South Korea Submits "12.12: The Day" for 2025 Oscars

The K-movie 12.12: The Day is aiming for Oscars. 

According to the Korean Film Council, 12.12: The Day was unanimously selected by the jury as Korea's submission for the International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards.

KOFIC stated, "There was almost no disagreement about the film's level of completion, as it evenly encompasses the film's dramatic tension, the directorial skill that amplifies the actors' performances to the realm of mise-en-scène, and outstanding insight into history."

The council added, "We hope that the film's portrayal of the illusion of charisma and the satirization of evil portrayed in this work will appeal to the Academy Awards as timely metaphors in terms of the film's thematic aspects."

Only one film per country can be submitted to the Academy's International Feature Film category. To pass the first round, it must first be included in the shortlist, which will be announced at the end of this year. The shortlist contains about twice the number of the final nominees and is released before the final nominations for the Academy Awards are announced. Only by making it onto the shortlist can a film have a chance at the final nomination. 

Korean films have been submitted to the International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards every year. Concrete Utopia (Lee Byung Hun, Park Seo Joon, Park Bo Young) was sent last year. The only Korean film to have made it into the list of the final five nominees is Parasite, which is also the only Korean film to have won the award.

12.12: The Day tells the story of December 12, 1979. Seoul was deep in political tension. President Park has been assassinated, and martial law declared.

Head of the Defense Security Command Chun Doo Kwang (Hwang Jung Min), and a group of officers carry out a coup. But, stubborn Commander Lee Tae Shin (Jung Woo Sung), who believes that it is not befitting for the military to take political actions, fights Chun Doo Kwang to prevent him from executing his plans. 

The conflict between the two intensifies as the Defense Minister disappears and military leaders hold onto their decisions. In the midst of pandemonium, the spring in Seoul takes an unexpected turn. 12.12: The Day was released in November last year and garnered approximately 13.12 million moviegoers.

The 97th Academy Awards will be held in March 2025.

Source