Kim Dae-hwan was named best new director for “The First Lap” at the 70th Locarno International Film Festival, which wrapped up Saturday.

The film, one of this year’s Jeonju Cinema Projects, debuted at the Jeonju International Film Festival in May.

Kim debuted with first feature film “End of Winter” in 2014, a quiet drama about a family snowed in in Cheorwon, which won the New Currents Award at the Busan International Film Festival. The director studied film and digital media design at Hongik University in Seoul. 

“The First Lap” revolves around an art instructor and a part-time worker who have been living together for six years, starring Cho Hyun-chul and Kim Sae-byuk.

Meanwhile, the Swiss festival’s top Golden Leopard prize went to Chinese director Wang Bing’s stripped down, uncompromising documentary “Mrs. Fang.” The special jury prize went to Brazilian directors Marco Dutra and Juliana Rojas for the lesbian werewolf story “Good Manners.”

Best director was awarded to F.J. Ossang for “9 Fingers,” while best actress went to Isabelle Huppert for Serge Bozon’s “Madame Hyde” and best actor to Elliott Crosset Hove for Icelandic director Hlynur Palmason’s “Winter Brothers.”

“The First Lap” will open in local theaters later this year.

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)