'Parasite' Director Bong Joon-Ho Highlights 20 Filmmakers To Watch
Bong Joon-ho, ever the mensch, is using his powers for good. The filmmaker is on everyone's mind right now thanks to his award-winning Parasite, but rather than rest on his laurels, Bong has decided to highlight 20 up-and-coming filmmakers. I can only imagine how amazing it must feel for these filmmakers to have their work highlighted by one of the best directors around right now. See the list below.
Bong Joon-ho took to the BFI website today to highlight 20 relatively new filmmakers, because he's a really nice guy. " I do not wish to summon these 20 directors for the sake of discussing the future of cinema," Bong writes. "I simply wish to discuss the films they have already created (even though it may only be two or three films)."
As the subheader for the piece states, "To mark 20 years as a director, our guest editor Bong Joon Ho has chosen 20 emerging directors whose work he believes will be pivotal to the next 20 years."
The list of filmmakers includes Midsommar's Ari Aster, The Lighthouse's Robert Eggers, Long Day's Journey into Night's Bi Gan, Atlantics director Mati Diop, Saint Maud filmmaker Rose Glass, Jordan Peele, and more.
Bong adds:
"So what can we expect to unfold over the next 20 years for the 20 directors listed here?...The compulsive visuals of Midsommar (2019), the pitch-black ocean that meets the quiet gaze of Asako I & II (2018), the beauty of The Lighthouse (2019) emitting black-and-white light beyond that ocean, the children's endless chatter in Yoon Gaeun's films, the astonishing cinematic miracle that is Happy as Lazzaro (2018). What future do these films suggest for their directors? One thing remains certain: they will continue to shoot films."
You should head over to BFI for more info on all of these wonderful filmmakers, but here's the list:
Ali AbbasiAri AsterBi GanJayro BustamanteMati DiopRobert EggersRose GlassHamaguchi RyusukeAlma Har'elKirsten JohnsonJennifer KentOliver LaxeFrancis LeePietro MarcelloDavid Robert MitchellJordan PeeleJennifer ReederAlice RohrwacherYoon GaeunChloé Zhao