Seoul Mates
| Seoul Mates | |
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| Directed by | Nash Ang |
| Produced by |
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| Written by |
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| Starring |
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| Music by |
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| Cinematography | Chungil Lee |
Production company |
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Release date |
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Running time | 115 minutes |
| Country |
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| Language | |
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Seoul Mates is a 2014 Filipino-Korean romantic comedy-drama film directed and co-written by Nash Ang. Produced jointly by OBRA Incorporated of the Philippines and Samsong Entertainment Media Holdings of South Korea, it was described by The Korea Times as "the first Korea-Philippines co-produced feature film made by staff and actors from both countries."[1] The film stars Ji Soo in his first leading role in a feature film,[2] alongside Mimi Juareza. It premiered at the Cinema One Originals Film Festival in November 2014.[3]
Plot
Alice, a Filipino transgender woman, travels to South Korea to follow her boyfriend. Joon, a young Korean musician, is struggling under pressure from his traditional parents. The two cross paths by chance on a bridge in Seoul, and their encounter develops into an unlikely cross-cultural relationship.[4][3]
Cast
- Mimi Juareza as Alice
- Ji Soo as Joon
- RC Eusebio as Jason
- Nash Ang as Arthur
- Liz Cha as Suyong
- Glaiza Valdez as Petra
- Youngnam Cha as Cholsu
- Eukwon Hong as Minsoo[4]
Production
Nash Ang originally conceived Seoul Mates as a school project while studying filmmaking on a scholarship at the Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts) in Seoul in 2013.[1] The Korea Herald had profiled Ang in September 2012 as a Filipino exchange student at K-Arts with "a cinematic eye for presenting heart-wrenching poverty with disarming frankness" in his documentary work.[5] The project was subsequently expanded into a feature-length production through a two-month shoot in 2014, with a cast and crew composed of both Filipino and Korean professionals.[1]
The film was produced by OBRA Multimedia, the production arm of Filipino non-profit cultural organization OBRA Incorporated, in co-production with Samsong Entertainment Media Holdings, a Korean entertainment company.[4] Ronald Arguelles served as executive producer, Hoseon Lee as line producer, and Mathieu Stewart as co-producer and sound designer.[4] Cinematography was by Chungil Lee and the musical score was composed by Gil Hizon.[4]
The production brought together actors from both countries. Korean actor Ji Soo took on his first leading role in a feature film with Seoul Mates.[2] The Commission on Filipinos Overseas later described the film as "the first-ever Filipino-Korean Feature Film."[6]
Release
Seoul Mates premiered at the Cinema One Originals Film Festival in Manila on November 10, 2014, where it was nominated for Best Picture.[3][4] The festival's 2014 edition, its tenth year, featured ten films in competition, including works by several notable Filipino filmmakers such as Antoinette Jadaone's That Thing Called Tadhana and Kanakan-Balintagos' Esprit De Corps.[3][7]
Following its Philippine premiere, the film screened at Indiespace, an independent cinema in Seoul's Jongno district.[1] It was also screened in Tokyo in April 2015.[1]
Reception
Rappler critic Zig Marasigan reviewed Seoul Mates as part of his coverage of all ten Cinema One Originals 2014 competition films, acknowledging the film's engagement with "pressingly relevant" subject matter including gender identity and cultural difference.[7] Marasigan noted that such "gender issues demand more active, public discussion, and entertainment is an effective way to open up dialogue to a larger market."[7]
The Korea Times later described the film as "the first Korea-Philippines co-produced feature film made by staff and actors from both countries," highlighting its role as an early example of cinematic collaboration between the two nations' film industries.[1] The Commission on Filipinos Overseas also cited Seoul Mates when recognizing Nash Ang with a Media Advocate Award in 2021, describing it as "the first-ever Filipino-Korean Feature Film."[6]
See also
- Cinema One Originals
- Cinema of the Philippines
- Nash Ang
- Korea Pinoy International Film Festival
- Ji Soo
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Dong-hwan, Ko (April 9, 2019). "First Philippines film festival in Seoul to tackle 'migration'". The Korea Times. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Tamondong, Hanna (February 11, 2021). "Meet The Pinoy Filmmaker Based In South Korea Who Starred In 'Arthdal Chronicles'". Cosmopolitan Philippines. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Cinema One Originals 2014: Film festival lineup, schedule". Rappler. November 9, 2014. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "Seoul Mates (2014)". IMDb. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
- ↑ Iglauer, Philip (September 18, 2012). "Filipino exchange student takes film on poverty to Pyongyang". The Korea Herald. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "CFO to Honor 19 Outstanding Advocates and Media Works on Migration". Commission on Filipinos Overseas. December 22, 2021. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2026 – via Wayback Machine.CS1 maint: Unfit url (link)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Marasigan, Zig (November 16, 2014). "Movie reviews: Cinema One Originals Film Festival 2014". Rappler. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
External links
Category:2014 films Category:2014 romantic comedy-drama films Category:Filipino-language films Category:Korean-language films Category:Philippine romantic comedy-drama films Category:South Korean romantic comedy-drama films Category:Films set in Seoul Category:Films shot in Seoul Category:Cinema One Originals films Category:Transgender-related films Category:Philippines–South Korea relations
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