Jeon Kyu-hwan had a unique career path in becoming an influential film director as he entered the industry as a manager for actors such as Cho Jae-hyunm (The Isle, Bad Guy, dir. Kim Ki Duk) and Sul Kyung-gu (Silmido, No Mercy). He made his directorial debut without any formal educational background. Starting with Mozart Town, his debut feature from 2008, he made the Town Trilogy including from 2009 and from 2010, by employing an independent film production method. His Town Trilogy shed light on the shady and lonely hidden sides of a modern-day metropolitan city by employing different approaches in all three films. His 2011 film shifted its direction and had its setting at Varanasi, a sacred place in India, to present a torrid love affair between a man and a woman. From Seoul to Varanasi was officially invited to the Panorama section of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival in 2012. Later in 2012, Jeon unveiled The Weight at Venice, where it picked up the Queer Lion before appearing at numerous other festivals including Busan and Black Nights in Tallinn where Jeon picked up the Best Director prize. Both of his films were sold by Korea’s top art house distributor FineCut, representing directors such as Kim-Ki Duk and other leading Korean independents. Angry Painter is his seventh feature.
Estonian Film Institute
