Korea picked up 7 awards at this year’s Asian Film Awards held Monday the 21st of March in Hong Kong.  Most notably was previous Best Film and Best Director winner LEE Chang-dong who again, picked up the Best Director Award for <Poetry> (2010).  The film which won the Best Screenplay Award at Cannes also picked up the Best Screenplay award at Monday’s ceremony.  HA Jung-woo, who has gone from strength to strength over the past few years after appearing in TV dramas and rising to fame in 2008’s <The Chaser> (2007) grabbed the Best Actor award for NA Hong-jin’s <Yellow Sea> (2010).  The actor who appeared in <Take Off>(2009) the 3rd biggest selling film in 2009, beat Hong Kong veteran actor Chow Yun Fat for the award.   

 

IM Sang-soo’s remake of <The Housemaid> (2010) which premiered at Cannes also reaped gold, winning veteran actor YOON Yeo-jeong the Best Supporting Actress Award.  Not to be left behind in the technical category was NAM Na-young who won the Best Editing Award for KIM Jee-woon’s <I Saw the Devil> (2010).  In the non-competitive categories former Busan International Film Festival director KIM Dong-ho picked up the Outstanding Contribution to Asian Cinema award and JEON Do-yeon, who was also nominated for a Best Actress Award, picked up the People’s Choice Award for best acting alongside Chow Yun Fat. 

 

Korea has had significant success during the 5 year existence of the awards.  BONG Joon-ho’s <The Host> (2006) won the Best Film Award at the inaugural awards in 2007 and a Best Actor Award for SONG Kang-ho.  The following year LEE Chang-dong’s <Secret Sunshine> (2007) picked up the Best Film, Best Actress and Best Director awards.  BONG Joon-ho next film <Mother> (2009) then garnered veteran Kim Hye-ja with the Best Actress Award in last year’s ceremony.  The Best Film Award for this year’s event went to the Cannes winning Thai Film <Uncle Boomee who can recall his past lives> (2010).