Panda Media closed the year with the good news of Dance Town, Jeon Kyu Hwan’s third feature of his Town trilogy, being selected in Berlinale 2011’s Panorama section.

Having recently tied bonds with TPS, the number 1 service-to-production company in Korea, for developing jointly international co-productions, after the successful shooting of ‘Approved for Adoption’ with French and Belgian teams last summer, Panda Media also became the international arm of Studio Flying for all that is animation, with the aim of being more involved in Korean international co-productions, while contributing to the development of such projects.

On the television side, TV5Monde is since 2010 broadcast nationally in Korea, and we started Korean language subtitling of the programmes, two first steps directed to end-viewers. This year we’ll release a free French language learning platform in Korean, as well as launch TV5monde’s pacific website in Korean. TV5monde will also appear soon on webTV and possibly on mobiles in the Land of Morning Calm… Luxe.tv is also being broadcast national, while France 24 established its entrance on the Korean market through appearances in BCWW and in conferences, and will soon appear on Korean screens, as will we hope, the full HD music channel i-Concerts.

Panda Media also started two new activities : music and events, with a couple of French professionals called Broken Teeth. DJs from France appeared in club Answer and Mansion in Seoul, but also in Busan, and there is more to come in 2011, under the French Attack label. A little bit further from the entertainment world, but still related to the bridging of Europe and Korea, Panda Media Consulting started its activities, and is handled by Nick Villaihong, who works with Jeong Jinhee.

The new year starts with new projects and a boosted experience in several fields, accompanied by strong long-lasting partnerships with the Dong-A Ilbo group, with AFFIS, and with Ewha University’s translation and interpretation department (together with TV5monde). Panda Media is also directly involved in the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Korea, as well as in the recently born French Press Club.

The core team, Kim Hye-won, Son Min-Jung and Nicolas Piccato, together with Panda Media Consulting, Broken Teeth, TPS and Studio Flying representatives wish you a great year 2011, with even more cultural & business cooperation than last year.

Panda Media signed MOU with partner companies, TPS and Studio Flying.

TPS (Total Production Service), pioneer of production service in Korean film industry and various audiovisual fields, has done the production service of “Approved For Adoption” which was co-produced by Belgium, France and Panda Media in Korea in 2010. As one of the most experienced production service companies in Korea, it can produce foreign projects, films and TV programs, wanting to shoot in Korea. Specialized in location and production, it expects to meet with potential producers and companies interested in Korea.

Studio Flying is an animation production company which aims to revitalize Korean animation industry by producing varied works. Such as “AAchi & SSipak” (2006), “Leafie, a Chicken Wild” (2011), TV series animation, “Dooly, the Little Dino” (2008) and also Samsung mobile “Anyclub” CF animation version, it is one of the most specialized company in 2D or 2D/3D composite animation for all media.

Thanks to the MOU for cooperation, and with recurrent exchanges in international markets for global projects, we are focusing to achieve successful projects with foreign production companies in fiction and animation industries.

TPS (Total Production Service) http://www.tpscompany.kr

Studio Flying  http://studioflying.com/

Dance Town has been officially selected at 61 st  Berlin International Film Festival in Panoram Section.

‘Dance Town’ premiered in its country of origin in PIFF 2010, but will be released in february 2011, and has so far not been screened in foreign markets.

 Jeon Kyu Hwan, highly promising and already prolific director from South Korea, has started making his name in international festivals through the two first parts of the trilogy, ‘Mozart Town’ and ‘Animal Town’, which appeared in San Sebastian, Torino or San Francisco film festivals among others. 

* Articles from Daily Focus, Filmbiz

 http://www.fnn.co.kr/content.asp?aid=e53fba22d0a941a19411b7751c15e536

http://www.filmbiz.asia/reviews/dance-town

TV5MONDE offered Korean subtitles up to 4 hours a day from 19th November,

and its hours would be increased gradually.

* Congratulatory Message from Ban Kimoon

http://www.tv5.org/cms/chaine-francophone/programmes/p-13666-Le-coreen-sur-TV5MONDE.htm

Animal Town is officially selected in 28th Torino International Film Festival.

An episode of  the second series of WATER BUBBLES 2 (26 x 3’)  has been officially selected

at the XIAMEN INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL in competition as Best Short Film Animated Category.

 A preview of one episode can be watched on the following link:

http://www.raitrade.it/presentSectionFile.do?sectionFile=1049&language=en

LA Mi-Ran, the actress of Dance Town, won  The Best Actress Award in PIFF 2010,

and also there was Special Mention of NETPAC for Dance Town.

WILD BOARS RUN AMOK: THE 2010 NY ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL

by David Wilentz

(Beginning is omissioned)

Korea delivers what could be the most depressing film of the whole line-up, Animal Town. Exposition is exchanged for a brooding, moody atmosphere as a story of an ex-con trying to reform is paralleled with that of a gloomy man who owns a printing company. We gradually learn the horrible truths about each man’s existence and their connection. Animal Town recalls Fassbinder’s Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? Deliberate, real-time chronicles of each man’s quotidian lifestyle and shocking moments of violence elicit the pure dread that plagues the two main characters. Beneath it all lays a subtext of dire economic strife. When the ex-con can barely get enough work at his construction job he becomes a cab driver, where he is told business for cabbies these days is pretty dry. While a film like Chaw takes a pessimistic look at society, Animal Town’s bleakness is devastating.

http://brooklynrail.org/2010/06/film/wild-boars-run-amok-the-2o1o-ny-asian-film-festival

Luxe TV, the luxury channel of Luxemburg, has been broadcasting in Korea by Qook IPTV since August 2010.

http://tv.qook.co.kr/tv/tv_sub2_1.asp?depth1=2&depth2=2&qcode=c006a23

 ”Dance Town” is officially selected by Pusan International Film Festival 2010 for Vision of Wolrld Premere Section.

http://www.piff.org/ENG/html/program/prog_view.asp?idx=15264&c_idx=25&sp_idx=sp2&QueryStep=2