Lee Chang-dong, born in 1954, found himself writing and directing plays while still at university. He published his first novel, the renowned Chonri, in 1983. A decade later he began his screenwriting career, collaborating with acclaimed filmmaker Park Kwang-su on the films To The Starry Island and A Single Spark. In 1997, Lee directed his first feature, Korean film noir, Green Fish. Peppermint Candy (2000) and Oasis (2003) followed, with both films receiving much critical success. From 2002 – 2005, Lee held the position of Minister of Culture and Tourism, after which he founded Pinehouse Films. Here he made Secret Sunshine (2007), which won Best Feature Film at the 2007 Asia Pacific Screen Awards and for which Jeon Do-yeon won Best Actress at both the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and the 60th Cannes Film Festival. He also won an APSA for Best Children’s Feature Film in 2009 for A Brand New Life. Poetry won the prize for Best Screenplay at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival and Lee was awarded a third APSA, this time for Achievement in Directing. In 2016 he won a fourth APSA as the producer of The World of Us in the Best Youth Feature Film category. He returned to directing in 2018 with Burning and was awarded the Jury Grand Prize APSA alongside his producing partner Lee Joon-dong.
The Asia Pacific Screen Academy expresses its respect for and acknowledgement of the South East Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of country, including the custodial communities on whose land works are created and celebrated by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. We acknowledge the continuing connection to land, waters and communities. We also pay our respects to Elders, past and present. We recognise the integral role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations peoples continue to play in storytelling and celebration spaces.
