[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] Director Na Hong-jin’s film “HOPE” will be screened as the opening film of the “2026 Hong Kong Summer International Film Festival.”

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the 18th, the Korean Cultural Center in Hong Kong (the Cultural Center) is participating as a partner in the film festival, collaborating on the screening of “HOPE” and the hosting of a masterclass by Director Na Hong-jin.
The Hong Kong Summer International Film Festival is Hong Kong’s premier film festival, held annually in August by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS) with funding from the Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the Film Development Fund. This year’s festival will run from August 19 to 31, showcasing 37 films from 14 countries—including the United Kingdom, France, and Spain—beginning with the opening film, *HOPE*.
Selected as the opening film, “Hope” depicts the struggle between a mysterious monster that has descended upon a rural village and the people tracking it down. The film stars Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, and Jung Ho-yeon, along with Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander. “Hope” will be screened twice on the 19th at the Hong Kong Premiere Elements Theater.
Director Na Hong-jin will visit the theater on the opening day, the 19th, to greet the audience. Following a screening of his previous film, *The Wailing*, at the Hong Kong Premier Elements Theater at 8:00 p.m. on August 20, he will host a masterclass for local audiences. During the masterclass, he is scheduled to discuss his major works and his directorial vision.
In addition, the festival will feature a “Special Retrospective of Director Hong Sang-soo’s Early Works.” A total of 10 films are scheduled to be screened, including his debut film *The Day a Pig Fell into the Well*—winner of the Tiger Award at the Rotterdam International Film Festival—as well as *The Power of Kangwon Province*, *The Theatre*, *Ok-hee’s Movie*, and *Our Sun-hee*.
Choi Jae-won, Director of the Cultural Center, stated, “It is meaningful to participate as a partner in the Summer International Film Festival, one of Hong Kong’s major cultural events, and to collaborate on the screening of Director Na Hong-jin’s new film ‘Hope.’” He added, “We hope that Director Na Hong-jin’s masterclass will serve as an opportunity for local audiences to gain a deeper understanding of Korean cinema and engage with it.”
According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network on the 18th, as of the 17th, *Hope* had recorded a cumulative audience of 4,486,813. *Hope* is set to open in Taiwan on September 4 and in North America on September 9, with releases confirmed worldwide in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Latin America, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, and Singapore.