Director Hong Sang-soo wins top honor at Locarno film festival

Director Hong Sang-soo, left, and actress Kim Min-hee at the press conference for Hong's film "Right Now, Wrong Then" at the Locarno International Film Festival in Locarno, Switzerland. The film was awarded the "Golden Leopard," Saturday. / Yonhap

By Kim Bo-eun

Director Hong Sang-soo’s latest film "Right Now, Wrong Then" won the “Golden Leopard” at the 68th Locarno International Film Festival, Saturday.

Jung Jae-young, the lead actor in the romantic comedy, was awarded Best Actor honors, the first time a Korean male lead has received a Best Actor award at the festival hosted in Locarno, Switzerland.

In 2001, actress Kim Ho-jung was awarded Best Actress for the film "Nabi."

It was the second time that a Korean film received the coveted Golden Leopard after director Bae Yong-kyun received the award for “Why has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East?”in 1989.

Hong previously received a Best Director award in 2013 for "Our Sunhi"

Lead actor Jung Jae-yong in "Right Now, Wrong Then" / Yonhap

The Locarno festival, an annual event since 1946, is among the most reputable film festivals in Europe, along with those hosted in Berlin, Cannes and Venice.

It ran from Aug. 5 through Aug. 15 this year.

Hong attended the festival with the film’s leading actress Kim Min-hee. Jung was unable to attend due to filming schedules.

"Right Now, Wrong Then” is set to be released in theaters next month.