Jury for the Actor of the Year Award

Charismatic Actors with Unprecedented Talent, Jung Woo and HAN Yeri to Search For Hidden Gems of Korean Cinema!

The Busan International Film Festival’s Actor of the Year Award is an award established in 2014, dedicated to the discovery of emerging actors who possess the talent and potential to lead the future of Korean cinema. The award will be presented to one male actor and one female actor from Korean independent feature films nominated in the New Currents and Korean Cinema Today – Vision sections. This award is especially meaningful as actors representing Korean cinema will present it in person to up-and-coming talent who will carry forth the future of Korean cinema.

Jung Woo, one of the jury members for this year’s Actor of the Year Award, established his name through the film, Wish (2009), and won Best New Actor at the 2010 Grand Bell Awards. He continued to impress audiences with his realistic portrayal in the widely acclaimed drama series, Reply 1994 (2013). Jung Woo built up his filmography to become one of the most beloved actors in Korea, as he gave breathtaking performances in a variety of roles in films such as C’est Si Bon (2014), The Himalayas (2015), New Trial (2016), Best Friend (2020), Hot Blooded (2020), and many more.

Actor Han Yeri will also join the jury for this year’s Actor of the Year Award. Han Yeri has showcased a wide range of acting skills, from films like As One (2011), Worst Woman (2016), and The Table (2016) to drama series such as Hello, My Twenties! (2016), Nokdu Flower (2019), and My Unfamiliar Family (2020). She established herself on the global stage by winning the U.S. Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival with the critically acclaimed film, Minari (2020). Han furthered her career as a globally lauded actor by winning the 2021 Gold List Best Actress Award.

Each winner of the Actor of the Year Award will be granted a cash prize of 5,000,000 KRW, which Jung Woo and Han Yeri will present at the BIFF closing ceremony.

In addition, the two actors will also mark the grand finale of the 28th Busan International Film Festival by serving as the closing ceremony hosts. Jung Woo and Han Yeri will greet guests at the closing ceremony alongside interim festival director Nam Dong-chul and interim managing director Kang Seung-ah.