Korean filmmaker Kim Ji-woon, best known for his 2003 horror “A Tale of Two Sisters” and 2010 thriller “I Saw the Devil,” won a coveted prize from U.S. Filmmakers Alliance ― a group of cineastes working for and promoting independent movies ― according to local movie house and distributor CJ Entertainment.
Kim was given the Vision Award at the annual VisionFest celebration hosted by the organization on Wednesday. The prize is given to an “established filmmaker whose artistic ambition and consistent filmmaking excellence provides artistic inspiration to emerging filmmakers all around the world,” said the group on its website.
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Film director Kim Ji-woon |
The award’s past recipients include Wim Wenders, Allison Anders, Alexander Payne, Christine Vachon and Winding Refn. Kim is the first Korean director to win the prize.
The 48-year-old made his debut in 1998 with his comedy horror film “The Quiet Family.” He has been noted for successfully tackling a wide range of film genres, including comedy, horror, thriller, action and noir. His 2003 psychological horror “A Tale of Two Sisters” was inspired by a traditional Korean folktale, while his 2005 noir “Bittersweet Life” and 2010 serial-killer thriller “I Saw the Devil” were recognized for their raw depiction of violence and the human condition.
Kim is currently working on his Hollywood debut film “Last Stand,” featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger in the leading role.
“Kim’s eclectic oeuvre never fails to thrill and enthrall,” the organization said on its website. “His is an unfailingly distinctive vision that expresses itself in every frame of every genre he’s tackled, or mixed genre he’s created. Filmmakers Alliance is honored to be a part of his introduction to mainstream American audiences.”
The $30 million project film is about an American sheriff, played by Schwarzenegger, working in the small border town of Sommerton Junction and a notorious drug kingpin who escapes from an FBI prisoner convoy.
The film is slated to open in theaters in Korea and the U.S. in January of next year.
By Claire Lee (
dyc@heraldcorp.com)
