 |
| Top Locarno Film Festival prize for Hong Sang-soo for Right Now, Wrong Then Photo: Locarno Film Festival |
South Korean director Hong Sang-soo has won the top prize at the 68th Locarno Film Festival for his bitter sweet romance Right Now, Wrong Then (Jigeumeun matgo geuttaeneun teullida).
Jeong Jae-yeong and Kim Min-hee star as a film director and aspiring painter who meet and spend the same day together, twice. Apparently the director shot and edited the first part, screened it for the actors and then filmed the second part with them in the same locations.
The Competition jury, comprising among others actor Udo Kier and Scarecrow director Jerry Schatzberg also rewarded the film’s leading man Jung Jae-young with a best actor accolade.
The director was previously named best director at Locarno two years ago for Our Sunhi.
This year the best director award went to the veteran Polish director Andrzej Zulawski with his first feature film in 15 years, Cosmos, a tale of two young men who seek out the solitude of the country. Their peace, however, is disturbed when a set of random occurrences suggest to their susceptible minds a pattern with sinister meanings.
The Special Jury Prize was presented to Israeli visual artist turned filmmaker Avishai Sivan for his third feature Tikkun. The religious drama deals with an Orthodox academic undergoing a spiritual crisis.
The main competition also included a collective best actress ward for the ensemble in Japanese director Yamaguchi Ryusuke’s Happy Hour, which also received a special mention for the script.
 |
| Special Jury Prize for Israeli visual artist turned filmmaker Avishai Sivan for his third feature Tikkun Photo: Locarno Film Festival |
French director Catherine Corsini was given the Variety Piazza Grande award for her lesbian romance Summertime (La belle saison) with Cecile de France and Izia Higelin.
The awards will be presented tonight (August 15) on the Piazza Grande before the closing film - The Violin Teacher, a musical drama from Brazil.
The International Competition awards in full:
- Golden Leopard Right Now, Wrong Then (Jigeumeun matgo geuttaeneun teullida). by Hong Sangsoo (South Korea)
- Special Jury Prize TIkkun by Avishai Sivan (Israel)
- Best Direction Andrzej Zulawski for Cosmos (France/Portugal)
- Best Actress Tanake Sachie, Kikuchi Haruki, Mihara Maiko, Kawamura Rira for Happy Hour by Hamaguchi Ryusuke (Japan)
- Best Actor Jung Jae-Young for Right Now, Wrong Then
- Special Mentions script of Happy Hour and cinematography by Shai Goldman for Tikkun
