Kim Han-min

An emerging force to be reckoned with in international cinema, director Kim Han-min. Kim raised in Korea. Working with a shoestring budget, the young director made his first short film, "Sympathy," in 1998. His next effort, "Sunflower Blues," generated buzz upon its debut at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival in 1999, and in 2003, his short film "Three Hungry Brothers" won a prize for special awards at the Mise-en-scene Genre Film Festival in Seoul. In 2007, Kim directed his first full-length film, the 1980s-set thriller "Paradise Murdered," also known as "Paradise 1986," which he followed up with another darkly comedic thriller, 2009's "Handphone." While both films fared well commercially in Kim's native Korea, the director sought to reach a wider audience with his next effort, the period epic "War of the Arrows," which he wrote and directed in 2011. A deeply personal story for Kim, "War of the Arrows," also known as "Arrow: The Ultimate Weapon," centers on the historic conflicts Korea has endured over the years, as well as the country's long use of the bow and arrow. A box-office hit in Korea, the film also garnered acclaim in the United States and around the world.