'Nikola Tesla' triumphs as DIMF closes 18-day celebration of musical theater
The 19th Daegu International Musical Festival, Korea's leading global musical theater event, concluded its 18-day run Monday with awards recognizing outstanding productions and talents from both Korea and abroad.
The grand prize was awarded to Hungarian production "Nikola Tesla: Infinite Energy," which tells the story of the 19th-century inventor using modern stage technology.
The award for original musical went to "Shakespiece," a Korean production developed through DIMF's support program, which imagines the possibility that Shakespeare may not have been a single author.
The award for a foreign production was given to Chinese musical "Panda," which closed the festival. The Korean-Chinese co-production uses music, physical performance and set design to follow a panda family's journey, delivering a message of coexistence and environmental awareness.
In the performance categories, Jang Eun-joo was recognized as best leading actress for her role in "My Love Oksoon," portraying a woman living with dementia with subtle, sustained emotion. Best leading actor was awarded to Song Yoo-taek in "Seol Gong Chan" for his portrayal of a legendary character from folklore and Shin Jae-beom for "Sidis: The Right to Be Forgotten" for his portrayal of mathematician William Sidis.
Emerging performers were also recognized, with Son Woo-hyun and Solji of K-pop girl group EXID receiving awards recognizing new actors for "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder" and "Hero," respectively.
The College Musical Festival, DIMF's student section, awarded its top prize to Dankook University's "Elaborate Lives." The festival also recognized works by Chung-Ang University, Kyungsung University, Hansei University and Baekseok University, acknowledging the continued development of young talent within Korea's musical theater scene.
The Asung Creator Award, presented to contributors advancing Korean musical theater, went to Kim Hee-chul of Daegu Arts Center for his work in producing youth-oriented musicals and supporting local musical ecosystems.
Launched in 2006, DIMF is Korea's only international musical festival, serving as a platform for cross-cultural exchange while supporting the development of original productions. This year's festival featured 30 productions from six countries.
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