Song Kang Ho Shines As 1st Asian Actor To Receive Locarno International Film Festival's Excellence Award

Aug 13, 2019

Song Kang Ho is the first Asian actor to receive the Excellence Award at the Locarno International Film Festival!

The 2019 Locarno International Film Festival was held on August 12 at 9:30 p.m. local time at the Palexpo in Locarno, Switzerland.

The awards ceremony began with a three-minute introductory video of Song Kang Ho’s representative works, after which the actor himself appeared and shared a brief conversation with the ceremony’s Artistic Director Lili Hinstin.

When Song Kang Ho was handed the trophy for the Excellence Award, he gave the following speech:

“Thank you. I am very happy and honored to receive this grand and meaningful award at the historic and beautiful Locarno. I am especially thrilled because this is the place many of the world’s best actors that I respect greatly have set foot in. I hope that this special moment will comfort, encourage, and touch the many artists who are burning with passion and taking on the hardships of this path all around the world.”

Director Bong Joon Ho, who cast Song Kang Ho in his famous films “Memories of Murder,” “The Host,” “Snowpiercer,” and “Parasite,” was present at the ceremony. Song Kang Ho addressed to the director, “I dedicate this award to South Korea’s great director Bong Joon Ho who is also forever my companion and friend.” Bong Joon Ho was handed the microphone, and he responded, “I would not have been able to complete the four movies I worked on with Song Kang Ho if it wasn’t for him, so I’m very thankful. I truly congratulate you on receiving the award.”

Below are photos from the ceremony that were uploaded to Song Kang Ho’s agency’s official Instagram account: