En Route To in the “New Currents” section and The Accordion Door in the “Vision” section each win two awards

KAFA’s education and production system proves its competitiveness at an international film festival

Two feature films produced by the Korean Film Council (Chairman Han Sang-joon, hereinafter KOFIC) and the Korean Academy of Film Arts (Director Cho Geun-sik, hereinafter KAFA) won a total of four awards at the 30th Busan International Film Festival.

The award-winning films, En Route To and The Accordion Door, were both completed through KAFA’s 18th feature film course. Established by KOFIC, KAFA operates a hands-on curriculum that covers the entire filmmaking process from planning to post-production. For the first time, KAFA’s feature films were selected in the newly established competitive sections at the Busan International Film Festival this year, achieving notable results by also winning awards. This recognition proves that KAFA’s system, which combines film education with a creative production environment, has demonstrated competitiveness on the international stage.

Director Yoo Jae-in’s feature film En Route To, invited to the competitive section, won the New Currents Award as well as the Best Actress Award (Lee Ji-won), securing two honors. The film tells the story of Yoon-ji (played by Shim Soo-bin), a high school student who faces an unexpected pregnancy due to a secret relationship with her homeroom teacher. She steals money from her roommate Kyung-sun (Lee Ji-won) to buy illegal abortion pills, setting off a chain of events as Kyung-sun discovers the truth and follows her. Upon receiving the award, actress Lee Ji-won said, “I’m so nervous. My father told me to prepare an acceptance speech, and he was right. I’m deeply grateful to my parents, director Yoo Jae-in, and the entire crew. I will continue to grow into a better actor.”

In the Vision section, director Son Kyung-soo’s feature film The Accordion Door also won two awards—the Cine21 Award and Best Actor of the Year (Moon Woo-jin). The film depicts the coming-of-age story of Ji-soo (Moon Woo-jin), a literary boy who believes that a mysterious figure gave him a gift of talent when he was lost as a child, and how he is drawn to Hyun-joo (Lee Jae-in), a soccer-loving girl who transfers to his school. Director Son said, “I never expected this result, and I’m still dazed. I will continue to devote myself to filmmaking every day.” Actor Moon Woo-jin received high praise from the jury for his delicate and sincere performance.

Cho Geun-sik, Director of KAFA, said, “It is very meaningful that KAFA feature films were invited to both the competitive and vision sections of the Busan International Film Festival and won four awards in a single year. This proves that our educational system and creative environment provide young filmmakers with a genuine foundation for growth, and it shows the hope that Korean cinema will continue to expand its influence on the global stage. KAFA will keep providing opportunities for emerging filmmakers to take on bold challenges and lead the future of Korean cinema.”