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Maybe a little late for an article, Tony Myers looks at the rise of smartphones in filmmaking, with particular reference to Park Chan-wook and Park Chan-kyong’s Night Fishing (Paranmanjang)

» ‘Lights, action… iPhone?’ on the Guardian site…

Sure, while some of you out there might thinking more about the following day’s celebration (Valentine’s wot?) Eureka Entertainment are putting out a bumper package of previous releases in brand new ‘dual format’ editions (i.e. DVD and Blu-ray!), many of which have been hard to get hold of in either format since the Sony Distribution Warehouse fire…

Amongst the many releases, there’s Johnnie To and Wai Ka-fai’s brilliant collaboration Mad Detective, which includes a Q&A with Johnnie To at the Cinémathèque Française Johnnie To retrospective, exclusive cast interviews shot during the Far East Film Festival featuring Lau Ching Wan and Lam Suet, and an interview with Johnnie To for the French theatrical release.

There’s the fourth feature by internationally acclaimed auteur Jia Zhang-ke, The World, available on UK DVD for the first time. Extras include: Tony Rayns on THE WORLD, a new and exclusive video introduction to the film by scholar and critic Tony Rayns; Made in China, a 65-minute documentary on the making of The World, and The World according to Jia Zhangke, a 24-minute video interview with director.

Also released…

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Tokyo Sonata, winner of the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at Cannes in 2008, with extras including a Making Of documentary, a Q&A and Première footage shot in Tokyo in September 2008.

Kon Ichikawa’s (Alone Across the Pacific, Tokyo Olympiad) The Burmese Harp, nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar and honoured at the Venice Film Festival in 1956. Extras include newly translated optional English subtitles and an exclusive video interview with scholar and filmmaker Tony Rayns.

Shohei Imamura’s (Profound Desires of the Gods, Pigs and Battleships, Warm Water Under A Red Bridge) Vengeance Is Mine based on the true story of Iwao Enokizu (Ken Ogata) and his murderous rampage which sparked a 78-day nationwide manhunt. Extras include audio commentary by noted critic and filmmaker Tony Rayns; a video introduction by film director Alex Cox; and original Japanese theatrical teaser and trailer.

All releases come with booklets including interviews and new essays.

Now, whether these make appropriate romantic presents… well, I’ll leave that up to your own discretion…

For those that can make it, there’s some very interesting films coming up in the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival, which starts today…

Out of Competition, there’s big guns like Tsui Hark’s (2nd?) reboot of King Hu’s Dragon Gate Inn, Flying Swords Of Dragon Gate, which stars Jet Li, Zhou Xun and Chen Kun in 3D (already out in much of Asia Pacfic), and Zhang Yimou’s Jin líng Shi San Chai (The Flowers Of War) starring the dark knight himself, Christian Bale, and the big 3D restoration of the classic 1964 animation, Da Nao Tian Gong 3D (The Monkey King – Uproar in Heaven 3D) (which surely is going to put a dent in Donnie Yen’s live-action, and also 3D, version of everyone’s favourite mischievous monkey also called The Monkey King).

In competition there’s Wang Quan’an’s three-hour epic Bai lu yuan (White Deer Plain) starring Zhang Fengyi, Zhang Yuqi and Wu Gang.

There’s plenty of films from Korea too, including Kim Joong-hyun’s Kashi (Choked), Han Lee’s Wandeukyi (Punch), Jeon Kyu-hwan’s From Seoul To Varanasi and Kim Souk-young’s short Mah-Chui (Anesthesia). (Let’s not for get Park Chan-wook and his brother Park Chan-kyong won big last year with their Night Fishing aka Paranmanjang, shot on an iPhone.)

Yang Yonghi’s Kazoku no kuni (Our Homeland), about one of the 90,000 Korean’s resident in Japan between the 50s and 90s who emigrated to North Korea, will also be on show.

There are also great masterclass events on with filmmakers themselves, including Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-Hsien and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, best known for his work on The Last Emperor, Babel and Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (not to mention being a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra).

» Find out more from the official Berlinale site here.

From 10 February to 28 March 2012, the Japan Foundation will be touring major cities around the UK with a programme of contemporary Japanese films. This year the focus will be on auteurs such as Masayuki Suo (I Just Didn’t Do It) and Miwa Nishikawa (Dear Doctor).

Other films will include Takatsugu Naito’s The Dark Harbour, Katsumi Sakaguchi’s Sleep, Kenji Uchida’s A Stranger of Mine and Yoji Yamada’s About Her Brother. Venues will include ICA in London from 10 February, Queen’s Film Theatre in Belfast from 2 March and Watershed in Bristol from 14 March.

» You can find out more from Japan Foundation’s official touring programme site.

It’s a secret, but… well, Adam Torel, MD of Third Window Films, regularly holds a special meet up to present some of his favourite films, which often have not been seen in the UK whether on screen or DVD.

The next meet up, will feature just such a movie, though the title will be a secret till it starts. It takes place on the evening of 13 February at Roxy Bar & Screen, Borough High Street, London, where they also have a great selection of delicious pub food.

Find out more and sign up to the group here.

Third Window Films in association with CUEAFS and Coventry University will be hosting their annual East Winds Film Festival on the weekend of 2nd-4th March, 2012.

East Winds Film Festival was created with the purpose of bringing East Asian cinema to a University campus under the premise that the film festival is predominantly run by and for students, therefore making it one of its kind in the UK. The festival, despite only being in its 2nd year has drawn large international attention due to the way it operates, and this year sees Nissan sponsor the event as well as welcoming many world renowned film-makers and actors in attendance.

