Congratulations to the success of Cine-Asie with their participation in Fantasia 2010 where 15 Korean films will be presented. In recent years around the world, Korean films have become more popular and recog- nized for their unique story lines, wonderful cinema- tography and excellent actors who bring characters to life on screen.

Montreal is a wonderful platform for international films and I hope Montreal film enthusiasts will enjoy the variety of Korean films showcased during this film festival. Bon Cinéma!

Chong Hoon Kim, Ambassador / Consul General, Consulate General of the Republic of Korea, Montreal




This year, we here at the Fantasia International Film Festival are delighted to present a special spotlight on South Korean cinema. Our event has showcased many South Korean films since the first film -
Je-Kyu Kang’s The Gingko Bed (1996) - was invited in 1998. This spotlight will offer our audience a fantas- tic selection of the very best genre films recently pro- duced in South Korea. We are very proud to present these fifteen feature films in collaboration with Cine- Asie , and with the support of the Korean Consulate in Montreal and the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).

In the past few years, South Korean films have con- sistently won prizes at the Cannes, Venice, and Berlin festivals to name a few.

South Korean cinema plays a major part in the overall quality of our programming, and I would like to ex- press my sincere gratitude to all those responsible for helping us bring these films to our audience. I would especially like to thank the South Korean government and the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).

Pierre Corbeil, President of Fantasia Film Festival



Korean cinema started to astonish the world during the 90’s, but it’s only because the world had been lazy. Due to a strong industry based on the quota system as well as the blossoming of original artistic personality, it is since at least the early 60s (as Kim Ki-young’s The Housemaid testifies) that Korea provides the world of cinema with works to be remembered. With creativity and originality, it has also walked along the economical and political changes of a country still deeply wounded by partition with the North, in so many creative ways, both in genre films and auteur films.

Jean-Michel Frodon, Critic, journalist, writer, former editor in chief of
Cahiers du cinema, blog.slate.fr/projection-publique