Grand Prize at the 19th Gwanghwamun International Short Film Festival Awarded to Yoon Daewon for 'Maemi'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Director Yoon Dae-won’s film Maemi, which won the second prize at the Cannes Cin?fondation this year, has taken the Grand Prize at the Gwanghwamun International Short Film Festival.

On the 20th, the 19th Gwanghwamun International Short Film Festival announced and awarded the winners at the closing ceremony held the previous day. Director Sala Pashtunyar’s Bulgilhan Jingjo (International) and Director Yoon Dae-won’s Maemi (Domestic) received the Grand Prize.

Bulgilhan Jingjo, which won the International Competition Grand Prize, was praised for "richly developing its characters while beautifully directing, and reflecting the bleak reality of an Afghan woman who lost her husband." Through the video, Director Pashtunyar expressed, "This will be a great motivation to continue making meaningful films."

Director Yoon Dae-won, who directed Maemi, praised for breaking away from typical storytelling methods depicting sexual minorities, won the Domestic Competition Grand Prize following Cannes. Director Yoon promised, "I will show further growth."

The Special Jury Prize went to Director Ellaine Ester Bots’ Mal-ui Heureum (International) and Director Kim Boram’s Nae Koga Seokjae (Domestic). The International Competition Gwanghwamun Rock Award was given to Directors Johan Tappert and Gustav Egerstedt’s Majimak Gyeolhon Saenghwal, and the Domestic Competition Cinecube Award went to Director Hyomin’s Apateu.

The New Filmmaker Award was awarded to Director Kim Yoon-jung for Seonyul, the Face of Short Film Award to actress Lee Young-ah for Muryok-ui Eoneo, and the Gwanghwamun Fund Award to Director Heo Ji-yoon for Gajeongdong.

The newly established Lee Chun-yeon Award, created in memory of the late CEO Lee Chun-yeon, grants pre-production support funds to revitalize short films and discover young creators according to his wishes. Director Jo Kyung-won’s Nae Chingue Jibeun Eodinga was selected.

The international competition films will be screened online from the 20th of this month until the 2nd of next month, along with the opening film The Letter Room, produced and starring Oscar Isaac, the Cinema Old and New: Domestic Directors’ Exhibition selections, and Sundance Film Festival short film winners, which will be available online from November 3rd to 16th.

The 19th Gwanghwamun International Short Film Festival concluded its six-day journey with the closing ceremony on the 19th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.