking place in Busan from October 5-8.

The Korean remake, which also has the working title of Us And Them, is an adaptation of the 2018 romantic drama directed by Taiwan’s Rene Liu, which proved a box office hit in China and was saw worldwide rights acquired by Netflix.

Relocated to Seoul, the story centres on a couple who fall in love and eventually part ways.

Korean production and sales powerhouse Barunson E&a is investing in and taking on international sales for upcoming Indonesian horror Sorop, produced by MD Pictures, and will launch the film in Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market (Acfm) next week.

The film is written and directed by veteran Indonesian filmmaker Upi, known for her work on superhero action film Sri Asih, co-written and produced by Joko Anwar, as well as popular romcom franchise My Stupid Boss. It was co-written with SimpleMan, one of the leading creators on Indonesian Twitter, based on a viral horror thread.

The story revolves around siblings Hanif and Isti as they return to their hometown due to their uncle’s illness. After his death, their grief is disrupted by eerie events, including their uncle’s reappearance.

MD Pictures previously produced Indonesia’s highest-grossing film ever, Kkn Curse Of The Dancing Village, which was also based on a viral Twitter thread by SimpleMan.

Escape reality for over two hours of intense action in the bustling streets of Jakarta. 13 Bombs thrusts its characters and viewers into a perilous race against time to defuse a terrorist plot that threatens the city.

Helmed by acclaimed Indonesian director Angga Dwimas Sasongko, 13 Bombs stars an ensemble cast including Chicco Kurniawan, Ardhito Pramono, and Rio Dewanto. The film follows Jakarta’s elite counter-terrorism unit as they scramble to outmaneuver a mysterious radical leader, Arok, who is primed to detonate 13 bombs across the capital.

With each 8-hour countdown, the stakes swell as uncertainty and fear grip the public. Oscar and William, two young entrepreneurs unexpectedly entangled in Arok’s plans, fight for their innocence against embroiled authorities. Meanwhile, a traitor within the anti-terror squad endangers the mission at every turn.

Prepare for continuous thrills as our heroes race against the doomsday clock. Lean in for an adrenaline-fueled ride through explosive shootouts,...

Barunson E&a, the Korean sales and production firm behind Palme d’Or-winner Parasite, has closed a raft of sales on upcoming Indonesian horror Respati.

The feature has been picked up for North America by Well Go USA, Exponenta Film for Cis and the Baltics, and with Asian distributors for Taiwan (MovieCloud), Vietnam (Mockingbird Pictures) and Mongolia (Filmbridge).

Base Entertainment, which produced the film, closed further deals for Singapore (Clover Films), Malaysia and Cambodia (Purple Plan).

The story centres on a teenager with the ability to enter other people’s dreams, where he witnesses a murderous dark spirit and quickly connects...

The Gospel Of The Beast, directed by the Philippines’ Sheron Dayoc, picked up the Golden Star Award for Best Southeast Asian Film at the first edition of the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival (Hiff) in Vietnam.

Nicole Midori Woodford’s Singapore-Japan collaboration, Last Shadow At First Light, won multiple awards in the festival’s Southeast Asia competition, including the Jury Prize, best cinematography (Hideho Urata), best screenplay (Nicole Midori Woodford) and best visual effects (Laokoon VFX).

Oasis Of Now, directed by Malaysia’s Chee Sum Chia, took awards for best director and best actress for Vietnam’s Tạ Thị Dịu, who plays an immigrant in the film. Singaporean drama Wonderland won awards for best actor (Mark Lee) and best supporting actor (Peter Yu), while best supporting actress to Rawipa Srisanguan for Thailand’s Solids By The Seashore.

Indonesian action drama 13 Bombs was awarded with best sound design...

"It will be the end of a corrupt system!" There's a new Indonesian action thriller arriving to watch soon on VOD in the US titled 13 Bombs in Jakarta, also known as simply 13 Bombs. This intense thriller first premiered and opened in Indonesia last year, and recently played at the 2024 Rotterdam Film Festival a few months ago. A government organization races against time to uncover and stop the mastermind behind the placement of 13 bombs in Jakarta before the city falls into chaos. IFFR adds this intriguing detail: "Loosely inspired by the biggest financial fraud in Indonesian history, Angga Dwimas Sasongko’s smart, taut action thriller 13 Bombs revolves around the promises and treacheries of digital currencies. The narrative weaves together three points of view: those of the entrepreneurs, the bureau, & the militants themselves, who come across not as dramatic abstractions, but full-fledged characters with rational, even humanist motivations." 13 Bombs...

Asian Cinema Celebration

Veteran Chinese director Zhang Yimou will be presented with a lifetime achievement award at the upcoming edition of the Festival of Far East Film in Italy’s Udine (April 24 – May 2). The lineup will include three films by Zhang: his 2023 political thriller “Under the Light” in its competition section; as well as “To Live” and “Raise the Red Lantern” in its restored classics section.

The festival’s total lineup includes 74 films in total – 47 in competition and 28 out of competition) from 11 countries. Events will kick off with a double bill of smash hit mainland Chinese movie “Yolo” and Korean action comedy “Citizen of a Kind.”

