Lee Hye-ri of ‘Victory’ receives Rising Star Award at NY Asian Film Festival

Singer-actor Lee Hye-ri won the Rising Star Award with the coming-of-age film “Victory” at the 2024 New York Asian Film Festival which kicked off Friday. The festival runs until July 28.

“Victory” had its world premiere at the 23rd NYAFF by opening the festival held at New York Lincoln Center.

In the movie set in 1999, Lee plays a high-school student Pil-sun who creates a cheerleading group to gain access to the school's dance room.

The film marks Lee’s first return to the silver screen in five years after the 2019 sports comedy “My Punch-Drunk Boxer.” She has starred in several hit TV dramas such as “My Roommate is Gumiho,” “Moonshine” and “May I Help You?”

“I’m so overwhelmed and honored to receive the award. I believe I’m getting the award on behalf of the actors who worked with me,” Lee told the audience as she accepted the award. Fellow actor Park Se-wan and director Park Beom-soo celebrated with her on the stage. Park Se-wan plays Pil-sun’s soulmate Mina in “Victory.”

“Three months before shooting, I began practicing speaking in dialect to perfectly portray my character Pil-sun, along with 8 to 9 hour-long dance practices with Park Se-wan,” Lee added.

Inspired by a news article that Park read in 1986, the year Seoul hosted the Asian Games, about a small cheerleading club on a small island in South Gyeongsang Province, the film incorporates music from 1999 music and the dance trends of the time.

Established in 2002 by New York’s Subway Cinema, NYAFF is known to program Asian movies for a broad audience.

“Victory” will hit local theaters on Aug. 14.