Directors Heo Jin-ho, Ryu Seung-wan, and Um Tae-hwa to Attend Toronto International Film Festival in Canada

Invitation to
Smuggling, Ordinary Family, Concrete Utopia
Lee Byung-hun, Kim Hye-soo, Seol Kyung-gu and others head to Toronto

Several Korean films are heading to Toronto this year.

According to each distributor on the 25th, the films "Mil-su" (director Ryu Seung-wan), "Concrete Utopia" (director Eom Tae-hwa), and "A Normal Family" (director Heo Jin-ho) have been invited to the 48th Toronto International Film Festival, which will be held from September 7 to 17.

(From left) Directors Ryu Seung-wan, Heo Jin-ho, Eom Tae-hwa [Photo by Yonhap News, Showbox]

The Toronto International Film Festival is an international film festival held in Toronto, Canada, and is the largest film festival in North America, considered one of the world's top four film festivals alongside Cannes, Berlin, and Venice. During the festival, North American film industry professionals attend, with a significant presence of Hollywood commercial films from the United States.

Ryu Seung-wan's "Mil-su" was selected for the Special Presentations section of the Toronto International Film Festival. This section previously invited directors Bong Joon-ho's "Mother" (2009) and "Parasite" (2019), as well as Park Chan-wook's "Decision to Leave" (2022).

Anita Lee, the festival’s lead programmer, stated the reason for the invitation: "Director Ryu Seung-wan captivates audiences with his signature action style combined with original wit, immersing them in ecstasy."

"Mil-su" is a maritime crime action film about people who make a living by salvaging daily necessities thrown into the sea, who get caught up in a life-changing big deal. It will be released on the 26th.

Heo Jin-ho’s new film "A Normal Family" was also invited to the Special Presentations section.

"A Normal Family" depicts the story of two couples of brothers with different beliefs who accidentally confront a terrible secret. Actors such as Seol Kyung-gu, Jang Dong-gun, and Kim Hee-ae star in the film.

Giovanna Fulvi, a programmer at the Toronto International Film Festival, commented, "Director Heo Jin-ho’s solid direction and the flawless acting of the cast add weight and elegance to the story of a normal family’s life falling apart, achieving the most outstanding and powerful film adaptation of Hermann Koch’s bestselling novel 'The Dinner.'"

(From left) Smuggling, Ordinary Family, Concrete Utopia TIFF posters
[Photo by NEW, Hive Media Corp, Lotte Entertainment]

"Concrete Utopia," directed by Eom Tae-hwa and starring actors Lee Byung-hun and Park Seo-joon, was invited to the Gala section. This section features screenings with special guests attending for the audience, and previously invited films include Kim Jee-woon’s "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" (2008), Im Sang-soo’s "The Housemaid" (2010), Cho Ui-seok’s "The Terror Live" (2013), and Lee Jung-jae’s "Hunt" (2022).

"Concrete Utopia," newly adapted from the second part of the popular webtoon "Cheerful Bullying" titled "Cheerful Neighbors" by writer Kim Soong-nyung, which received acclaim since its serialization in 2014, is a disaster film depicting survivors gathering in the only remaining Hwanggung Apartment in Seoul, which has become a ruin after a massive earthquake. It will be released on the 9th of next month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.