Director Park Chan-wook has won Best Director at the 58th Sitges Film Festival for his latest feature, "No Other Choice".
According to distributor CJ ENM, the honor was announced as the festival wrapped on the 19th in Spain. Sitges―the world’s largest genre film festival―spotlights bold, imaginative work across fantasy, horror and beyond.
Park’s ties to Sitges run deep. "Oldboy" (2004, Competition) took Best Film; the omnibus "Three... Extremes" (2004, Competition) earned an FX Award; "I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK" (2007, Competition) won Best Screenplay; the short "Night Fishing" (2011, Noves Visions) scored Best Film in its section; and "The Handmaiden" (2017, Competition) landed the Audience Award.
"No Other Choice" centers on Mansu (Lee Byung-hun), a company man who thinks he’s got life figured out―until he’s abruptly laid off. Determined to protect his wife, two kids, and the hard-won family home, he launches his own all-out battle to reenter the workforce.
Ahead of its domestic release, the film competed at the Venice Film Festival to strong international notices. It also picked up an audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival and screened at the New York Film Festival, the BFI London Film Festival, and the Miami Film Festival. Since opening in Korea on Sept. 24, it has drawn 2.77 million admissions nationwide, translating buzz into box office.
The critical heat hasn’t cooled either: with more than 68 reviews counted, "No Other Choice" is still holding a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)