‘The Man Standing Next’ Director on Following ‘Parasite’ as Korea’s Next Oscar Contender
Woo Min-ho’s political thriller hopes to become the second straight Korean film to win Best International FilmJeremy Fuster | January 17, 2021 @ 8:03 PM Last Updated: January 17, 2021 @ 8:04 PM
The historic victory of “Parasite” at last year’s Oscars has put Korean cinema under a brighter spotlight than ever before. Now “The Man Standing Next” director Woo Min-ho is hoping his political thriller will follow in the footsteps of the first non-English Best Picture winner as South Korea’s selection for the 2021 Best International Film category.
Woo and star Lee Byung-hun spoke with TheWrap about their new film based on the presidency of Park Chung-hee, who was assassinated by the director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) in 1979. Set during the final weeks of Park’s iron-fisted reign, “The Man Standing Next” follows high-ranking officer
Oscars Animated Feature Race Gets a Big, Late Boost From International Contenders
Thanks to films from around the world, the category grew from 13 to 27 competitors overnightSteve Pond | January 18, 2021 @ 11:40 AM Last Updated: January 25, 2021 @ 2:36 PM
AWARDS BEAT Earwig and the Witch : Studio Ghibli / Accidental Luxuriance : Kaosfilm / Demon Slayer: The Movie : Koyoharu Gotoge
A week ago, the race for the Best Animated Feature Oscar seemed as if it could have the smallest field of entries in years. Only 13 films were in the online screening room devoted to the category, although some significant contenders were clearly going to be added, Pixar’s “Soul,” Cartoon Saloon’s “Wolfwalkers” and Studio Ghibli’s “Earwig and the Witch” among them.