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13th Director's Cut Awards Winners Announced

240 Korean directors have picked the best director, movie and actors for 2009. Most notably, Park Chan-wook picked up the best director award for the Cannes winning "Thirst". Previous to this he had won the award for "JSA - Joint Security Area" (2000), "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" (2002) and "Oldboy" (2004). The long awaited "Thirst", as well as being eagerly received in Korea, played at the Fantasia Film Festival in Toronto and also had a limited U.S. release. For his performance in "Thirst", the ever present and hardest-working Korean actor Song Kang-ho picked up his fifth actor of the year award. Previously he had won the award for, "Memories of Murder" (2003), "The Host" (2006), "Secret Sunshine" and "JSA - Joint Security Area" (2000) also directed by Park Chan-wook. The best actress award went to Kim Hye-ja, the television drama acting stalwart for her passionately eccentric portrayal of a "Mother - 2009" fighting for the rights of her son in Bong Joon-ho's film of the same name.

Other awards went to Yang Ik-june the director and actor of "Breathless" which racked up awards at festivals all over the globe raising the international profile of independent Korean films this year. YANG won the Independent Movie Director Award. Best Actor went to Kim Dong-wook for his role in "Take Off", the movie that despite being in the shadow of this year's monster hit "Haeundae", still managed to make it into the all time top ten Korean box office successes. The Best Actress award went to Park Bo-young for her role in "Scandal Makers" (2008) which itself became the most successful Korean comedy ever.

The awards ceremony took place December 21.

David Oxenbridge(KOFIC)

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