Jang Hyuk, Ryu Seung-ryong win awards at NY film fest

Acclaimed Korean stars and content creators are set to take center stage at the upcoming New York Asian Film Festival 2022, with actors Jang Hyuk and Ryu Seung-ryong, among others, winning awards at the fest.

According to NYAFF, Jang won the Daniel A. Craft Award for excellence in action cinema for his roles in “The Swordsman” (2020) and “The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves to Die,” which will be shown during a special screening at NYAFF.

Ryu will receive the inaugural Best from the East Award in recognition of his performance in the romance drama “Perhaps Love” (2021). Cho Eun-ji, the actor-turned-director behind “Perhaps Love,” is vying for the Uncaged Award in the best feature film competition as well.

Kim Hye-yoon, the uncontrollable hellion of director Park Ri-woong’s “The Girl on a Bulldozer” (2021), won this year’s Screen International Rising Star Asia Award.

Celebrating 140 years of cultural exchange between Korea and the US, the Korea Cultural Center New York supported the presentation of the Korean lineup, including Yoon Jong-seok’s “Confession,” Lee Il-ha’s “I Am More,” Yeom Ji-ho’s “Next Door” and more.

Korean actors Ryu Jun-yeol, Kim Go-eun and Bang Min-ah have been previous recipients of the Rising Star Asia Award.

The 20th edition of NYAFF is scheduled to present Korean period film “Hansan: Rising Dragon” as its centerpiece film. Korean director Choi Dong-hoon’s sci-fi epic “Alienoid,” starring NYAFF 2019 Screen International Rising Star Asia recipient Ryu alongside Kim Tae-ri and So Ji-sub will close the festival

Both films will be released in the US later this year by distributor Well Go USA.

Jang, Ryu, Kim, filmmakers Choi Dong-hoon, Kwon Soo-kyung of “Stellar: A Magical Ride,” Yeom Ji-ho of “Next Door” and more will speak with the audience at Q&A sessions after the screenings.

Making its international premiere, Kwon’s “Stellar: A Magical Ride” will join a Fight Cancer Night fundraising event on July 17, with proceeds of tickets going to the American Cancer Society.

By Lee Si-jin (sj_lee@heraldcorp.com)