You can be among the first ones to see South Korea’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 2024 Academy Awards in local theaters.
Columbia Pictures Philippines is holding special advance screenings of Um Tae-hwa‘s disaster thriller “Concrete Utopia” on September 11 and 12 at cinemas nationwide.
It will begin its regular run in theaters on September 20.
“Concrete Utopia” was chosen by the Korean Film Council to represent South Korea at the upcoming Oscars in March 2024.
The 2024 Academy Awards will be held on March 10, with the final list of nominees for Best International Feature Film set to be announced on January 23 of the same year.
“Concrete Utopia” tells the story of the aftermath of a massive earthquake that struck South Korea’s capital.
Everything in the world-renowned city has been reduced to rubble, except the Hwang Gung Apartments, which quickly becomes a safe haven against the harsh conditions of the outside world.
However, life soon turns around when unexpected conflicts begin to arise among the residents themselves.
The movie is based on Kim Soong-nyung‘s webtoon “Cheerful Outcast” Part II, “Cheerful Neighbor.”
“Concrete Utopia” features an ensemble cast, including:
- Lee Byung-hun as Young-tak, the Resident Delegate of Hwang Gung Apartments
- Park Seo-jun as family man Min-sung
- Park Bo-young as compassionate Myung-hwa
- Kim Sun-young as Geum-ae, the head of the Hwang Gung Apartments’ women’s association
- Park Ji-hu as Hye-won, a resident who survives the quake and returns to the apartments
- Kim Do-yoon as uncooperative resident Do-kyun
The movie is produced by Climax Studio, the production house known for the Netflix series “Hellbound” and “D.P.”
Meanwhile, Um Tae-hwa is known for his critically acclaimed movie “Ingtoogi: The Battle of Internet Trolls.”
He received the Best New Director award at the 54th Grand Bell Awards for the fantasy film “Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned.”
Filipinos can watch the advance screenings of “Concrete Utopia” at the following theaters nationwide: