Director shoots first major movie solely with iPhone

"Night Fishing" is said to have the same picture resolution as conventional movies but took just 80 people, 150 million won ($133,000) and 10 days to create.

Park Chan-Wook said he at first approached the project, a 30-minute film about a surreal encounter between a fisherman and a female shaman (medium), for fun.

"New technology always offers wonders and useful features. Testing them is part of the amusement," he told Yonhap news agency in an interview after Monday's premiere.

But the director, best known internationally for "Oldboy" and "Thirst" which each won Cannes festival prizes, discovered unexpected benefits.

"It was a new experience compared with making a meticulously planned movie. Even a casual and spontaneous shot delivered a surprise," he said.

"It felt like there were more choices."

The scenes were shot simultaneously with two iPhones from different angles, but staffers also contributed with recordings on their own iPhones.