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KWAK Kyung-taek  
KWAK Kyung-taek
Director, Executive Producer, Producer, , Screenwriter, Script Editor

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Gender : Male

Nationality : South Korea

Company : ZININSA FILM

Website : www.zininsa.com

KWAK Kyung-taek has a knack for using the cityscape of Busan, “the film capital of Korea,” in his movies that are also known for main characters who personify traditional Korean male values of male bonding and camaraderie, perseverance, and passion. He made his directorial debut with the small-budget <3PM Paradise Bath House> (1997) and gained national fame with the huge success of <Friend> (2001). The movie attracted 8 million viewers across Korea and set a new box office record as the most popular Korean film at the time. Set in Busan, the movie follows the upbringing and friendship of two local gangsters and their childhood friends. The movie’s scenes of violence (a bold decision on the part of the director by the standard of the time) and coarse language (all in the rough Busan dialect) were deemed controversial. After <Friend>, many “Busan movies” poured out onto the market. KWAK also proved to be capable of attracting corporate capital for blockbuster film projects, and was also offered joint production or directing positions from overseas. He is also well versed in English, having studied filmmaking at New York University. In 2008, KWAK co-directed <Eye for an Eye> with AHN Gwon-tae, his former assistant, and in 2011 he directed <Pain>, a melodrama starring [KWON Sang-woo] and [JUNG Ryeo-won], which opened during the Chuseok period, one of Korea’s busiest box-office seasons. Along with <Love> from 2007, <Pain> proved KWAK’s knack for directing melodramas. In 2012, KWAK made the military service comedy <The Ugly Duckling>, which was featured at the Busan International Film Festival. In 2013, KWAK returned to the film that launched him to fame, by making the sequel Friend: The Great Legacy. Though it didn’t scale the heights of its predecessor, the film proved a hit with audiences during the end of year period. Going back to the 1970s Busan, KWAK then made the investigate thriller <The Classified File>. Based on a true story, it focused on a detective, played by KIM Yun-seok, who tries to solve a kidnapping with the help of a shaman (played by YOO Hae-jin). Following that summer hit, KWAK returned with another thriller, this time of the supernatural variety. <RV: Resurrected Victims> starred KIM Rae-won as man whose mother, played by KIM Hae-sook, returns from the dead to avenge her death.
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Filmography

Filmography  
FIREFIGHTERS (2024)
Director, Staff
Filmography  
Battle of Jangsari (2019)
Director, Staff
Filmography  
Stay with Me (2018)
Staff
Filmography  
Dark Figure of Crime (2018)
Staff
Filmography  
RV: Resurrected Victims (2017)
Director, Staff
Filmography  
The Classified File (2015)
Director, Staff
Filmography  
Friend : The Great Legacy (2013)
Director, Staff
Filmography  
The Ugly Duckling (2012)
Director, Staff
Filmography  
BOY (2011)
Staff
Filmography  
Pain (2011)
Director
Filmography  
Lifting Kingkong (2009)
Staff
see all

Related News

  1. ·  SIM Hee-sub and JEON Hye-jin Punch in at ROMANTIC FACTORY
    Oct 20, 2020
  2. ·  KWAK Do-won, JOO Won and YU Jae-myeong Dress Up for FIREMAN
    May 19, 2020
  3. ·  Finecut Launches Sales for THE BATTLE OF JANGSARI in Cannes
    May 24, 2019

Related Kofic News

  1. ·  KOFIC to Commemorate 1st anniversary of PARASITE’s Academy Award Triumph With Documentary
    Feb 09, 2021
  2. ·  KoBiz Launches New ‘Korean Cinema Today’ Podcast
    Nov 25, 2013
  3. ·  Korean Directors Films Showcased in China
    Dec 13, 2012

Related Reports

  1. ·  THE OUTLAWS Stays Tough in 1st Place
    Oct 17, 2017
  2. ·  THE CLASSIFIED FILE Marks the Highest Opening Score for 2015 Local Releases
    Jun 23, 2015
  3. ·  Box Office: December 5-18, 2013
    Dec 23, 2013

