Hong Xa-bin, who plays 18-year-old high school student Yeon-kyu in rookie director Kim Chang-hoon’s feature debut film “Hopeless,” won the Rising Star Award at the London East Asia Film Festival on Monday. In this noir film, Hong showed a detailed emotional buildup and sensitive acting performance to portray Yeon-kyu who lives with an abusive stepfather and an enervated mother. His character is even...