Our filming team gathered at school and set off for Namsan, as the graduation film festival was being held at the Namsan Arts Center.
The graduation film festival was open to anyone who wanted to attend.
However, most students who submitted their films were more interested in the awards ceremony than the actual screenings.
The awards given out included Technical Award, Redigo Award, and Popularity Award.
After the student awards, there were awards for the alumni, but I wasn't particularly concerned about those I wasn't going to win.
With "Blue Moon," we only received the Popularity Award, largely thanks to Kwak Yeon-ji.
The school made a big fuss about finally producing a star, and since Kwak Yeon-ji was well-known at the school, she won by an overwhelming vote.
Usually, the director would accept the Popularity Award, but since I knew it was mostly thanks to Kwak Yeon-ji, I feigned going to the bathroom and let her accept it on my behalf.
Winning the Popularity Award meant missing out on the Redigo Award.
No film had ever won multiple awards at the festival.
The award I was aiming for was the Redigo Award. It was given by film department professors who evaluated the overall quality of the film, considering directing, acting, and screenplay.
As we arrived, a huge banner advertising the festival caught our eye. The excitement and nervousness were palpable among our team.
"Do you think a lot of famous seniors will come today?"
"I heard Director Kim Soo-rin is coming."
"Kim Soo-rin? I haven't heard of him before."
After my regression, I watched several acclaimed films, but the standards were different from what I knew. I gave up trying to understand the film industry of this world long ago when I found out that "Jurassic Park" was made by Smith Bender, not Steven Spielberg.
"Chan-hyun, what award are you aiming for?"
"Of course, Chan-hyun is going for the Redigo."
Joon-seong answered, munching on a snack.
"Finish eating before talking, you filthy idiot."
"Hey, is it dirty? Is it dirty because it came from a friend's mouth?"
"Isn't it?"
Joon-seong pouted, and the team members around us laughed.
"Let's go in."
Although there was still plenty of time before the festival started, the screening room was already packed with people.
Our team found a spot in the corner and waited for the screening to begin. From a distance, I saw Kwak Yeon-ji arriving with reporters for interviews.
"Wow, Yeon-ji is already a star."
"Yeah, she's even got reporters with her. Her agency must be treating her well."
Kwak Yeon-ji, surrounded by reporters, slowly made her way to our area and sat down, starting an interview.
"You starred in a short film this time. How was the shoot?"
"Yes, but it was my team members who really struggled. I couldn't even keep to the schedule, which messed up the filming timeline… I'm really sorry to them."
The reporters looked at Yeon-ji with approving smiles, nodding.
Her acting seemed like it came from a script provided by her agency.
"Even if I win an award today, I hope it's my team members who get the recognition, not me."
Yeon-ji's performance made my skin crawl. Despite my efforts to ignore it, her interview continued to annoy me.
"I once failed an audition."
"What!?"
"But I met a better project and considered it a valuable experience."
Was she trying to start a rivalry on purpose by sitting here?
Our team was also focused on Yeon-ji's interview, watching silently with eyes wide open.
"It's starting!"
The lights dimmed, and a pair of hosts walked up to the stage with microphones.
They began with typical introductory remarks and jokes, creating a lively atmosphere.
Soon, the screening of the films began.
The films created by recent graduates were full of youthful energy.
There were still many signs of inexperience, with some films failing to capture the actors' performances properly.
After each film, the hosts came out to praise the work and introduce the next film.
"Next, we will be watching Jo Hyun-woo's 'Spring Day'."
"This film stars our school's rising star, Kwak Yeon-ji!"
When Kwak Yeon-ji's name was announced, the theater was filled with cheers from all directions.
As the cheers subsided, the MCs left the stage, and "Spring Day" began.
It was a semi-autobiographical film about a director's struggle with life as a young person unsure of their career path.
It was awful.
Especially Kwak Yeon-ji's acting, which was so bad it made it impossible to immerse in the film.
There's a saying, "Film is the art of the director, drama is the art of the writer, and theater is the art of the actor."
While it's true that actors are responsible for their performances, if the performance is this bad, it's a huge fault of the director who approved it.
I remembered the countless arguments I had with Kwak Yeon-ji while filming "Blue Moon."
I'd even told her to leave if she was going to act like that.
When "Spring Day" ended, the applause was noticeably less than when it started.
The MCs came back on stage with awkward smiles.
"Uh…"
"This is… unexpected."
"This reaction is unprecedented."
"Did everyone enjoy Jo Hyun-woo's 'Spring Day'?"
"Yes!"
The sound in the theater was so loud it felt like it might sweep us away.
Everyone was chatting happily, saying they couldn't believe how quickly the 15 minutes had passed.
"Did you get your voting slips when you came in? Please write down which movie you enjoyed the most today!"
After a while, the voting slips were collected, and while waiting for the results, the MCs entertained the audience with amusing stories.
Eventually, another staff member brought an envelope to the MCs.
"Now, let's announce the award for Best Cinematography."
The award for Best Cinematography went to a film called Accessories.
That means I'm either getting the Popularity Award or the Redigo Award.
"Well… this has never happened before…"
The male MC looked slightly flustered as he addressed the audience.
"Unfortunately, we have no choice but to announce both the Popularity Award and the Redigo Award at the same time."
The audience murmured in response to the male MC's announcement.
"Normally, we avoid giving more than one award to a single film…"
Could it be?
"I'll announce it now. Popularity Award and Redigo Award."
I swallowed hard.
"Kang Chan-hyun's The Woman in the Room! Congratulations!"
"This is the first time a graduation project has caused such an explosive reaction. As a result, the professors have decided to give it the recognition it deserves."
I was a bit taken aback but awkwardly got up and went up to the stage.
Our team members shouted:
"Kang Chan-hyun! So handsome!"
"Milky-white skin! Kang Chan-hyun!"
As I frowned slightly and managed a small smile, Joon-seong shouted:
"Ah! My heart! Kang Chan-hyun smiled!"
Joon-seong's voice made the audience burst into laughter.
Except for kwak Yeon-ji, who was glaring at me as if she wanted to kill me.
"Please share your thoughts on receiving the awards."
I took the microphone from the female MC and looked at the audience.
The audience watched me with a variety of expressions.
"First of all… I want to thank our team. I'm a bit of a difficult person, so I dedicate this honor to my team who accepted me."
"What's it like to be the first to receive two awards since the graduation film festival was established?"
"I'm just sad it wasn't three. Haha."
I scratched the back of my head and acted shyly, causing the audience to smile brightly.
"I'm just kidding. The Woman in the Room is, once again, not a film I made alone. It's a fantastic work created by the entire crew. The actors, too."
"You're so humble."
"Oh, yes. I am."
The male MC seemed to burst into laughter at my words.
As I was about to leave the stage after receiving the awards, the audience clapped and cheered again.
"Hey, did you prepare a speech or something for up there?"
Joon-seong asked as soon as I sat back down.
"Of course."
______________________________________
After the awards ceremony, there was a gathering with the students who submitted their films and the professors.
Most of the conversation topics at the tables revolved around my film, The Woman in the Room.
"Kang Chan-hyun! Come here for a moment!"
I was being called around to receive praise from the professors.
"Did you write the script yourself?"
"Have you thought about going to graduate school?"
"Who did you learn lighting from?"
"It's better to go to a film school; you can build experience and connections."
The professors poured me drinks and added a few more words of advice.
But even though I had no intention of following their advice, I responded with a smile.
"Oh, it would be great if that were the case. Thank you for your kind words, Professor."
This is just the beginning.
After this exhibition, I plan to ask my father, who runs a theater, to show my film there temporarily.
Among my father's small theaters, the smallest screening room sometimes plays independent films or student short films on empty weekdays.
That theater charges a modest viewing fee of 2000 won per hour instead of charging per film, making it an unpopular venue.
The revenue is minimal, but right now, it's not about the money.
It's just part of the marketing strategy.