Korean drama film “Late Spring” won the Best Foreign Feature prize at this year’s Arizona International Film Festival, the movie’s producer Studio Hook said.

Directed by filmmaker Cho Keun-hyun (“26 Years”), the film revolves around a genius sculptor (Park Yong-woo) in postwar Korea, who suffers from a progressive muscular disease that will lead to complete paralysis. Disheartened, he decides to quit his career as an artist. In an effort to encourage him, his dutiful wife (Kim Seo-hyung) hires a model (Lee Yoo-young), a young mother of two children, to pose nude for him. 

The film also earned Lee the best actress prize and the film best cinematography at the on-going Milano International Film Festival, the production house said. The emerging actress is the first Korean to receive the honor. “Late Spring” has been also nominated for six other categories at the film festival, including best director, best screenplay, best supporting actress, best production design and best music.

Filmmaker Cho majored in fine art at Seoul National University and worked as a production designer for a number of films, including “My Way,” “Forbidden Quest” and “A Tale of Two Sisters.”

He made his directorial debut in 2012 with the controversial “26 Years,” which deals with five people who plot to assassinate former President Chun Doo-hwan for the 1980 massacre of Gwangju civilians. Its production was paid for by online crowd-funding, as its initial pitches had been turned down by investors for its politically-sensitive subject matter. “Late Spring” is Cho’s second feature film.

By Claire Lee
(dyc@heraldcorp.com)