Kim Min-hee wins best performance award at Locarno film festival for 'By the Stream'

Actor Kim Min-hee won the best performance award at the 77th Locarno International Film Festival for her role as a university lecturer in "By the Stream."

A still from director Hong Sang-soo's film ″By the Stream″ starring actor Kim Min-hee [JEONWONSA]

Korean actor Kim Min-hee won the best performance award at the 77th Locarno International Film Festival for her role in “By the Stream” in Switzerland on Saturday. The film is the latest work by her partner, director Hong Sang-soo. It is Kim and Hong’s 15th project together. Kim also participated in the film as a line producer.

“Thank you director Hong Sang-soo for making such a beautiful film. I love your work so much,” she said as she accepted the award during the event on Saturday. She also thanked her colleagues, actors Jo Yoon-hee and Kwon Hae-hyo, for working together in the film as well as audiences for leaving “warm reviews” after watching the film.

Actor Kim Min-hee, left, and director Hong Sang-soo, attend the 77th Locarno International Film Festival in Locarno, Switzerland, on Aug. 17. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Kim also added that the total of five days of shooting was too short and hoped it could’ve been longer, expressing how much she had enjoyed the time.

The film revolves around a lecturer at a women’s university who asks her actor and director uncle to direct a skit at her university. Kim plays lecturer Jeon-yim, who goes out to paint by a stream every night for inspiration.

Founded in 1946, Locarno is one of the world's longest-running annual film festivals and focuses on auteur cinema. About 150,000 people attended last year’s event.

This year’s event kicked off on Aug. 7. It featured 225 films, including 104 world premieres and 15 debut movies.

It is the fourth time Hong has been invited to the festival with his work “Our Sunhee” (2013), “Right Now, Wrong Then” (2015) and “Hotel by the River” (2018). All four received awards at the event.

“By the Stream” is slated to open in local theaters within this year.

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]