Emerging filmmaker Jin Mi-song’s poignant short film, “Silent Voices,” has garnered significant acclaim, securing the Second Prize in the prestigious La Cinef section of this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The 17-minute cinematic work offers a delicate and profound look into the daily lives of a South Korean immigrant family in New York, subtly exploring the unspoken emotions and hidden struggles of parents and their two daughters navigating a new world.
While “Silent Voices” captivated the jury for its heartfelt narrative, the First Prize in the La Cinef competition was awarded to Lucas Acher’s “Laser-Cat.” The Third Prize was jointly presented to Julius Lagoutte Larsen for “Never Enough,” and to the collaborative effort of Roozbeh Gezerseh and Soraya Shamsi for their film, “Growing Stones, Flying Papers.”
Director Jin Mi-song, also known as Nadine Misong Jin, expressed her profound surprise and gratitude for the win. She extended heartfelt thanks to the jury for acknowledging the genuine essence of her work and celebrated the dedicated cast and crew who brought “Silent Voices” to life.
Renowned actor Park Ji-min, serving as a distinguished member of the La Cinef jury, praised “Silent Voices” as a masterful demonstration of how deeply intertwined personal experiences are with broader political contexts.
Jin Mi-song’s academic journey includes graduating from Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, and she is currently furthering her expertise in film production at Columbia University in New York, a testament to her dedication to the craft.
The La Cinef section at Cannes is a highly competitive and respected platform, exclusively dedicated to showcasing exceptional works by burgeoning filmmakers enrolled in film schools worldwide. This year, an impressive 2,747 films were submitted globally, from which only 19 student films were meticulously selected for the competition, highlighting the immense talent and rigorous selection process.
This achievement follows a tradition of excellence for South Korean talent at La Cinef; last year, Heo Ga-young proudly won the First Prize for her film “First Summer,” a project she developed as part of her graduation studies at the esteemed Korean Academy of Film Arts.
