Lee Chang-dong First Korean to Win Auteur Award

Exterior of a film festival theater in California, USA

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As of September 3, 2026, director Lee Chang-dong will become the first Korean to receive the Auteur Award from the Mill Valley Film Festival in the US next month, Netflix announced today. The honor follows the selection of his new film, 'Love, Possibly,' for the festival's Spotlight program, with the ceremony set for next month.

49thEdition of the Mill Valley Film Festival this year

24 yearsTime since Lee Chang-dong's last Venice competition entry

Key points

Netflix said Lee Chang-dong's new film 'Love, Possibly' has been selected for the Mill Valley Film Festival's Spotlight program, now in its 49th year.
The Auteur Award honors a director's distinctive body of work and overall cinematic achievement.
Lee has also been confirmed as a separate career-achievement honoree at the international film festival in Toronto, Canada.
'Love, Possibly' is set to premiere in the competition lineup of one of the world's top three film festivals, which opened in Italy.

Netflix announced on September 3 that director Lee Chang-dong has been confirmed as the winner of the Mill Valley Film Festival's Auteur Award. This marks the first time the festival has given the award to a Korean director. The event is organized by the California Film Institute, and the ceremony will take place near San Francisco next month.

Lee's new film, 'Love, Possibly,' was also selected for the festival's Spotlight section, which showcases recent work from filmmakers with a distinctive creative voice. The story follows a laid-off worker and his wife, whose lives become entangled with a documentary filmmaker couple hoping to capture their story on film — unraveling hidden layers of both couples' lives. Sul Kyung-gu and Jeon Do-yeon play the laid-off worker Ho-seok and his wife Mi-ok, while Jo In-sung and Jo Yeo-jeong play Ye-ji and Sang-woo, the documentary-making couple.

Prior to this, Lee had already been notified that he would receive a separate career-achievement award from the storied film festival in Toronto, Canada. 'Love, Possibly' has also been officially selected for the competition lineup at a prestigious European film festival, where it will have its premiere with local audiences this week. It marks the first time in 24 years that a Lee Chang-dong film has competed there, since his landmark work 'Oasis.'

Korean audiences will be able to see the film in select theaters starting September 23, with a worldwide Netflix release set for November 6. The split theatrical-and-streaming rollout is seen as a strategy to reach viewers across multiple channels.

In Korea right nowIn Korea, fans are celebrating the string of honors from major international festivals. Since last month's production press conference in Seoul, news of the award has been trending alongside updates on the cast, and anticipation is building for Lee's first new film in eight years.

FAQ

What is the Mill Valley Film Festival's Auteur Award?

It's a special honor the festival gives to recognize a director's distinctive creative vision and overall body of work. The festival is organized by the California Film Institute.

When can I watch 'Love, Possibly'?

It opens in select Korean theaters on September 23, and will be available to Netflix subscribers worldwide starting November 6.

What's the film about?

It follows a couple who lost their jobs in layoffs and a documentary filmmaker couple who set out to tell their story.