Head of Jury, Dong-Geun Yoo, unveils the finalists of

Seoul International Drama Awards 2016

 

-      28 out of 265 entries selected to be finalists for the Program category,

and 28 individuals selected as finalists for the Individual category

-      Dong-Geun Yoo, jury head for final selection, “We will make fair judgement as many dramas with high cinematic quality and popular appeals have been submitted.”

-      Korean dramas performed well…Splash Splash Love nominated in 3 categories,

The Roots of Throne nominated in 2 categories

 

AUGUST 11, 2016 SEOUL, KOREA. Seoul Drama Awards Organizing Committee (Chairman, Dae Young Ko) held a press conference on the morning of August 10 at the Korea Press Center, and announced the nominees for the Program and Individual category awards of the Seoul International Drama Awards 2016.

 

In this year’s Seoul International Drama Awards, a total of 265 entries were submitted from 51 countries around the world, which marked the highest record ever in its history. Among the entries, 28 pieces and 28 individuals were selected as finalists in the very competitive preliminary judging. In particular, 37 pieces were submitted in various sub-genres to the Comedy category which was a brand-new addition to the competition. Among the entries, romantic comedy, black comedy and political comedy from various countries drew attention.

 

Dong-Geun Yoo, who was appointed as head of the SDA 2016 final selection said, “It is an honor for me to be the head of Seoul International Drama Awards, which is gaining more reputation worldwide with the increasing number of entries from more countries every year. This year, as well, there are many outstanding dramas with high level of cinematic quality and public appeals. So we will make fair judgement on the dramas that have well bridged the cultural differences of the participating countries.”

 

Dong-Geun Yoo made his debut in 1980 as an actor, and since then he has become a beloved actor, appearing on various popular dramas including The Last Empress and Dragon’s Tears, and movies such as Marrying the Mafia. He won the Grand Prize in 2014 at the KBS Drama Awards for Jeong Do Jeon and What happens to my family?, and currently he is the 23^rd Chief Director of the Korean Broadcasting Actors Association, which aims to develop the Korean TV cultural industry.

 

For the Program category, 8 pieces each for TV movie, Mini-series, Serial dramas categories and 4 pieces for the newly-introduced Comedy category were nominated. A total of 28 dramas were nominated. For the Individual category, awards will be given to the Best Director, Best Screenwriter, Best Actor, and Best Actress. A total of 28 people were nominated.

 

In the TV Movies category, which is expected to be very competitive, Sherlock: The Abominable Bride from the UK and The Beginning of Time from Mexico were both named as nominees for the program, the Best Director and Best Actor. Among the Korean dramas, Splash Splash LOVE also joined the competition over multiple awards, being nominated for the program, the Best Screenwriter and Best Actress (Seul-Ki Kim).

 

In the Mini-series category, Deutschland 83 from Germany, Mr. Robot from the US, Shereen from Afghanistan, Father from Kazakhstan, and The Night Manager from the UK were named as finalists, along with Reply 1988 from South Korea. In the Serial Drama category, The Roots of Throne from South Korea, The White Slave from Colombia, Moses and the Ten Commandments from Brazil, Endless Love from Turkey, Lord of Shanghai from Hong Kong, and My Lovely Hope from Argentina were nominated. In the Comedy category, Servant of the People from Ukraine, Life in Pieces and Baskets from the US, and La Famiglia from Israel will be in a tight race vying for the Golden Bird Prize in the Comedy Category.

 

For the Best Actor and Best Actress, 7 actors and 7 actresses were nominated respectively. Some of the prominent performers include Ah-In Yoo, of The Roots of Throne from South Korea, Benedict Cumberbatch of Sherlock from the UK, and Azat Seitmetov of Father from Kazakhstan. For the Best Actress Prize, Seul-Ki Kim of Splash Splash LOVE from South Korea, Samia Sassi of Don’t Leave Me from France, and Lily James of War and Peace from the UK were critically acclaimed. In the Comedy category, two American shows were shortlisted for outstanding performances. Ken Jeong, a Korean-American Hollywood actor who played the main role in Doctor Ken was chosen as one of the finalists for Best Actor, and Taylor Schilling of Orange is the new Black which is a well-known series in Korea also made it as one of the nominees for Best Actress Award

.

For the Best Director, Douglas Mackinnon of Sherlock: The Abominable Bride from the UK, Suzanne Bier of The Night Manager from the UK, and finally Kyunghwan-Jin and Namjo Kim of 72 Seconds from South Korea were selected. Ji-Hyun Kim of Splash Splash LOVE from South Korea and Sam Esmail of Mr. Robot from the US are being nominated for Best Screenwriter.

 

The winners will be announced at the Seoul International Drama Awards Ceremony which will be held on September 8 (Thur) at KBS Hall in Yeouido and televised live on KBS 2TV.

 

 

About the Seoul International Drama Awards

 

Organized by the Seoul Drama Awards Organizing Committee and the Korean Broadcasters Association, the Seoul International Drama Awards (SDA) is the world’s leading drama festival where drama fans and experts from all around the world can celebrate together. With continuous support and participation of fans and industry participants from all over the world, SDA received a total of 265 submissions from 51 countries this year, which makes a cumulative total of 73 participating countries from the past 10 years. Based on the criteria of overall quality, originality and popularity, the winners from the TV Movie, Mini-Series, Serial Drama and Comedy categories will be announced at the Awards ceremony from 17:30 to 19:50 live on KBS 2TV.

 

* Attachment for reference (List of finalists of the Seoul International Drama Awards 2016 and Jury profiles)