Decision to Leave Challenges Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

Selected as a Korean Film Submission for Yeongjinwi

Director Park Chan-wook's "Decision to Leave" has been selected as South Korea's submission for the Best International Feature Film category at next year's Academy Awards. The Korean Film Council announced on the 11th that this decision was made after reviewing the film's artistic quality, the director's recognition, directing skills, and its potential for success in the North American market. The judging panel included Choi Jae-won, CEO of Anthology Studio, editor Nam Na-young, reporter Song Kyung-won, and director Lim Chan-sang.

The consideration of the film's potential success in the North American market is due to the strict requirements of the Academy Awards. Only one film per country can be submitted for the Best International Feature Film category. The submitted film must be screened in a theater in Los Angeles, USA, for at least one week. Since the awards ceremony is based in North America, screening in this region is mandatory.

To meet the eligibility criteria and achieve a certain level of box office success, financial backing is essential. The investor and distributor CJ ENM led director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" to win four major awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film) in 2020 through substantial support. Similar strong backing is expected for "Decision to Leave." Following director Park's Best Director win at the Cannes International Film Festival in May and featuring Tang Wei, well-known to North American audiences for "Lust, Caution," the film aims to increase its recognition. It is reported that the release strategy has been somewhat established. The plan is to release the film on October 14 through the influential distributor Mubi and then commence full-scale promotion and marketing.

"Decision to Leave" is a romantic mystery about a detective investigating a death case who becomes entangled in new emotions while questioning the deceased's wife. The cast includes Park Hae-il, Tang Wei, Lee Jung-hyun, Park Yong-woo, Go Kyung-pyo, and Kim Shin-young. The film was released domestically on June 29 and attracted 1,798,287 viewers.

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