Korea’s 13th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) opened last Thursday (Oct 2) and will run until October 10. The opening ceremony of the event was marred by the suicide news of Choi Jin-shil that early morning, but the show must go on.
Some red carpet pics from the opening ceremony (image from Newsen)…
Jung Jin-young and Kim Jung-eun – emcees of the opening ceremony
Music video of “Nobody” from Korean pop group Wonder Girls, featuring their boss Park Jin-young in the MV…
Chuseok (추석 – Full Moon Harvest) is a Korean festival celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month in lunar calendar (Sept 14 in 2008).
Chuseok is one of the two biggest holidays in Korea (the other is Seollal the Korean New Year). It is considered the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving and a time to honour ancestors with newly harvested grains and fruits [more on KoreaNet]
As for Korean entertainment fans, it’s the season to see their favourite Korean celebs in traditional Hanbok wishing everyone a happy Chuseok. Sharing a few pics of some all-girls Korean pop groups (image from Newsen and Star)…
Jewelry
JYP Entertainment, the Korean talent agency that boost the likes of Wonder Girls, J-Lim, G-Soul and Min will be holding an audition in New York City on September 13.
To apply for the preliminary round, send your video demos via e-mail to jypusa.auditions@gmail.com by September 9, 2008. Check the below promotional video for guidance…
KBS Music Bank’s special stage on July 4, featuring two popular Korean girls group Wonder Girls and Girls’ Generation performing each other’s hit song.
Wonder Girls – Kissing You
Music video of “Smile Again”, a song from I L♥ve Asia project by Korean celebrities to raise funds for Sichuan earthquake victims in China.
The song is produced by Korean singer-producer JYP in collaboration with Chinese superstar Jackie Chan; participating celebs include Jo Sung-mo, Park Yong-ha, Gan Mi-yeon, Chae Yeon, Kim Yuna, Han Ji-hye, Wonder Girls, Lee Jung-hyun, Kim Dong-wan, Kim Ah-joong, Shin Hye-sung, Kim Tae-hee, Han Hye-jin, Jeon Hye-bin, Jang Nara, Battle, Brown Eyed Girls and J-Lim etc.
“Cry with Us” is a project album recorded by group of Korean celebrities to help starving children in North Korea. The project aims to give aid to the starving children of the north as well as to give them a message of hope. [Hat tip to Coolsmurf]
Note that the movie-clips from the music video are cuts from South Korean movie “Crossing” and not real footage; the movie is said to be based on real stories though.
MTV Asia Awards (MAA) 2008 is coming to Malaysia.
MAA, one of the most popular pop events in Asia, is making its debut in Malaysia. The show will be held at the Arena of Stars in Genting City of Entertainment, Malaysia, on August 2, and will be hosted by Jared Leto of 30 Seconds to Mars.
There will be nine regional favourite artist awards and seven international awards to be presented. Among the nominees are Avril Lavigne & Justin Timberlake & Leona Lewis (International), Chris Li (China), Andy Lau & Eason Chan & Joey Yung (Hong Kong), Big Bang & Suju & Wondergirls (Korea), Nic Teo & Siti Nurhaliza (Malaysia), Stefanie Sun (Singapore), Jolin Tsai & S.H.E (Taiwan) etc.
As far as I know, none of the celebrities have confirmed their attendance yet, but judging from the past experiences, most of the winners were pretty supportive of the show… it’s one of the largest of its kind in Asia after all.
It’s not easy to get a ticket though; it’s something that money can’t buy. The fans have to get the tickets via contests by voting for their favourite artists [details]… the fans need some luck obviously.
Karen Mok is going to co-host the event with Jared Leto. Electrico, Jabbawockeez, Leona Lewis, Li Yuchun, OneRepublic, Panic at the Disco, Pussycat Dolls, Super Junior, Stefanie Sun, The Click Five and The Script have confirmed their appearances.
Update – the winners.
