The South Korean Film Council has named Possible Love directed by Lee Chang-dong as South Korea’s official submission for the Best International Feature category at the Academy Awards. This film marks Lee’s first full-length project in eight years and arrives with a high-profile festival itinerary and a hybrid release plan involving theatrical windows and a global streaming debut on Netflix.
Selection committee members highlighted the film’s cinematic completeness clear directorial intent and striking mise-en-scène and they pointed to strong early interest from North American press as well as the filmmaker’s prior awards track record. The committee also noted that the film’s distribution partner has mounted an awards-focused marketing strategy that could broaden its profile beyond the international feature category.
Story, cast and creative team
Possible Love explores the entangled lives of two married couples: a household coping with job loss and economic strain, and an affluent pair anchored by a documentary filmmaker who decides to chronicle the experience of laid-off workers. As filming begins, private tensions and latent desires surface, reshaping relationships across both families. The script was co-written by Lee and his longtime collaborator Oh Jung-mi, maintaining the director’s interest in character-driven humanism.
The ensemble features established South Korean actors, including Jeon Do-yeon in a role that reconnects her with Lee after earlier collaborations, Sul Kyung-guCho Yeo-jeong and Zo In-sung. Production partners include Anonymous ContentNOWFILM and Pinehouse Film names that tie this project to both local and international production networks.
Festival plan and release schedule
Possible Love will make its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival followed by screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival. These festival appearances are central to the film’s visibility among critics and awards voters. After its festival run, the film is slated for a limited theatrical release in selected territories before arriving globally on Netflix.
The release calendar includes a theatrical opening in South Korea on September 23 meeting the Academy’s eligibility timeframe. A limited U.S. theatrical bow is scheduled for October 23 and the film will stream worldwide on Netflix starting November 6. These dates structure both the film’s public exposure and its awards eligibility path.
Context within Lee Chang-dong’s career and Korean cinema
Lee Chang-dong’s filmography has long been associated with dense, character-focused narratives. Earlier works such as Secret SunshinePeppermint Candy and Oasis established his reputation for probing emotional complexity. His 2018 film Burning earned the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes and became the first South Korean entry to reach the Academy’s international feature shortlist, demonstrating Lee’s continuing awards visibility.
This will not be the first time Lee’s films have represented South Korea at the Oscars: previous submissions included Oasis and Secret Sunshine and Burning reached the shortlist. The recent international success of other South Korean films, most famously Parasite has helped raise global attention for Korean cinema, creating a more receptive environment for films like Possible Love.
Industry collaborators and production notes
Production credits tie Possible Love to companies active across different markets. Pinehouse Film returns as a producer after backing previous Lee projects, while Anonymous Content and NOWFILM bring international production and distribution experience. The collaboration signals an approach that combines local storytelling with a global release and festival strategy.
Members of the selection committee explicitly cited the film’s polished visual language and the depth of its character portraits as reasons for choosing it as the national submission. The committee also pointed to the film’s festival presence and the distributor’s campaign as elements that could strengthen its awards prospects on the international stage.
What the submission means for awards season
By naming Possible Love as its official entry for the 99th Academy Awards South Korea is positioning a film that blends festival pedigree with streaming-backed reach for awards consideration. The film’s eligibility and release dates, combined with its Venice competition slot and subsequent North American festival appearances, set up a conventional festival-to-theater-to-streaming trajectory designed to maximize critical exposure and voter awareness.
For Lee Chang-dong, the selection reinforces his standing as one of South Korea’s most internationally recognized auteurs. For the film itself, the combination of a high-profile cast, a respected creative team and a planned awards campaign makes it a title to watch through the upcoming festival circuit and awards season.
