,20-year screen return Kim Min-jong proves 'K-film status' as three-time winner at Hollywood film festival
Actor Kim Min-jong once again proved the strength of Korean cinema on the Hollywood stage with the film Florence (Florence knockin' on you), marking his return to the screen after about 20 years.
At the awards ceremony of the '2025 Global Stage Hollywood Film Festival' held on the 4th (local time) at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatre in Los Angeles, California, the film Florence won three major awards — best picture, best director and best screenplay — achieving a dazzling result. This win is an example of a Korean film sweeping major categories at an overseas film festival with a single work, once again confirming that K-film narratives and performances resonate with global audiences.
The film, directed by Lee Chang-yeol, sheds light on the life of middle-aged man Seok-in against the beautiful backdrop of Florence, Italy. In the film Seok-in faces a turning point in his life and reflects on the meaning of the things he has lost, using the cathedral's cupola in Florence symbolically to explore the nature of human existence and happiness.
Kim Min-jong, who played the lead role Seok-in, delivered deep internal performances and received praise from audiences and critics. Having largely disappeared from the screen while juggling drama and music activities, he increased the film's immersive power with more mature emotional expressions in this work. The delicate chemistry he showed with actress Ye Ji-won exquisitely balanced the loneliness of a middle-aged man with a woman's warm sensitivity, further elevating the film's completeness.
In his acceptance speech Kim Min-jong said, "I feel deeply moved that my long-awaited return to film has been recognized in Hollywood," adding, "I want to widely share the good energy I received in Hollywood together with Florence."
Meanwhile, this achievement became a special gift for fans on the Chuseok holiday. The film captures moments of choice and reconciliation faced after middle age against the beautiful scenery of Florence, once again proving the value of the deep narratives and performances that Korean cinema can offer.<
[Photo] YTN news capture
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