Korea Gets Some 시간 (Time)

We recently talked about Kim Ki-Duk's 시간 (Time) and its unlikely release scenario in Korea, but I guess petitions speak louder than words. Indie outfit Sponge has picked up release rights for the film, which will release in Korean theaters this August.

Kim commented in the past he wasn't interested in releasing films domestically anymore, as essentially there was too little interest to go through all the pain of securing theaters and all the other technical issues. And, in Kim's own words, the press wasn't likely to offer an unbiased look at the film, so why waste time, especially when every one of his new films routinely sells distribution rights to dozens of foreign countries (30 so far, in this case)? But it seems he changed his mind, as Sponge is not like the other distributors: they focus on small independent Korean films, smaller films from Japan and the West. And, since they pretty much control a couple of theaters, screening the film for several weeks will not be a problem, as they've done with past niche hits like メゾン ド ヒミコ (Maison De Himiko). The good news? This might mean a quicker DVD Release, unless Kim wants to see the film released abroad before going ahead with the DVD.

The film stars Ha Jung-Woo and Sung Hyun-Ah, and has been confirmed as the opening film of the 41th Karlovy Vary Festival. [Film2.0]