K-Movies "Hopeless" and "Iron Mask" Bag Accolades at LEAFF 2023

The K-movies Hopeless and Iron Mask bagged accolades at the 8th London East Asia Film Festival (LEAFF). 

The up-and-coming actor Hong Xa Bin was honored with the Rising Star award at the 8th London East Asia Film Festival (LEAFF) for his performance in the K-movie Hopeless.

Hopeless revolves around a young boy named Yeon Gyu (Hong Xa Bin), who wants to escape from his hellish reality but ends up joining the underworld when he meets a gang's middle boss, Chi Geon.

Actor Hong Xa Bin stated, "This is the first award I've received since elementary school. I'm nervous and feeling tense." He also expressed gratitude to Song Joong Ki, saying, "I would like to express my gratitude to Song Joong Ki sunbae [senior], who told me that Hopeless was my movie and told me to hold my head high and work hard." 

Celebrated actors such as Yim Si Wan, Ryu Joon Yeol, and Kim Da Mi have also previously been recipients of the prestigious award.  

Hopeless was released on October 11. The K-movie is screening in theaters nationwide (South Korea).

Iron Mask also bagged an accolade at the festival. The K-movie, directed by Kim Sung Hwan, won the Best Picture award at the 8th London East Asia Film Festival.

Competing in the festival's Competition section, Iron Mask triumphed over other competing films, including Hopeless, Morii Yusuke's This Is Amiko, and Fu Tien Yu's Day Off.

Prior to this, Iron Mask won two awards at the 27th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival — the Korean Fantastic Film award and Watcha's Pick for Korean Fantastic award. 

The K-movie also received invitations to the 6th Malaysia International Film Festival and the New Directors Competition section at the 47th São Paulo International Film Festival.

Iron Mask tells the story of Jae Woo ( played by Extraordinary Attorney Woo actor Joo Jong Hyuk), who — striving to secure a spot in the national kendo team — meets his older brother's killer, Tae Su (portrayed by River Where the Moon Rises actor Moon Jin Seung), as a competitor. 

Iron Mask is set to hit the screens on November 15.

8th London East Asia Film Festival, which opened on October 18 and spanned for 12 days, screened 49 films from eight Asian countries, including South Korea, China, Japan, and Hong Kong.

Along with Hopeless and Iron Mask, other Korean movies such as Boston 1947, The Boys, and Concrete Utopia were also screened at the festival. 

Sources (1)(2)