KOREAN NET

Poster for director Heo Gayoung's film "First Summer" (Screen capture from Cannes Film Festival)

By Koh Hyunjeong

Director Heo Gayoung has won first prize for her work "First Summer" in the La Cinef section of this year's Cannes Film Festival.

The festival's executive committee on May 22 announced the award for Heo's short film, the first Korean to earn the prize in the category.

La Cinef is one of Cannes' competitive categories for works by film school students worldwide. Among the 2,679 works submitted by students at 646 academies around the world to this year's competition, 16 were officially invited.

As Heo's graduation work from the Korean Academy of Film Arts, "First Summer" portrays an elderly woman who has devoted her life for her family, but wants to attend the 49th day of mourning and rites for her late boyfriend instead of her granddaughter's wedding.

The director will receive EUR 15,000 (KRW 23 million) in prize money.

"First Summer" will be screened on June 6 in Paris.

hjkoh@korea.kr