The film "Possible Love" has delivered welcome news to the Korean film industry by winning the Silver Lion (Grand Jury Prize) at the Venice International Film Festival, raising expectations for its performance in the upcoming U.S. Academy Awards race next March.
"Possible Love" won the Silver Lion (Grand Jury Prize) in the competition section at the closing ceremony of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, held at the Sala Grande theater on Lido Island, Italy, at 7:00 p.m. local time on the 12th.
Director Lee Chang-dong experienced the emotional moment of winning an award at Venice again 24 years after taking home the Best Director award and Best New Actor award for Moon Sori for "Oasis" in 2002.
The win was somewhat anticipated. Following its premiere locally on the 7th, "Possible Love" received enthusiastic praise from critics and the press, and was even tipped as a contender for the Golden Lion, the festival's top prize. Some had also predicted acting award wins for Jeon Do-yeon and Sul Kyung-gu, who delivered overwhelming performances in the film.
The honor of the award went to the film itself. The actors reportedly preferred winning for the film, placing the spotlight on the movie rather than individuals.
The Venice International Film Festival win for "Possible Love" carries multiple layers of significance. It is not only symbolic as the first win at Venice in 14 years since director Kim Ki-duk's "Pietà" (2012), but also because this victory can serve as a stepping stone for entering the U.S. Academy Awards next March.
"Possible Love" was recently selected as South Korea's submission to the U.S. Academy Awards. Made with funding from Netflix, "Possible Love" will be able to prepare for the Oscar race with Netflix's full support. Major U.S. media outlets have also predicted that Netflix will provide comprehensive support for the Oscar campaign of "Possible Love" following its Silver Lion win in Venice.
U.S. media outlet IndieWire reported on the 11th that Netflix plans to push "Possible Love" for Best Actress, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film.
The initial goal for "Possible Love" is a nomination for Best International Feature Film. Given that entries from multiple countries that have won major prizes at the world's top three film festivals compete every year, securing a spot among the final five nominees is no easy task. Director Lee Chang-dong previously reached the shortlist at the Academy for the first time for a Korean film with his previous work, "Burning".
The only film that ultimately succeeded in this challenge was director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite". "Parasite" rewrote Korean film history by securing nominations and winning four awards in total, including Best International Feature Film, Best Picture, and Best Director.
With Netflix's robust support, "Possible Love" is expected to target not only Best International Feature Film but also acting nominations. Given the outpouring of praise for Jeon Do-yeon's performance in Venice, it holds strong competitiveness.
Starting with Venice, "Possible Love" is scheduled to be submitted and screened consecutively at the Toronto, New York, San Sebastian, Zurich, Vancouver, and Busan International Film Festivals. This is expected to be a major schedule for raising the film's international fame and awareness.
The film will be released in local theaters first on the 23rd, followed by its global release to viewers worldwide via Netflix on November 6.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)
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