SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) — South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong will become the first Korean director to receive the Toronto International Film Festival's TIFF Ebert Director Award, Netflix said Thursday, as his latest film, "Possible Love," is also set to make its North American premiere at this year's festival.
The award is part of TIFF's annual Tribute Awards, which recognize individuals for outstanding artistic achievement and contributions to cinema. Named after influential American film critic Roger Ebert, the TIFF Ebert Director Award honors filmmakers whose work has demonstrated a distinctive artistic vision and had a lasting impact on the medium. The awards ceremony will be held Sept. 13 during the festival.
Lee joins previous recipients including Guillermo del Toro, Mike Leigh, Spike Lee, Sam Mendes, Denis Villeneuve and Chloé Zhao. He is the first Korean filmmaker to receive the honor.
The recognition comes ahead of Lee's return with "Possible Love," his first feature film in eight years. The film has been invited to the Special Presentations section of this year's Toronto festival after earning a competition berth at the Venice International Film Festival, where it will make its world premiere.
Starring Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong, the Netflix-backed drama follows two married couples brought together through the production of a documentary as they confront the realities of their relationships and long-hidden desires. Netflix will give the film a limited theatrical release in South Korea beginning Sept. 23 before its global streaming debut on Nov. 6.
Lee is widely regarded as one of South Korea's leading auteurs, with films including "Peppermint Candy," "Oasis," "Secret Sunshine," "Poetry" and "Burning." His work has received major honors at international film festivals, including Cannes and Venice, helping establish him as one of the country's most influential contemporary filmmakers.
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