Hwang Hye-in's 'Hole' takes home La Cinef second-place prize

Movies

Published: 26 May. 2023, 11:02 Updated: 26 May. 2023, 11:23

Hwang Hye-in's 'Hole' takes home La Cinef second-place prize

From left, directors Zineb Wakrim, Marlene Emilie Lyngstad and Hwang Hye-in pose for a photo after receiving La Cinef awards at the Cannes International Film Festival in Cannes, France on Thursday. [CANNES]

“Hole” by director Hwang Hye-in won the second prize in the La Cinef section at the 76th Cannes International Film Festival on Thursday, a category of awards for short films submitted by film schools.

Hwang was named the second-prize winner at the La Cinef section ceremony at Bunuel Theater in Cannes, France, on the same day.

La Cinef introduces works of film school directors from around the world and awards first, second and third prizes to the three most outstanding films.

This is the second time a Korean film has won the second prize at La Cinef, after director Yoon Dae-woen’s “Cicada” in 2021. No Korean film has won the first prize at La Cinef yet.

“Hole” is a 24-minute short film by Hwang, a Korean Academy of Film Arts graduate. The thriller depicts the story of a social worker who visits a brother-sister duo and finds a large maintenance hole in their house.

“Hole” will be screened in Paris next month as a La Cinef award winner. Hwang will also receive 11,250 euros ($12,000) as the second-prize winner.

The 76th Cannes International Film Festival kicked off on May 16 and runs through Saturday. While no Korean films were invited to the In Competition section, where films compete for the main prize of the festival — the Palme d’Or — a total of seven Korean films have been invited to the event this year in various other sections.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]