43rd Crowns King and the Clown

The 43rd annual Grand Bell Awards ceremony, held July 21st at the COEX Convention Hall in southern Seoul, presented its top prize for Best Film to The King and the Clown as indeed almost everyone expected. The film grew into a colossal local hit when it was released in December of last year, attracting more than 12.3 million movie-goers to become the highest-grossing Korean film of all time. It was nominated in a record 15 categories, and took home seven awards, including Best Director, Best Actor and Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Script.

Kam Woo-seong won the Best Actor award for his lead role as Jang-saeng, an itinerant jester who ends up performing, along with his counter-part Konggil, for a slightly demented King in this Joseon-period-drama. KARM, 36, debuted in television in 1990 with the drama A Paradise of Our Own and made his film debut as the lead in Marriage is a Crazy Thing opposite UHM Jung-hwa.

Lee Joon-ik took the Best Director prize despite competition from more established director Park Chan-wook. Newcomer and overnight sensation, Lee Joon-ki, to no surprise at all, won the Best New Actor award, for his role as the gender-bending Konggil. Lee also won the Most Popular Actor award which is based on internet and mobile-phone votes.

The award for Best Actress went to Jeon Do-yeon for her compelling role as a hapless waitress/prostitute in You Are My Sunshine. Best Editing went to Kim Sang-beom, who was nominated for two films, "Bloody Tie" and Murder, Take One ("The Big Scene"), winning for the latter. The Best New Director award went to Han Jae-rim, for his cynical and unsettling romantic-comedy, "The Rules of Dating".

Nigel D'Sa (KOFIC)

The complete list of winners are as follows:
Best Film: The King and The Clown
Best Director: LEE Joon-ik, The King and The Clown
Best Leading Actor: Kam Woo-seong, The King and The Clown
Best Leading Actress: JEON Do-yeon, You Are My Sunshine
Best Supporting Actor: YOO Hae-jin, The King and The Clown
Best Supporting Actress: KANG Hye-jeong, Welcome To Dongmakgol
Best Script: CHOI Seok-hwan, The King and The Clown
Best Cinematography: JI Gil-yong, The King and The Clown
Best Lighting: YOO Yeol-jong, "Typhoon"
Best Editing: KIM Sang-beom, Murder, Take One ("The Big Scene")
Best Music: Michael Staudacher, Blue Swallow
Best Art Direction: Jo Geun-hyeon/LEE Hyung-joo, "Duelist"
Best Visual Effects: KANG Joon-ik/SHIN Jae-ho/JUNG Do-an, "Typhoon"
Best Sound Design: KOFIC/EUN Hee-soo, Blue Swallow
Best Planning: OH Jung-wan/LEE Yoo-jin, You Are My Sunshine
Best Costumes: JUNG Kyung-hee, "Forbidden Quest
Best New Director: HAN Jae-rim, "Rules of Dating"
Best New Actor: LEE Joon-ki, The King and The Clown
Best New Actress: Choo Ja-hyeon, Bloody Tie
Most Popular Actor and Actress: LEE Joon-ki, KANG Seong-yeon [KOREA]
LEE Joon-ki, LEE Young-ae [OVERSEAS]