The New York Asian Film Festival will present the North American premiere of Na Hong-Jin‘s “Hope” as the centerpiece of its 25th edition, with Neon distributing the film in North America beginning Sept. 9.
The screening takes place July 20 at the SVA Theatre in New York, where Na will appear for an introduction and Q&A.
Na will also receive NYAFF’s Daniel A. Craft Award for Excellence in Action Cinema – the festival’s honor for filmmakers working at the peak of the genre, named for founder Dan Craft, who died in 2013. Past recipients include Dante Lam and Yuen Woo-ping. “Hope” is Na’s first film in a decade, following “The Wailing.”
The film unfolds in a coastal village called Hope Harbor, where a weary police chief, his outspoken sergeant, and a group of hunters find themselves confronting a mysterious presence emerging from surrounding forests. Na drew a parallel to his earlier work while articulating the film’s underlying concern. “Ultimately, what this film hopes to explore and convey is the familiar adage that all the world’s tragedies stem from misunderstandings,” he said. Despite its genre spectacle, he describes the film simply as “a human drama.”
The cast is led by Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, and Hoyeon, marking the “Squid Game” breakout’s feature film debut. An international ensemble portraying the film’s enigmatic visitors through performance capture includes Oscar nominee Michael Fassbender, Oscar winner Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell (“Waves,” “Bones and All”), and Cameron Britton (“Mindhunter,” “Mickey 17”). The film was shot across South Korea and Romania’s Retezat National Park by cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo, whose past credits include “Parasite” and “Burning,” and is scored by Michael Abels, composer of “Get Out” and “Nope.”