This years’ lineup of films includes a retrospective of Japanese film-maker Miki Satoshi (Turtles Are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers, Adrift In Tokyo) who will attend along with his regular actress Fuse Eri. There will also be a double-bill of feature films from legendary Hong Kong director Herman Yau, who will also be in attendance.

Other screenings include the European Premier of Taiwan/China co-production Starry Starry Night with a Q&A from director Tom Lin as well as screenings of Yuya Ishii’s follow-up to Sawako Decides with Mitsuko Delivers; the South Korean blockbuster smash The Yellow Sea and the European Premier of the acclaimed short-film BloodTraffick starring rising actress Grace Huang.

» Find out more about at the official East Winds Film Festival website.

Sure, okay – the latest issue of Scream from our friends over at Screen Power Group may have a cover by someone familiar looking – but it also has an unmissable extended interview with Eihi Shiina star of Takashi Miike’s J-Horror classic Audition and splatterpunk gorefest Tokyo Gore Police.

On shelves soon in Forbidden Planet, The Cinema Store and other specialist magazine retailers…

Having got their Year of the 12 Directors event off to a flying start with Lee Myung-se, the Korean Cultural Centre UK continue with the work E J-yong (Lee Je-yong), beginning with his debut An Affair (1998) this Thursday, 2 February.

The season continues with Dasepo Naughty Girls (2006) on 9 February, Untold Scandal (2003) based on the same French novel on which Dangerous Liaisons was based on 16 February. All screenings will take place at the Korean Cultural Centre UK, near Trafalgar Square, London. Admission is free but must be booked via the a title=”KCCUK Film Night page” href=”http://london.korean-culture.org/navigator.do?menuCode=201104050063″ target=”_blank”>KCCUK website.

The months events culminate in a screening of E J-yong’s last film Actresses (2009), followed by a Q&A with the director himself, at the Apollo Cinema, off Piccadilly Circus. Booking will be available for the event later.

It’s the Year of the Dragon. ‘Nuff said…

As we mentioned a few weeks back, the first month of the KCCUK’s 2012 – Year of the 12 Directors season draws to a close with a Q&A with director Lee Myung-se (Nowhere To Hide, M) and a screening of Duelist.

What wasn’t clear initially was that this will not take place at the KCCUK, nor will it be free. (Shame, but this is one hell of an event?) The screening will take place at the Apollo cinema, Piccadilly Circus, and tickets can be purchased directly from their site.

We have three copies to giveaway of historical Thai martial arts epic epic Yamada: Way Of The Samurai on DVD, all you have to do is enter our competition!… (more…)

It’s hardly as if I’ve stopped banging on about it, but as part of BFI Southbank’s short season to bring in the Chinese New Year offer’s another chance to see A Simple Life (actually ahead of it’s Hong Kong release!)…

Directed by Ann Hui and with brilliant performances by Deanie Yip and Andy Lau, this moving film is littered with star-studded cameos – including a hilarious appearance by Tsui Hark. Unmissable for fans of Hong Kong cinema, it’ll also appeal to anyone that like intelligent filmmaking.

There’ll be two screenings in mid February. One’s a senior matinee, so I suggest getting your grey wig now in case tickets for the other showing have sold out!

The season will also include Confucius, Woman Basketball Player No. 5 (a freebie for Seniors – wtf?) a special selection of rarely seen documentaries under the banner Unseen China.

» See the BFI’s website for a full listing and details on how to book.

This year the Korean Cultural Centre UK’s Film Night takes a very different guise this year as they begin their 2012 – Year of the 12 Directors strand.

Each month will feature a different director, as films from their career are screened on a weekly basis culminating in a Q&A with the director himself.

First to be featured is Lee Myung-se, one of the first directors to emerge from the South Korean new wave of the 90s, his action thriller Nowhere To Hide was easily the earliest to get the scene noticed on an international scale (particularly here in the UK).

Nowhere To Hide kicked off the season last week (yep, sorry – was away in NZ!), it continues with M this Thursday (12th January) at 7pm, with Gagman the following week (19th) and finally Duelist on 26th, where the director will appear for a Q&A.

Admission is free. Places can be reserved by visiting the Film Night page on the KCCUK website and clicking on the film you wish to book.

Studio Ghibli’s marvellous Arrietty is released today on Blu-ray, DVD and a Deluxe Collector’s Double Play edition with 5 postcards by StudioCanal UK (formally Optimum Releasing) . A real return to form after the likeable but not quite classic Ponyo and disastrous Tales Of Earthsea, Ghibli head Hayao Miyazaki worked on the screenplay from Mary Norton’s much-loved children’s story, creating something really special with Hiromasa Yonebayashi taking the helm on directing.

All versions come with these extras: storyboards; trailers and japanese tv spots; interviews with Hayao Miyazaki and Hiromasa Yonebayashi; and Cecile Corbel “Arrietty’s Song” promotional video.

London Korean Film Festival truly done and dusted, their Korean Film Night returns this week with the appropriately festive Happy Eros Christmas, starring Kim Sun Ah, Cha Tae-Hyun and Park Yeong-gyu, and directed by Lee Geon-dong.

The film will be screened this Thursday evening at 7pm, 15 December. Screenings are free but places must be booked in advance. Note that visitors cannot be admitted after 7.10pm.

» See the official KCCUK website for more information

Well done to the winner of our competition for a years’ digital subscription to The Dark Side. You should be contacted very soon about your prize.

We’ll have more chances to win great prizes soon, so for the rest of you stay tuned for our next competition!