CJ ENM-distributed director Park Chan-wook's "No Other Choice" and director Yorgos Lanthimos' "Bougainvillea," which was developed and produced in collaboration with major Hollywood studios, were simultaneously nominated for the 31st Critics' Choice Awards and the 83rd Golden Globe Awards.
This is the first time a single distributor-investor has had two films advance simultaneously to both the Golden Globe Awards and the Critics' Choice Awards in the same year. It is especially significant that both "No Other Choice" and "Bougainvillea" were nominated for best motion picture – musical or comedy at the Golden Globes. With this, CJ ENM, after advancing both "No Other Choice" and "Bougainvillea" to the competition section of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, has once again set a first for a domestic distributor-investor, demonstrating its strength on the global stage.
"No Other Choice" earned nominations in two categories at the Critics' Choice Awards — best foreign language film and best adapted screenplay — and at the Golden Globe Awards it was nominated in three categories, including best motion picture, best motion picture – non-English language, and Best Performance By a Male Actor In a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Lee Byung-hun. That "No Other Choice" was nominated for best motion picture at the Golden Globes is the first case for a Korean film, reaffirming the status of K-content.
"Bougainvillea" received three nominations at the Critics' Choice Awards, including best picture, with Emma Stone nominated for best actress and Will Tracy for best adapted screenplay. At the Golden Globes, following its best motion picture nomination, Emma Stone was nominated for Best Performance By a Female Actor In a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and Jesse Plemons was nominated for Best Performance By a Male Actor In a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, bringing the film's total to three nominations. As "Bougainvillea" is a Hollywood remake of the 2003 CJ ENM-distributed film Save the Green Planet!, attention is again focused on K-content, which, despite a more than 20-year gap, has been recognized for its still-original concept and timely message.
Meanwhile, CJ ENM previously made history with Parasite, which won the Palme d'Or at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival, then won director and best foreign language film at the 25th Critics' Choice Awards, won best foreign language film at the 77th Golden Globe Awards, and swept four Oscars at the 92nd Academy Awards with best picture, director, original screenplay and international feature film, rewriting the history of Korean cinema. "No Other Choice" is the first CJ ENM-distributed film to be nominated in the foreign language film category at the Golden Globes since Park Chan-wook's Decision to Leave three years ago, and attention is focused on CJ ENM's forthcoming moves in the Oscar race.
Jung Hyun-joo, head of CJ ENM's film business unit, said, "We are very surprised and delighted that CJ ENM-produced and -invested 2025 films 'No Other Choice' and 'Bougainvillea' were both nominated for best motion picture at the Golden Globes. It is the first domestic case of a single distributor having two films compete for best motion picture at the same time, and I believe it reflects international recognition of CJ ENM's creative capabilities in the global film market," adding, "That both films earned nominations in major categories beyond best motion picture is highly meaningful because it shows that directors' and creators' challenges and experiments are being well received in the global market." He continued, "CJ ENM will continue to present outstanding content capable of competing in the global market and will carry forward the rise of Korean cinema."
"No Other Choice" tells the story of Mansu (Lee Byung-hun), an office worker who felt he had "achieved everything," who is suddenly fired and prepares his own war for reemployment to protect his wife and two children and to hold on to the house he bought with great difficulty. The film has received rave reviews, sweeping major film festivals worldwide after Venice, including Toronto, New York and London.
"Bougainvillea" is a film about two young men who believe in an alien invasion of Earth and, thinking corporate CEO Michelle (Emma Stone) is the alien trying to destroy the planet, kidnap her. Prior to nominations for the Critics' Choice Awards and the Golden Globes, the American Film Institute (AFI) selected it among the AFI films of the year top 10 for 2025 alongside One Battle After Another and Avatar: Fire and Ash, accelerating its push in the Oscar race.
[photo] movie poster
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