Jeon Do-yeon wins Best Actress as the film heads to Netflix on Nov. 6 and stands as Korea’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film

A still from Possible Love. <Netflix>

Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love has been named Best Film at the 46th Korean Association of Film Critics (KAFC) Awards, and Jeon Do-yeon will receive Best Actress for her role in the film. A month after winning the Grand Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in September, the film has also been chosen by Korean critics as the year’s best.

The Korean Association of Film Critics considered films released between October 2025 and September 2026. After a preliminary round of member voting and a final deliberation on Oct. 16, it announced the winners in each category on Oct. 19, along with its annual list of the year’s 10 best films. Best Director went to Na Hong-jin for Hope, which also won Best Actor for Zo In-sung and Best Cinematography for Hong Kyung-pyo.

From Venice to Korea’s Critics: The Path of ‘Possible Love’

Possible Love is Lee’s first feature in eight years, following Burning (2018). In the film, a laid-off worker and his wife cross paths with a documentary filmmaker and her husband through a documentary project. As their lives become entangled, each comes face to face with how differently they live and with the desires they have kept hidden. Sul Kyung-gu and Jeon play the working-class couple, and Cho Yeo-jeong and Zo play the filmmaker and her husband. Zo also appears in Possible Love, but his Best Actor award was for Hope.

Netflix produced and financed the film. It world-premiered at the Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 6 (local time), and at the closing ceremony on Sept. 12 it received the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize in the Competition section. It is the first Korean film to win Venice’s Grand Jury Prize. In his acceptance speech, Lee thanked Netflix for believing in the film and making it possible, as well as the cast and crew. The film opened in Korean theaters on Sept. 23.

‘Oasis,’ ‘Poetry’ and ‘Secret Sunshine’: Lee Chang-dong’s Award History

Lee won the Silver Lion for Best Director at the 59th Venice International Film Festival in 2002 for Oasis. Twenty-four years later, he has won a Silver Lion at the same festival again. At the KAFC Awards, he won Best Film and Best Screenplay at the 30th edition in 2010 for Poetry, and the top prize now goes to his work once more. Jeon won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007 for Lee’s Secret Sunshine. This is her second film with the director, and it brings her the KAFC Best Actress award.

The 46th KAFC Awards ceremony will be held on Nov. 4 at Cinematheque KOFA Theater 1 at the Korean Film Archive. Possible Love begins streaming on Netflix on Nov. 6. It has also been selected as South Korea’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.

Sources 

• Herald Business, “Lee Chang-dong’s ‘Possible Love’ Named Film of the Year at Korean Association of Film Critics Awards; Na Hong-jin’s ‘Hope’ Wins Three,” 2026.10.20

• The Asia Business Daily, “‘Possible Love’ Wins Best Film at Korean Association of Film Critics Awards,” 2026.10.19

• The Korea Times, “Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love wins Korean film critics award,” 2026.10.20

• Ilgan Sports, “Lee Chang-dong’s ‘Possible Love’ Takes Silver Lion Amid Critical Acclaim; Congratulations From Jeon Do-yeon, Zo In-sung and More,” 2026.09.13

• Vogue Korea, “Lee Chang-dong’s ‘Possible Love’ Takes Home a Venice Film Festival Trophy,” 2026.09.14

• Asia Today, “Lee Chang-dong’s ‘Poetry’ Wins Best Film and Best Screenplay at Korean Association of Film Critics Awards,” 2010.10.21