On November 24, at the KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, the 44th Blue Dragon Film Awards lit up the night, bringing together famous faces and honoring the best in Korean films for 2023. Let's take a look at who took home the top prizes!
"Smugglers" stole the show, winning four big awards: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Jo In Sung, Best New Actress for Go Min Si, and Best Music. Another notable film was "The Night Owl," grabbing three awards for Best New Director (Ahn Tae Jin), Best Editing, and Best Cinematography and Lighting.
"Concrete Utopia" also made its mark, with Director Um Tae Hwa winning Best Director and actor Lee Byung Hun snagging Best Actor. Jung Yu Mi won Best Actress for her role in "Sleep," and Jeon Yeo Been was named Best Supporting Actress for her performance in "Cobweb."
Check out the full list of winners below!
- Best Picture: "Smugglers"
- Best Director: Um Tae Hwa ("Concrete Utopia")
- Best Actor: Lee Byung Hun ("Concrete Utopia")
- Best Actress: Jung Yu Mi ("Sleep")
- Best Supporting Actor: Jo In Sung ("Smugglers")
- Best Supporting Actress: Jeon Yeo Been ("Cobweb")
- Best New Actor: Hong Sa Bin ("Hopeless")
- Best New Actress: Go Min Si ("Smugglers")
- Best New Director: Ahn Tae Jin ("The Night Owl")
- Best Screenplay: July Jung ("Next Sohee")
- Best Art Direction: Jeong Yi Jin ("Cobweb")
- Best Music: Jang Ki Ha ("Smugglers")
- Best Technical Achievement: Jin Jong Hyun ("The Moon")
- Popular Star Awards: Jo In Sung, Song Joong Ki, Park Bo Young, Kim Seon Ho
- Audience Choice Award for Most Popular Film: "The Roundup: No Way Out"
- Best Editing: Kim Sun Min ("The Night Owl")
- Best Cinematography and Lighting: Kim Tae Kyung, Hong Seung Chul ("The Night Owl")
- Best Short Film: Yoo Jae In ("Ghwa the Last Name")
The audience also had their say through the Popular Star Awards, recognizing the popularity of Jo In Sung, Song Joong Ki, Park Bo Young, and Kim Seon Ho. Plus, "The Roundup: No Way Out" won the Audience Choice Award for Most Popular Film.
The 44th Blue Dragon Film Awards was a night of glitz and glamour, celebrating the incredible talent in the Korean film industry. As we say goodbye to another year of great movies, these awards remind us of the creativity and skill that make Korean cinema shine on the world stage.
To all of the winners this year, congratulations!
