Korean Cultural Center Announces 'Korean Movie Night New York: Premiere Showcase'

Korean Cultural Center New York, a branch of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of the Republic of Korea, is proud to announce a new film series to launch Korean Movie Night New York: Premiere Showcase, specially screening selections of the hottest Korean blockbuster films. The kickoff screening event will be held on Wednesday May 18th, 7:00 pm at the IFC Center in New York.

Since its inception in 2010, Korean Movie Night New York presented regular, twice a month screenings that introduce a full spectrum of contemporary and classic Korean cinema to audiences including popular blockbusters, independent films, documentaries, animation, and children's films.

This year, Korean Movie Night New York has shifted its focus, newly redesigned as a premiere event of the latest blockbuster films. The purpose of the Premiere Showcase is not only to present the top films of Korea to an ever-growing New York audience, but also to provide film critics and the general public with a special preview screening of the latest films in advance of their U.S releases.

Over the past 6 years, new Korean films have been receiving regular limited U.S. theatrical releases, mostly through self-distribution efforts of Korean film companies, including at the AMC theaters in New York and New Jersey, shortly after their debuts at the Korean box office. The Premiere Showcase will doubly act as an important platform for the soon-to-be released films to be presented to the public.

"It has been truly wonderful to see how Korean Movie Night New York has grown over the years, expanding the audience for Korean cinema in New York City and beyond. With the Premiere Showcase, we hope to give Korean film fans and critics a unique opportunity to be among the first to see the latest films, right after their release in Korea," says OH Seung-je, Director of Korean Cultural Center New York.

The series' first film is PHANTOM DETECTIVE, the latest genre effort from director JO Sung-hee, a talented independent filmmaker of post-apocalyptic mystery horror END OF ANIMAL (2010), and Cannes prize-winning short DON'T STEP PUT OF THE HOUSE (2008), who has made a successful transition to commercial filmmaking with the period-set fantasy melodrama A WEREWOLF BOY (2012), which earned him the Best New Director award at Paeksang Arts Awards in Korea.

The screening will take place at IFC Center at 323 Ave of the Americas. All Korean Movie Night New York screenings are free admission; seats are provided on a first come, first served basis. For information, call (212) 924 7771.

Schedule for the Premiere Showcase Series is as follows:

East Coast Premiere

PHANTOM DETECTIVE

Directed by JO Sung-hee

Starring: LEE Je-hoon, KIM Sung-kyun, PARK Geun-hyung, GO A-ra

2016 | 125 min | DCP | In Korean with English subtitles

Wednesday, May 18, 2016, 7:00 PM

Inspired by the folk tale "The Story of Hong Gil-dong" (a rough Korean equivalent of Robin Hood), PHANTOM DETECTIVE is a stylish neo-noir thriller set in an unspecified past. Private investigator Hong Gil-dong (LEE Je-hoon of ARCHITECTURE 101, BLEAK NIGHT) has one goal in life: to find the one-eyed man who murdered his mother and exact revenge on him. It's been 20 years since he witnessed the murder, and he finally has the culprit's name: Kim Byung-duk. When he tracks him down to a hut in the countryside, instead of Byung-duk, Gil-dong finds Byung-duk's two young granddaughters, who become the unlikeliest of sidekicks. As Gil-dong continues his pursuit, he will discover the truth behind his mother's death and uncover a vast conspiracy.

PHANTOM DETECTIVE will be released in the U.S. on May 20th, 2016. It was released in South Korea on May 4th, 2016.

Teaser Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY5URO_mra4

About Korean Movie Night New York

Korean Movie Night New York (KMN) is redesigned as "Korean Movie Night New York: Premiere Showcase" It was a continuing series of bi-weekly film screenings that introduces the full spectrum of both contemporary and classic Korean cinema to New York audiences, from popular blockbusters, independent films, and documentaries, to animation and family movies. Every year, the KMN program consists of 6 thematic series. KMN was launched in 2010 as a successor to Korean Cine Forum, an earlier film screening series that was organized by the Korean Cultural Center (previously Korean Cultural Service) in 1996. Keep up with the latest news at: www.facebook.com/KoreanMovieNY.

About the Korean Cultural Center New York

Inaugurated in 1979, the Korean Cultural Center New York is a branch of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of the Republic of Korea. Under the authority of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in New York, the Korean Cultural Center works to promote cultural arts exchange and stimulate interest in Korean culture through various opportunities. The Korean Cultural Center provides diverse activities including exhibitions, concerts, film festivals, and educational programs. The Korean Cultural Center New York is located at 460 Park Avenue (at 57th Street), 6th Floor, New York City. www.koreanculture.org

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