44^th Grand Bell Award Nominations

South Korea’s top two annual film award ceremony takes place June 8^th in the city of Daejeon.  The 44^th Grand Bell Awards, which will showcase 66 domestic films including last year’s sensational The Host and international film festival familiar Family Ties. 

Last year, LEE Jun-ik’s breakthrough commercial success King and the Clown swept the awards.  Popularity is an important factor in the Grand Bell Awards, and this year’s nominations for Best Film are Radio Star, A Dirty Carnival, 200 Pounds Beauty, The Host, and Family Ties.  The latter three also received Best Director nominations for KIM Yong-hwa, BONG Joon-ho, and KIM Tae-yong respectively, along with RYOO Seung-wan for City of Violence and CHOI Dong-hoon for Tazza: The High Rollers.

In the Best New Director category were KWON Hyung-jin (For Horowitz), KIM Han-min (Paradise Murdered), KIM Tai-sik (Driving with My Wife's Lover), KIM Sang-woo (Seducing Mr. Perfect), and KIM Sok-yun (Old Miss Diary). 

Nigel D’Sa (KOFIC)