The Novelist's Film (2021) 

Seven Korean films are heading for Berlin. The 72nd Berlin International Film Festival unveiled the lineup of invited films on January 19 (local time). According to the news, Director Hong Sangsoo's new film The Novelist's Film has been invited to the Competition section along with the new films directed by François Ozon and Claire Denis, respectively. Director Hong Sangsoo's 27th work, The Novelist's Film was filmed outside Seoul, and actor Lee Hyeyoung plays the novelist 'Junhee.' Kim Minhee, who won the Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival for On the Beach at Night Alone, will also appear as a major role with Seo Younghwa, Kwon Haehyo, Cho Younhee, and Ki Joobong. Following INTRODUCTION last year and The Woman Who Ran in 2020, Director Hong Sangsoo has been invited to the Berlin International Film Festival for the third consecutive year. Since the previous two films won the Best Screenplay and the Best Director, respectively, Director Hong's new film this year is also drawing keen attention to the results.

Director Jung Yumi's animation film House of Existence has been invited to the Short Competition section (Berlinale Shorts). Director Jung's Math Test (2010) and Love Games (2013) were also introduced at the Berlin International Film Festival. House of Existence metaphorizes the inner side of humans as 'home' and deals with the experience of collapsing values believed to last forever. Director Jung Yumi of House of Existence majored in animation at the Regular Programs of Korean Academy of Film Arts.

Director Kim Sein's The Apartment with Two Women has been invited to the Panorama section, which introduces bold and unconventional films. The film is a graduation work from the Feature Film Course at the Korean Academy of Film Arts and was completed through the support by the Korean Film Council's entry. The film, which asks about the meaning of a family, drew attention by winning five awards at the 26th Busan International Film Festival, including the New Currents Award and the NETPAC Award, etc.

Director Lee Jieun's The Hill of Secrets has been invited to the Generation Kplus section, which focuses on young cine-artists. The Hill of Secrets, which contains the growth story of a 12-year-old girl, is a film supported by the Korean Film Council’s Independent & Art Film Production Support Program. Before Lee Jieun, the Generation Kplus section introduced several Korean films, including Kim Bora's House of Hummingbird, Yun Jeho's FIGHTER, etc.

Three Korean films have been invited to the Forum section, which asks about the artistic and social significance of films. Director Park Songyeol's Hot in the Day, Cold at Night is the story of a couple in a difficult financial situation, planned by a real couple, the director and his actor wife, and they completed all of the processes of the film, including screenplay, production, and filming. The film was also supported by Korean Film Council’s entry. Besides, there are also two films co-produced by Korea. Afterwater, directed by Dane Komljen, is a film co-produced by Germany, Spain, Serbia, and Korea. Une Fleur à la Bouche (A Flower in the Mouth), directed by Éric Baudelaire, is also co-produced by France, Germany, and Korea.

The Berlin International Film Festival 2022 will be held from February 10 to 20 in Berlin, Germany, while the European Film Market will be operated through online platforms from February 10 to 17.