The Karlovy Vary international Film Festival has recently revealed the lineup for its forthcoming 50th edition, which this year will present six Korean films, including a special screening of LEE Chang-dong’s 2010 film Poetry.

 

Featured in the Korean lineup will be a Korea-French co-production arthouse title Black Stone by ROH Gyeong-tae. According to the festival’s description, Black Stone looks to the legacy of Rober Bresson and Apichatpong Weerasethakul” in terms of style and theme. The film was first screened at this year’s Jeonju International Film Festival. Another Jeonju title at this year’s Karlovy Vary is the dark indie drama Snow Paths by Kim Hee-jung.

 

LEE Kwang-kuk’s easygoing indie comedy A Matter of Interpretation has also been invited to showcase. In terms of style and structure, A Matter of Interpretation is quite similar with Korea’s indie favorite HONG Sang-soo's works. The dream logic-interpretation title was screened at last year’s Busan International Film Festival as well as Rotterdam earlier this year.

 

Award-winning director KIM Ki-duk’s new feature Stop is world premiering at the historical jubilee edition of the festival. Stop is about a young married couple who were exposed to radiation during the meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear reactor in Japan. The film is seemingly focused on a highly topical issue.

 

In addition to his own drama, KIM also recommended LEE Chang-dong’s Poetry to screen at the festival. The Festival said in a statement “Karlovy Vary IFF asked six prominent directors and friends to select and personally present a favorite film that played a fundamental role in defining their own styles on filmmaking.” Emphasizing the almost-twenty-year long tie between KIM and the fest, Karlovy Vary announced on 17 June, that KIM had recommended his “fellow director and countryman” LEE’s Poetry.

 

While indie titles are dominating the fest’s Korean lineup, MIN Kyu-dong-directed The Treacherous is the only commercial Korean film at Karlovy Vary this year. Highly erotic and colorfully designed, The Treacherous is currently screening in Korea and has sold distribution rights to multiple countries through the HK Filmart and Cannes Film Market this year.

 

The jubilee edition will run July 3-11.