Other highlights include “13 Bombs” by Indonesia’s Angga Dwimas Sasongko; “The Goldfinger” by Hong Kong’s Felix Chong; investigative journalism drama “In Broad Daylight,” by Hong Kong’s Lawrence Kan; Ning Hao’s “The Movie Emperor”; a ten-strong Japanese selection that includes “(Ab)normal Desire,...

The inaugural Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival (Hiff) in Vietnam has unveiled its line-up of about 100 films, including 12 each for the Southeast Asia competition and for the first or second film competition, with directors Anne Fontaine and Hirokazu Kore-eda among its guests.

Scroll down for line-up

The Asian premiere of French biopic Bolero will open the festival on April 6. Director Fontaine and leading actor Raphaël Personnaz will be present for the film’s Asian premiere, which will take place at the city’s historic Opera House.

Further notable festival guests include acclaimed Japanese director Kore-eda who will receive...

The International Film Festival Rotterdam is know for its slant towards new talent, often featuring low-budget arthouse cinema from all over the world. But the festival sometimes also shows the big-budget blockbusters from countries of which the output almost never reaches us. A good example of this is Indonesian director Angga Dwimas Sasongko's action thriller 13 Bom Di Jakarta (13 Bombs in Jakarta), released internationally as 13 Bombs. It's an almost old-fashioned action flick in which a few reluctant heroes are pulled into a situation in which they have to duck, weave and outwit terrorists, explosions and veritable bullet-storms. When a money transport in Jakarta gets spectacularly robbed, Indonesia's anti-terrorist brigade gets called into action because special military ammunition was used and the attackers didn't...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Parasite producer Barunson E&a has a new CEO.

Yoonhee Choi has stepped in to take over from Gene Hong (Brian) Park and Kwak Sin Ae. She has been with Barunson E&a since 2021, when she was hired as Managing Director and was upped to COO in April last year.

Choi was previously at Cj Enm, serving as head of international sales for films such as the Barunson E&a-produced Oscar winner Parasite and The Spy Gone North and producer of titles such as Seobok, Hard Hit and Nothing Serious.

Barunson E&a’s upcoming slate also includes the next two features from Parasite director Bong Joon-ho and as well as projects from directors Kim Sung-hoon and Um Tae-hwa.

Since October 2022, it has been expanding its global footprint by launching International sales and production / financing arms, securing sales rights to its first non-Korean film, Giddens Ko’s Miss Shampoo, and investing in Indonesian thriller 13 Bombs,...

Yoonhee Choi has been named CEO at Barunson E&a, the South Korean sales and production outfit that is heading to this week’s European Film Market with major international expansion ambitions.

Choi joined the company in 2021 as managing director, overseeing domestic and international operations, and was promoted to COO in April 2023. She was previously head of international sales at Cj Enm, where she worked for eight years, leading overseas distribution of films such as Parasite, The Handmaiden and The Spy Gone North.

She takes over the role from Gene Hong (Brian) Park and Kwak Sin Ae.

Barunson E&a is...

Choi Yoonhee has been named as the new CEO of Barunson E&a, the Korean sales and production firm that is making a splash at the European Film Market in Berlin this week.

Choi, who joined the firm in 2021 from Cj Enm, takes over from Gene Hong (Brian) Park and Kwak Sin Ae. She joined as MD, overseeing domestic and international operations, and in April 2023 was upped to COO.

Barunson E&a has been in operation since 1996, though was not involved in international sales all that duration. Notable past titles include Bong Joon-ho’s “Mother” and Oscar-winner “Parasite,” on which Cj and Choi headed international distribution. Barunson E&a has also been behind Kim Jee-woon’s “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” and his more recent “Cobweb.”

The company’s upcoming slate also includes the next two features from director Bong Joon-ho, as well as projects from directors Kim Sung-hoon and...

South Korean producer Barunson E&a is to invest in upcoming Indonesian horror film Respati and has secured worldwide sales rights to the feature ahead of the European Film Market (EFM).

It marks the second investment in a non-Korean title by the company since expanding into international co-production, financing and sales in October 2022. The first was Indonesian action feature 13 Bombs, produced by Jakarta-based Visinema, which screened at Rotterdam earlier this week.

Barunson E&a, which is known as the producer of Oscar-winner Parasite and Kim Je-woon’s black comedy Cobweb, will begin pre-sales of Respati at the EFM, which begins...

Action blockbusters are not exactly the norm in Asian cinema, particularly outside of China, since the budget usually needed to shoot such a film is definitely a preventative factor. However, when these types of titles do come out, there seem to be from Indonesia, where, along with a number of other Asean countries, is where the epicenter of action/martial arts movies lies. Angga Dwimas Sasongko has come up with a film like that with “13 Bombs”, in a movie that also tries to incorporate some modern elements in the action, namely social commentary, the concept of cryptocurrency and the significant presence of women.