Awards and Invitation

  1. · <School Caste> Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival : BIFAN (2022)
  2. · <Dark Figure of Crime> Paeksang Arts Awards (2019) - Film Awards - Best Screenplay
  3. · <Dark Figure of Crime> The Blue Dragon Awards (2018) - Best Screenplay
  4. · <Dark Figure of Crime> The Korean Association of Film Critics Awards (2018) - Best Screenplay
  5. · <The Classified File> London East Asia Film Festival (2018) - Actor Focus: KIM YOON-SEOK
  6. · <The Classified File> Vancouver Korean Film Festival (2018)
  7. · <Mutt Boy> Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival : BIFAN (2018) - JUNG Woo-sung: The Star, the Actor, the Artist
  8. · <RV: Resurrected Victims> Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (2018)
  9. · <The Classified File> Shanghai International Film & TV Festival (2016) - Panorama - Korean Films
  10. · <The Classified File> Korean Film Festival in Australia (2016)
  11. · <The Classified File> Busan International Film Festival : BIFF (2015) - Korean Cinema Today-PanoramaKorean Cinema Today-Panorama
  12. · <The Classified File> Vancouver International Film Festival (2015) - Dragons & Tigers
  13. · <The Classified File> Buil Film Awards (2015)
  14. · <Friend : The Great Legacy> The Blue Dragon Awards (2014)
  15. · <Friend : The Great Legacy> Osaka Asian Film Festival (2014) - Special Screening
  16. · <The Ugly Duckling> Buil Film Awards (2013)
  17. · <Pain> Florence Korea Film Fest (2012)
  18. · <The Ugly Duckling> Busan International Film Festival : BIFF (2012) - Korean Cinema Today-Panorama
  19. · <Eye For An Eye> Terracotta Far East Film Festival (2009)
  20. · <Friend> Fantas Porto - Oporto International Film Festival (2008) - Premier(Out of competition)
  21. · <Love> Buil Film Awards (2008)
  22. · <Friend> Fantas Porto - Oporto International Film Festival (2007)
  23. · <Love> The Korean Association of Film Critics Awards (2007) - Best New Actress
  24. · <Love> The Blue Dragon Awards (2007)
  25. · <Typhoon> Korea Gold Awards Festival (2006) - Best Actress
  26. · <Typhoon> DAEJONG FILM AWARDS (2006) - Best Actor
  27. · <Typhoon> Korea Gold Awards Festival (2006) - Grand Prize
  28. · <Typhoon> International Film Festival of Asian-Pacific Countries in Vladivostok (2006) - Opening
  29. · <Typhoon> Newport Beach Film Festival (2006) - International Spotlights
  30. · <Mutt Boy> Filmasia Film Festival (2005) - Focus on Korea
  31. · <Mutt Boy> Titanic International Film Festival (2005) - Eastern Ports
  32. · <Friend> FESTASIA - Festival de Film Asiatique (2004)
  33. · <Mutt Boy> Cleveland International Film Festival (2004)
  34. · <Mutt Boy> NatFilm Festival (2004)
  35. · <Friend> Fantas Porto - Oporto International Film Festival (2004)
  36. · <Mutt Boy> International Film Festival of Asian-Pacific Countries in Vladivostok (2004) - Special Vision
  37. · <Mutt Boy> Aomori Film Festival (2004)
  38. · <Mutt Boy> BFI London Film Festival (2003)
  39. · <Champion> Philadelphia International Film Festival & Market (2003) - 2003 Philafilm Gold Award
  40. · <Champion> HIFF Spring Showcase (2003)
  41. · <Friend> Cleveland International Film Festival (2002)
  42. · <Friend> Mar del Plata International Film Festival (2002)
  43. · <Friend> Fantas Porto - Oporto International Film Festival (2002)
  44. · <Friend> Portland International Film Festival (2002)
  45. · <Friend> Paeksang Arts Awards (2002) - Film Awards - Best New Actor
  46. · <Champion> TOKYO FILMeX (2002) - Special Screening
  47. · <Friend> Udine Far East Film Festival (2002)
  48. · <Friend> Philadelphia Film Festival (2002)
  49. · <Champion> Toronto International Film Festival (2002)
  50. · <Friend> Cinemanila International Film Festival (2002) - Asian Films
  51. · <Friend> Stockholm International Film Festival (2001) - Asian Images
  52. · <Friend> Chunsa Film Festival (2001) - Grand Prize
  53. · <Friend> Chunsa Film Festival (2001) - Best Director
  54. · <Friend> The Blue Dragon Awards (2001) - Audience Choice Award for Most Popular Film
  55. · <Friend> Sydney Asia Pacific Film Festival (2001)
  56. · <Friend> Montreal World Film Festival (2001) - Competition
  57. · <Friend> BFI London Film Festival (2001)
  58. · <Friend> Chunsa Film Festival (2001) - Best Actor
  59. · <Dr.K> Fantas Porto - Oporto International Film Festival (2000)
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