Film with Record Pre-Sales Across 200+ Countries to Meet North American Audiences at SVA Theater on July 20

Still of ‘HOPE' (provided by VAIRETY)

Na Hong-jin's Hope Selected as NYAFF Centerpiece — Buzz Continues in North America Following Cannes

Na Hong-jin's Hope has been named the centerpiece film of the 25th New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF), with its North American premiere set for July 20 at SVA Theater in New York. The selection follows the film's invitation to the Competition section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival on May 17, extending its momentum across both prestige art-house and genre festival circuits.

The centerpiece slot — alongside the opening and closing films — is one of the defining selections of any festival, programmed at the peak of the event to drive attention and ticket sales. NYAFF annually designates one Asian genre film that combines artistic merit with broad appeal for the centerpiece slot; this year, Hope takes that honor, maximizing its visibility to North American audiences and industry professionals. 

Na Hong-jin Receives NYAFF Action Cinema Award

NYAFF will present Na Hong-jin with the Daniel A. Kraft Action Cinema Award, named after NYAFF co-founder Dan Kraft, who passed away in 2013. The award recognizes directors who have reached the pinnacle of the action genre; previous recipients include Dante Lam and Yuen Woo-ping. Alongside the award, NYAFF has organized a retrospective of all four of Na Hong-jin's feature films: The Chaser (2008), The Yellow Sea (2011), The Wailing (2016), and Hope (2026). The Chaser screens on July 26; The Yellow Sea on July 19 at the Korean Cultural Center New York; and The Wailing on the same evening at SVA Theater.

Hope: Buzz Confirmed at NYAFF

Hope follows Beom-seok (Hwang Jung-min), a police chief who confronts an unidentified creature attacking an isolated mountain village cut off by wildfire. With a production budget of approximately $46 million, distributor Plus M Entertainment reported by late May that rights had been sold to more than 200 countries and territories — a figure international outlets have characterized as the largest overseas pre-sale in Korean film history. With a North American theatrical release scheduled for September 9, the NYAFF centerpiece selection and Na Hong-jin's Action Cinema Award together mark a significant new milestone in introducing Hope to North American audiences.

Sources

• Screen Daily, "Na Hong-Jin's Cannes hit 'Hope' named NYAFF centrepiece film", 2026.06.24

• Variety, "Na Hong-Jin to Receive Action Cinema Award as NYAFF Unveils North American Premiere of 'Hope' (EXCLUSIVE)," 2026.06.23

• Forbes,  "Cannes Standouts ‘Hope’ And ‘Colony’ Head To New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF)", 2026.06.24