13 Bombs is screening at International Film Festival Rotterdam

When a van carrying money explodes in the middle of the street, actually allowing the passerby to pick the money inside, the Indonesian Bureau of Counter-Terrorism gets immediately notified, although the person in-charge, Damascus, does not want...

Event Outline

The Osaka Asian Film Festival aims to facilitate human resources development and exchange, to invigorate the Osaka economy, and to increase the city's appeal, through providing opportunities to watch excellent Asian films, supporting filmmaking in Osaka and attracting filmmakers from Asian countries and regions to Osaka. Promoting Osaka worldwide as a gateway city for Asian films, and engaging with many people from the fields of culture, art, education, tourism and business, from Osaka and all of Asia, Oaff works as an open platform to contribute to the development of Osaka and cinema.

Marking its 19th edition this year, Oaff, under programming director Teruoka Sozo, will again select high-quality Asian films. The Competition section, which receives increased recognition every year, will again select films previously unreleased in Japan. The regular sections, Special Screenings and Indie Forum, and other special programs will also feature a wide variety of excellent Asian films.

Three Japanese films enjoying their world premieres, along with festival favorites “City of Wind” and “Solids by the Seashore,” are set to appear in the 13-title competition section of the Osaka Asian Film Festival in March.

The event will be held March 1-10 at venues including ABC Hall, Cine Libre Umeda, T-Joy Umeda and the Nakanoshima Museum of Art. The opening and closing films will be announced in early February.

The 19th edition of the festival, which will eventually contain 55 feature and short films, is set to also include three special programs – a “Thai Cinema Kaleidoscope,” “Taiwan: Movies on the Move,” and “Special Focus on Hong Kong” – as well as its regular Spotlight Section on underrated Asian films and the Indie Forum of more challenging and innovative works.

The competition titles are: “City of Wind,” by Mongolia’s Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir; “Fire on Water,” by Malaysia’s Sun-j Perumal; “Hyphen,” by...

Indonesia’s cinema admissions grew by 14.5% year-on-year to reach 114.5 million in 2023, compared to 100 million the previous year, according to local box office analyst Bicara Box Office. That figure puts the market around 24% below the pre-pandemic figure of 152 million admissions in 2019.

Despite having a slow start to the year, local productions picked up the pace from September onwards and ended 2023 with 53.3 million admissions for a 48% market share, according to Bicara Box Office data.

In 2022, Indonesian films racked up 57 million admissions and a 56.5% market share, a year of fewer Hollywood releases, which also saw the record-breaking success of MD Pictures’ Kkn Di Desa Penari, which raked in 9.23 million admissions to become Indonesia’s biggest local film of all time (the film was also re-released in an extended version at the end of 2022 and the two versions combined pulled in more than 10 million admissions).

MD Pictures also produced the top Indonesian film in...

International Film Festival Rotterdam has revealed that Belgian cinematographer Grimm Vandekerckhove will be the recipient of the fifth annual Robby Müller Award, which pays homage to the craft of artists working behind the lens in the spirit of the celebrated cinematographer.

Vandekerckhove is “known for delicately capturing the inner lives of characters,” the festival said, such as a cleaning lady on a late-night journey in “Ghost Tropic” or the encounter of a foreign construction worker and a moss researcher in “Here,” both directed by Bas Devos. He also shot Stephan Streker’s “A Wedding,” about a teenager forced into an arranged marriage.

“With profound commitment and a wondrous tranquillity he captures details and hidden shades of everyday existence in his own singular way that mirrors the emotionally moving images of Robby Müller,” the jury stated.

In other announcements, the festival, which runs Jan. 25 – Feb. 4, revealed that the jury for the...

Titles for the Limelight, Harbour, Cinema Regained and Focus strands have been added to the line-up.

Marco Müller, who headed International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) from 1989-1991, is returning as part of the 2024 Tiger international competition jury.

He is being joined by Bosnian-Dutch filmmaker Ena Sendijarević,producer, industry expert and founder of Easy Rider Films, Nadia Turincev; Hong Kong filmmaker Herman Yau; and LA Rebellion film movement figure and filmmaker Billy Woodberry, whose title Mário will have its world premiere in the Harbour strand.

They will choose the winners of the Tiger award, worth €40,000, and the special jury awards, worth...

“Auto-bio Pamphlet,” a Marathi-language film that is both a love story and a rage against class divisions, will open the 18th edition of the Jogja-netpac Asian Film Festival later this month. The festival will close with the world premiere of spy thriller “13 Bombs in Jakarta.”

Jaff run Nov. 25 – Dec. 2 and include 205 films from 25 countries and territories across Asia-Pacific.

Directed by Angga Dwimas Sasongko, “13 Bombs in Jakarta” (aka “13 Bom di Jakarta”) tells of a group of terrorists who launch their attack with the threat of bombs scattered throughout the Indonesian capital. Sasongko is also the founder of local studio Visenema, which has four films at the festival.

“As the opening film for this year’s edition, we choose something light-hearted, which is ‘Autobio Pamphlet’ from India. Its coming-of-age story will be perfect to set the festival’s spirited and entertaining mood,” said Alexander Matius, Jaff program director. The film had...