Winning Awards at the Berlin International Film Festival for the Third Consecutive Year

At the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival, Director Hong Sangsoo's 27th feature The Novelist's Film has won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize. After winning the Best Director for The Woman Who Ran in 2020 and the Best Screenplay for Introduction in 2021, Director Hong Sangsoo could enjoy the joy of being awarded at the Berlin International Film Festival for the third consecutive year.

This black-and-white film depicts happenings when a novelist Junhee (played by Lee Hyeyoung) starts off on a long journey to find a bookstore run by her junior who has disappeared, climbs a tower alone, and bumps into a movie director couple and a female actor Gilsoo (played by Kim Minhee). Kim Minhee, who played Gilsoo, also participated as the production director of the film and won the Silver Bear Best Actress for On the Beach at Night Alone in 2017. 

Director Hong Sangsoo has been invited to the International Competition of the Berlin International Film Festival several times. Following Night and Day (2008), Nobody’s Daughter Haewon (2013), On the Beach at Night Alone (2017), The Woman Who Ran (2020), and Introduction (2021), The Novelist’s Film is the sixth work invited to the festival. 

The Berlin International Film Festival this year will be held from February 10th to 20th, and the screening program schedule has been reduced in the aftermath of COVID-19. The winner of the Golden Bear of the Berlin International Film Festival is Alcarràs by Carla Simon, a Spanish female director, the Silver Jury Prize winner is Robe of Gems by Natalia Lopez Gallardo, a Mexican female director, and Claire Denis of Both Sides of the Blade is the winner of the Silver Bear for the Best Director, a French director, showing the power of female film directors. 

For the gender-neutral acting awards, the winner of the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance of the year is Meltem Kaptan for Rabiye Kurnaz vs George W. Bush while the winner of the Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance is Laura Basuki for Before, Now & Then. Also, Director Andreas Dresen of Rabiye Kurnaz vs George W. Bush has won the Best Screenplay at the festival.