“The Mutation” by director Shin Su-won wins the Florence Korea Film Fest 2026

“It tells without rhetoric a real marginality through an eccentric protagonist, questioning the very idea of identity and belonging”

The audience award went to “The Journey to Gyeong-ju”, by the young director Kim Mi-jo, a road movie in which comically surreal situations are intertwined with a painful experience

Florence, 27 March – “The mutation” by director Shin Su-won, an intense work that explores human vulnerability and the sense of alienation in a little-represented peripheral Korea – far from the neon lights of Seoul, often implacable towards those who do not conform to the dominant standards – won the award for best film of the 24th edition of the Florence Korea Film Fest, the festival dedicated to South Korean cinema, whose award ceremony is held today, Friday 27 March, at the La Compagnia cinema.

Set in a South Korea crossed by social and cultural tensions in which the protagonists are forced to confront the weight of the gaze of others, two existences considered “other”, almost “mutant”, which find in their mutual proximity a possibility of recognition and resistance. The only real home – the director seems to tell us – is not a geographical place or a nation, but human recognition between people who share the same fragility. The victory at the Florence Korea Film Fest represents not only an artistic recognition, but also the confirmation of a deep bond between the director and the Florentine festival, which over the years has accompanied and enhanced her work.

The Mutation

The jury, this year chaired by Federico Micali and composed of David Pacifici, Alessio Giorgetti, Isabella Ahmadzadeh, Kim Kyung-ok and Yoon C. Joyce, awarded the prize with the following motivation: “because it manages to tell, without rhetoric, a condition of real marginality, through the point of view of an eccentric protagonist, who questions the very idea of identity and belonging from within. It is also a look at a peripheral Korea that is underrepresented, where social and economic tensions emerge without filters”.

The jury also awarded a special mention to “Halo”, the first work by Roh Young-wan, which through the eyes of a young delivery man highlights the pressure and forms of invisible violence lurking in everyday urban life. “We chose Halo for the remarkable skill of the direction, which despite the limitations of an independent production, manages to build the narrative with a rigorous and essential language without sacrificing formal precision. At the same time, the film lucidly addresses the current theme of precariousness and youth marginality, returning a problematic and underrepresented reality, in which creative desire continually clashes with the material and social limits of Korean society”.

The winner in the Short, Short! section was the short film “Lesson” by Kim Jin-woo (21min). Finally, the film that won the audience award in the theater was “The Journey to Gyeong-ju”, by the young director Kim Mi-jo, a road movie in which comically surreal situations are intertwined with a painful experience.

Lesson

The Journey to GyeongJu

The event is conceived and directed by Riccardo Gelli of the Taegukgi association and co-directed by co-director Chang Eun-young, organized with the support of Fondazione Sistema Toscana, Region

Tuscany, Metropolitan City of Florence, Municipality of Florence, Fondazione Cassa Risparmio di Firenze, KOFIC – Korean Film Council and Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Italy, Cultural Institute Korean in Italy and KOFA – Korean Film Archive.

In collaboration with: Mymovies, Arci, Nemo Academy, Florence Pops Orchestra, Aurelio Saffi Hotel Institute, Chungkang University.

Sponsors: Conad, Publiacqua, Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico, Marvis, Hyundai-Brandini, The Mall Simon Luxury Outlets, Helvetia & Bristol Firenze – Starhotels Collezione, Hotel Bernini Palace, Grand Hotel Baglioni – Carattere Toscano Hotels & Resorts, Hotel l’Orologio, Hotel Santa Maria Novella, Hotel Balestri, Hotel Anglo American Florence, Grand Hotel Mediterraneo, Hotel Indigo, Arrighi Viticoltori all’isola d’Elba, Ristorante Hallasan, Ristorante Nuti, Korean Restaurant Gangnam, Ristorante Da Pinocchio, Ristorante La Galleria, Garbo Osteria Toscana, Trattoria Dall’Oste, Ristorante Paoli, Ristorante Boccanegra, Ristorante Acqua al 2, Citylights events & experiences.

Media Partners: Radio Toscana; Taxidrivers; AsianFeast.org, Asianworld, Cinematographe, Firenze Spettacolo, Korean Community in Italy, Novaradio, Mugunghwa Dream.

Information: Florence Korea Film Fest; via San Domenico, 101 (Fi); Tel: 055 5048516; Tel: 333 6874142; [email protected]; www.koreafilmfest.com.