"Concrete Utopia" Gets Unanimously Selected As Korean Submission For 96th Academy Awards

“Concrete Utopia” will be competing in the International Feature Film category at the 96th Academy Awards!

On August 17, the Korean Film Council announced that “Concrete Utopia” had been selected as the Korean film to be submitted in the International Feature Film category for the 96th Academy Awards.

Regarding the selection criteria, the judges stated, “We wanted to select a film that feels Korean but is also geared towards the global standard, that strikes a good balance between artistic and mainstream, and that can appeal to the Academy Awards, which is often perceived as conservative.”

Only one film per country can be submitted in the Academy’s International Feature Film category each year.  This year, “Concrete Utopia” and “Cobweb” competed as finalists for South Korea’s submission.

Explaining why “Concrete Utopia” was selected, the judges commented, “In Korea, an apartment building symbolizes class and wealth. After only the low-income housing complex Hwang Goong Apartments was left standing [in ‘Concrete Utopia’], the various desires of the characters struggling for survival were well-portrayed. It is an original story well-led by Lee Byung Hun.”

They added, “At a time when global recession and natural disasters are hitting every corner of the globe, ‘Concrete Utopia’ features not heroes, but ordinary people trying to survive. It touches on the themes of class found in the award-winning film ‘Parasite.'”

“Concrete Utopia” is a disaster thriller about the aftermath of a devastating earthquake. The movie follows the story that begins when the survivors gather at Hwang Goong Apartments, the only building left standing in an earthquake-ravaged Seoul.

“Concrete Utopia” will hit theaters in New York and Los Angeles on December 8 with a wide release on December 15. Check here for theater locations and tickets!

Watch Lee Byung Hun in his film “Emergency Declaration” on Viki below:

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