Korean films are gaining increasing recognition on the international stage, winning numerous awards and honourable mentions in various film festivals.

Park Chan-wook's I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK received an Honourable Mention at the 28th edition of the FantasPorto International Film Festival, which opened in Portugal on 9 March 2008.

The film takes place in a mental hospital, where a girl who thinks she's a cyborg falls in love with another mental patient.

Park is one of the most acclaimed directors in Korea today and is famous for his "vengeance trilogy", which includes the films Old Boy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance.

The film Breath by director Kim Ki-duk is a story about a death row inmate who falls in love with a married woman.

It won the Jury's Special Award in the Orient Express section for Asian films at the festival in Portugal.

Also attracting attention overseas is Director Jeon Sooil.

His movie, With a Girl of Black Soil, has won several awards at festivals in Spain and Switzerland, as well as from the International Federation of Film Societies.

Korean films were also shown at the 10th Deauville Asian Film Festival, which opened in France on 12 March.

Veteran director Im Kwon-taek's 100th film, Beyond the Years with themes of love and nostalgia was chosen as the opening film. Jeong Yeon-soo's film Love Now (Changing Partners), which involves two couples who get caught up in affairs with each other, closed the festival on the 16th of March.

Source: Arirang News