'Rebound' wins Silver Mulberry award at Far East Film Festival

A still from ″Rebound″ (2023) [BARUNSON E&A]

“Rebound,” the latest film by director Chang Hang-jun, won the second-place Silver Mulberry award at this year’s Far East Film Festival (FEFF), production company Barunson E&A said Monday.

Sabrina Baracetti, a film producer and the co-founder of FEFF, praised “Rebound” for its precise basketball scenes and its comical yet heartwarming elements.

“Everyone [who watched the film] was thankful for this story’s courage and honesty,” Baracetti said. “It is one of the most successful films introduced in FEFF, and has received a very high rating, of 4.60 out of 5.”

The festival, based in Udine, Italy, centers on films from East Asia and this year is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The Mulberry award is in the competition sector and is given to the film with the most audience votes.

Other Korean films that have won the award include “Welcome to Dongmakgol” (2005), “Castaway on the Moon” (2009), “Silenced” (2011) and “1987: When the Day Comes” (2017).

“Rebound” is a 2023 sports drama film based on the true story of a basketball coach and his high school’s finals in the national championships. It stars actors Ahn Jae-hong, Lee Shin-young, Jeong Jin-woon and Jung Gun-joo.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]