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Next Friday, 8 June 2007, is another exciting evening for the Korean entertainment industry. It is the 44th Daejong Film Festival aka Grand Bell Awards to be held at the Grand Hall, Sejong Centre, Seoul held yearly in Spring. As it is the oldest surviving film fest in Korea inaugurated in 1962 and the only one sponsored by the government to promote the improvement of the quality of Korean film, it is regarded by some as the most prestigious for the film industry equivalent to the Academy Awards. However, a public opinion poll in July 2004 had its biggest rival Paeksang Awards together polled equally at 18.7% each, with Blue Dragon behind at 14.8%.

The Daejong trophies are awarded in 26 categories including the best film, the special judges’ award choice, best director, the best actor and actress, the best supporting actor actress, screenplay, cinematography, lighting, film editing, music, etc.

Just trying to make head and tail out of the seemly numerous Korean awards shows has got me more confused. I have seen KBS linked with Blue Dragon and MDC has its Korean Film Fest that is in the 5th year last year. SBS has been giving out its Acting Awards, so can anyone out there help clarify the mire of awards just for films and dramas!

Here are some information on the other notable awards for films and their sponsor. This information is rather dated written in 2005 by Koreanfilm.org:
Blue Dragon (Sports Chosun newspaper) every December
Paeksang aka Baeksang Art (Hankook Ilbo newspaper) for both movie and TV.
Pusan Film Critics Awards (run by a small but independent-minded group of critics based in Pusan.)

Coming back to the 44th Daejong, allow me the whim to make the following predictions that are not based on having watched any of their works apart from director YooHa´s A Dirty Carnival contending for Best Picture with Jo In Sung in the lead for Best Actor:

Best picture: The Host
(Extremely popular with box office taking double that of Tazza, the No. 2 in 2006 that is in the nomination list for Best Director category for Choi Dong Hoon)

Best Actor: With certainty that it will not be Jo In Sung
(He is too new in the realm of Best Actor category, even though I will gladly accept to be proven wrong. No disrespect for In Sung ssi, he blew me out in his role as Kim Byung Doo. He is an actor whom I could say with utmost certainty grown from an entertaining fluff of a Korean drama lead to a serious actor whom I respect. Okay, no more gushing about this actor from me.)

Best Actress: Kim Ah Joong
(Feel good actress in her role as Hanna in 200 Pounds Beauty)

Best New Actor: Jung Ji Hoon
(what more can I say, he is Rain, almost Korea`s most treasured export, perhaps the most sparkling hope for Korea to perpetuate the Hallyu to the big US of A, if not the rest of the world!)

So tell me, who do you think will make it in the 44th Daejong!

Written by Kwfong exclusively for Shenyuepop
Source: Tour2Korea+Wikipedia+Koreanfilms.org+reikanorakuen+Daejongsang

5 Nominations for Best Picture category

The Host (trailer)

200 Pounds Beauty

Radio Star

Family Ties/The Birth of a Family
(Trailer available for download in hancinema)

A Dirty Carnival