South Korean Filmmaker Lee Chang-dong to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at Malaysia International Film Festival
South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 9th Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest), running July 18–25 in Kuala Lumpur. The festival, themed "Resonance," will screen 65 films from 35 countries and also present Chinese actor-director Wu Jing with an Excellent Achievement in Film Award. The recognition highlights Lee's decades-long influence on world cinema and comes as he nears a return to directing with a Netflix-backed film tipped for Venice.
The 9th edition of the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) will honor South Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong with its Lifetime Achievement Award, with MIFFest president Joanne Goh praising his work for its "honesty, compassion, and profound understanding of humanity." The tribute will include screenings of two of Lee's early films, Peppermint Candy (1999) and Oasis (2002). Lee, who began his career as a novelist and high school teacher before directing his first feature past the age of 40, has accumulated major festival accolades including a best director prize at Venice, a Cannes screenplay award for Poetry, and an Oscar shortlisting for Burning (2018). He also served as South Korea's Minister of Culture and Tourism in 2003–04. The festival opens July 18 with the world premiere of Malaysian film BAGA: Tomorrow Belongs to No One and closes with Yellow Letters, winner of the Golden Bear at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival. The International Competition features 10 films from emerging directors, including Taiwanese star Shu Qi's directorial debut Girl, with a jury headed by Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap. New program strands this year include Korean Cinema: A Culture in Motion and a Russian Film Week, alongside returning sections spotlighting ASEAN, Hong Kong, and Indian cinema.
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The articles do not clarify whether Lee Chang-dong will attend the festival in person to accept the award.
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- VarietyCenter
Lee Chang-dong to Receive Lifetime Achievement Honor at Malaysia’s MIFFest
- The Hollywood ReporterCenter
Lee Chang-Dong to Receive Malaysian Film Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Honor
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