The Netflix Film That Opens in Theaters First
Possible Love, produced by Netflix, won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival on September 12, and it opens in Korean cinemas on September 23 before reaching Netflix on November 6. The map sets out the Silver Lion name shared by two prizes, the entry conditions at Cannes and Venice, and this year's changed Oscar rules for International Feature Film. At Venice, the only prize that can put a film into Oscar consideration without a national submission is the Golden Lion.
The brief, in full
Possible Love, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival on September 12, is a film produced by Netflix. Yet it meets audiences in Korean cinemas before it reaches Netflix. The map walks through each stage the film passes, from the different names news reports gave its prize to the festivals' entry conditions, the Oscar submission rules and the Netflix release date.
Two Prizes Carry the Silver Lion#
The Grand Jury Prize and Best Director
The Venice Film Festival's official announcement put 'Silver Lion' in front of both the competition's Grand Jury Prize and its Award for Best Director. Korean news reports called Possible Love's prize the Grand Jury Prize in some articles and the Silver Lion in others. This year's Best Director award went to Ilya Khrzhanovsky for DAU.
The Golden Lion Went to Woman Unknown#
The verdict on 21 competition films
The seven-member jury chaired by Maggie Gyllenhaal watched all 21 films in competition before deciding the prizes. The top prize, the Golden Lion, went to May el-Toukhy's Woman Unknown, and its lead Mathilde Arcel also won Best Actress (the Coppa Volpi). The awards ceremony was held at 7 p.m. on September 12.
The FIPRESCI Prize Is Chosen Separately#
A critics' jury makes its own pick
Apart from the official jury's awards, Possible Love also won the FIPRESCI Prize. That prize is chosen by a jury assembled by the International Federation of Film Critics, and the Biennale lists it among the collateral awards rather than the official ones. The critics' jury described it as a film that explores exploitation, class, love and the ethics of storytelling.
A Best Director Prize 24 Years Ago#
Oasis in 2002
Lee Chang-dong won Best Director at the 59th Venice Film Festival in 2002 with Oasis, and its lead Moon So-ri received the Marcello Mastroianni Award for a young performer. Oasis also won that year's FIPRESCI Prize. This is the first award for a Korean film in the Venice competition in 14 years, since Pietà won the Golden Lion in 2012, and the first Grand Jury Prize for a Korean film.
Entry Conditions Differ by Festival#
Cannes requires a French theatrical release
Whether a film made by a streaming company can enter a competition is decided by each festival's rules. Cannes requires competition films to be released in French cinemas. Venice's regulations list competition conditions such as a world premiere and no prior commercial distribution on the internet. Netflix films have won prizes in the Venice competition several times.
The Cannes Condition: A French Release#
A rule that changed after Okja in 2017
The Cannes 2026 feature film regulations state that every competition film must be commercially released in French theatres and follow French regulations, notably the media release chronology. Anyone submitting a film pledges to honour this clause. The French release condition took effect from 2018, after French exhibitors objected when two Netflix-financed films, including Okja, entered the 2017 competition.
The Venice Condition: A World Premiere#
No prior commercial release online
This year's Venice regulations accept only world premieres in the Official Selection. A film must have been completed after September 6, 2025, must not have had any commercial distribution or exhibition on the internet, and must not have been shown earlier at other festivals or to the public. The competition takes up to 21 films. Possible Love had its first screening there on September 6.
Netflix Films at Venice#
From Roma to Possible Love
This is not the first major Venice prize for a Netflix film. Roma won the Golden Lion in 2018. In 2021, The Hand of God won the Grand Jury Prize, The Power of the Dog won Best Director and The Lost Daughter won Best Screenplay.
A Film With Three Release Dates#
September 23, October 23, November 6
Possible Love opens in select Korean cinemas on September 23. According to The Korea Times, a limited Oscar-qualifying run in the United States is set for October 23, and the film streams worldwide on Netflix from November 6. Netflix said earlier Netflix films such as The Irishman, Maestro and Frankenstein had also screened in theaters.
