CULTURAL INSIGHT

[Anchor Lead]

On today's TADA Korea, we talk about the problem faced by illegal pirating of films, and the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. Illegal filming and pirating of films have always been a serious issue posing threats to the development of domestic films. The movie industry has decided to step up and actively fight against those who commit these illegal acts. Let's take a look

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Illegal downloading is a serious concern for the film industry these days. The Korean thriller "The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil" starring actor Ma Dong-seok that hit local theaters last month has declared a war on illegally downloaded movies. According to the production company, since the film was made availble on video on demand(VOD) services on June 26th, files of the movie have begun to circulate on social media, YouTube and other illegal download sites at home and abroad. The company has issued a formal statement and warned of legal measures. In the statement, the agency cited a past case of punishing some 50 illegal uploaders regarding the 2017 film "The Outlaws." It said that illegal sharing of movie files is a serious crime for both who provide and receive them. The company seeks to request a police investigation into copyright infringement and monetary losses. The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival is high under way in the city of Bucheon. BiFan is an annual festival for genre films. It opened on June 27th and will continue for 11 days until July 7th. Many film stars showed up for the opening ceremony. Actors Jung Woo-sung and Cho Jin-woong and actress Uhm Jung-hwa who is also on the judging panel for the feature film category all graced the red carpet event. Meanwhile the festival's special screen star section this year featured veteran actress Kim Hye-soo with her film career receiving particular spotlight. Special attention is given to science fiction flicks this year and a total of 288 films from 49 countries will be screened during the festival period. This includes the opener, a Mexican film titled "The Gasoline Thieves." Also, 13 Korean genre films will be presented in a special showcase, celebrating the centennial of Korean cinema.