‘The Informant’ is building anticipation even before its domestic release, with news of invitations and awards at international film festivals.
In July, ‘The Informant’ was selected as the opening film for the 24th New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF), a prominent North American Asian film event. It had its world premiere at Lincoln Center in New York City, meeting local audiences first.
Previously, films like ‘Escape from Mogadishu,’ which was invited to the Cannes Film Festival, along with ‘Killing Romance’ and ‘Victory,’ have been recognized for both their artistic and popular appeal at the New York Asian Film Festival.
Director Kim Seok remarked, “When I received the invitation from the New York Asian Film Festival, I couldn’t believe it. Watching the film with the audience was truly an exhilarating experience.” Despite concerns about whether foreign audiences could fully appreciate the film with subtitles, Kim noted that “the audience’s generous reception of the film seemed evident.”
Following the press screening media conference, actor Jo Bok-rae expressed his joy, saying, “The audience was completely filled, creating an incredibly energetic atmosphere. It felt like the first time I stood on a theater stage again.”
Along with invitations to the New York Asian Film Festival and the London Korean Film Festival’s Cinema Now section, more encouraging news follows.
On November 28, it was announced that ‘The Informant’ won the Best Foreign Film Award at the Asia International Film Festival 2025, held in Macau from the 26th to the 27th.
Han Sung-gu, CEO of Popcorn Film, which has produced hits like ‘Love Novels,’ ‘Bandage,’ ‘Pawn,’ and ‘The Yellow Sea,’ expressed gratitude for the international recognition of their film before its domestic release. “We hope our movie will bring even a little joy to local audiences,” he mentioned, sharing his happiness about the award.
On December 1st, Jo Bok-rae, appearing on SBS PowerFM’s ’12 o’clock with Joo Hyun-young,’ shared his delight about the festival’s award news, expressing a wish for the success of the film, recognizing the effort and sincerity of the new crew members, including the debuting staff and the director.
Image source: NSEnEM