Korean Release on September 23#
The Oscar release window closes September 30
The Academy's International Feature Film rules require a submission's theatrical release in its country of origin to begin between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026. Once released, the film must play for at least seven consecutive days, for paid admission, in one theater. A September 23 opening falls within that window. Submission materials, including proof of the qualifying theatrical release, are due by 5 p.m. Pacific Time on September 30.
Limited U.S. Run on October 23#
International Feature does not require a U.S. release
The Korea Times reported that Possible Love will have a limited Oscar-qualifying run in the United States on October 23. The International Feature Film rules, meanwhile, include a clause saying a film need not have been released in the United States. The U.S. run comes two weeks before the Netflix release.
Netflix Release on November 6#
44 days after the Korean theatrical opening
In late July, Netflix announced the release dates, confirming the theatrical opening and the Netflix release together. There are 44 days between the September 23 theatrical opening and the November 6 Netflix release. Before the Korean opening, the film also screens as an invited title in the Special Presentations section of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival.
Two Doors to the Oscars#
A national submission or a festival's top prize
The International Feature Film award at the 99th Academy Awards has two entry routes. To the existing route, where each country's selection committee picks one film, the Academy has added one for films that win the top prize at designated festivals. At Venice, the prize that grants this eligibility is the Golden Lion. Possible Love became Korea's submission through the first route.
KOFIC's Single Pick#
August 25, 15 jurors
At the Academy's request, the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) picks one Korean film each year for the International Feature Film award. This year's selection, announced August 25, involved 15 jurors chaired by critic Jung Sung-il, who judged on artistic completeness, North American distribution capacity and the recognition of the director and film. Academy rules require at least half of a selection committee to be artists or craftspeople from the film field.
The Festival Top-Prize Route#
Six festivals, six prizes
The prizes that open the new route to International Feature Film consideration are the Berlin Golden Bear, the Busan Award for Best Film, the Cannes Palme d'Or, the Sundance World Cinema Grand Jury Prize, the Toronto Platform Award and the Venice Golden Lion. A non-English-language film without its country's backing can reach consideration by winning one of them. Starting this year, the category's nominee is the film rather than the country, and the director accepts the award.
Shortlist on December 15#
Nominations January 21, ceremony March 14
Fifteen of the submitted films will be named to the shortlist on December 15, and nominations will be announced on January 21. The ceremony is scheduled for March 14, 2027. KOFIC said its selection also weighed favorably that Lee Chang-dong's previous film Burning had been the first Korean film to reach the foreign-language film shortlist.
Netflix and Korean Cinema#
A partnership that began with Okja
Netflix's full-scale collaboration with the Korean film industry began with Bong Joon-ho's Okja in 2017. Possible Love is the first film Lee Chang-dong has made with Netflix. After the award, Kang Dong-han, Netflix's vice president for Korean content, said the company would stay with the Korean film industry as a long-term partner so that a wide range of films keep being made.
open_in_newinverseone.com/ko/stock/NFLXKorean Films Released on Netflix#
From Time to Hunt to The Great Flood
After Okja, Netflix released Korean films including Time to Hunt and The Call (2020), Night in Paradise (2021), Kill Boksoon (2023), My Name Is Loh Kiwan (2024), and Good News and The Great Flood (2025). According to Netflix, it has released 30 Korean original films so far, not counting Possible Love. Of these, Okja competed at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017.
A New Film After Eight Years#
Lee Chang-dong's first feature since Burning
Possible Love is Lee Chang-dong's first feature in eight years, since Burning (2018). More than a decade ago he set out to make a film about laid-off workers but dropped it at the preparation stage, and the story came back to life with co-writer Oh Jung-mi. It was produced by Lee Joon-dong, who also produced Poetry and Burning.
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