BONG JOON-HO AT THE MUSEO NAZIONALE DEL CINEMA IN TORINO
The four-time Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Parasite will receive the Stella della Mole Award during a Masterclass exploring his singular cinematic vision, his genre-defying body of work and the sharp social commentary that has established him as one of the most influential voices in contemporary world cinema
Wednesday September 23, 2026
6:00PM – Cinema Massimo
Award presentation and Bong Joon Ho’s Masterclass
8:00PM – Cinema Massimo
Introduction to the screening of Parasite
Ever since his emergence as one of the most original filmmakers of his generation, Bong Joon-Ho has established himself as a visionary storyteller capable of transcending cultural and linguistic boundaries while reinventing the possibilities of contemporary cinema. The Museo Nazionale del Cinema in Torino pays tribute to the South Korean director, screenwriter and producer whose remarkable body of work has earned worldwide acclaim and culminated in the historic triumph of Parasite, which became the first non-English-language film ever to win the Academy Award for Best Picture and secured an unprecedented four Oscars including Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature Film, too.
The Oscar-winning filmmaker will receive the Stella della Mole Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to contemporary cinema ahead of a Masterclass with Museum Director Carlo Chatrian on September 23, 2026 at 6:00 pm at Cinema Massimo. Later that evening, at 8:00 pm, Bong Joon Ho will introduce a special screening of Parasite (2019), his groundbreaking satire of class divisions that won the Palme d’Or and became a global cultural phenomenon. The event will also inaugurate a complete retrospective of his feature films, offering audiences the opportunity to revisit the full scope of his remarkable career.
“It has been 23 years since Torino first welcomed Memories of Murder” – says director Bong Joon-Ho – “In the years since, I have made many films, and I am honored that this body of work will be screened and celebrated at the Museo Nazionale del Cinema, housed within the beautiful Mole Antonelliana. I am truly grateful to the organizers of this tribute, and my heart flutters at the thought of finally meeting the passionate cinema lovers of Torino”.
On the occasion of the event – curated by Marco Fallanca – Bong Joon-Ho will retrace the most significant milestones of his artistic journey, from his earliest works to the critical breakthroughs that established him as one of the leading figures of the Korean New Wave. The conversation will explore how his films move effortlessly across genres and cinematic traditions while combining suspense, humour and emotional depth with a sophisticated reflection on social inequality, institutional structures and the hidden mechanisms of power. Through memorable characters confronted with extraordinary circumstances, Bong Joon Ho’s cinema offers a profoundly human exploration of contemporary society in all its fragility, resilience and contradictions, constantly challenging audiences to reconsider the realities they inhabit.
“The Museo Nazionale del Cinema proudly renews its commitment to celebrating the great masters of world cinema who have achieved the rare feat to combine popular appeal with a deeply personal and unmistakably authorial vision” – states Enzo Ghigo, President of the Museo Nazionale del Cinema – “We are deeply honoured to welcome Bong Joon Ho to Torino for the first time, more than twenty years after Memories of Murder won both the Audience Award and the Best Screenplay Award at the Torino Film Festival in 2003. Since then, his films have captivated audiences around the globe while maintaining intellectual depth. By constantly pushing the boundaries between genres, his cinema exemplifies the power of film to be both universally accessible and artistically uncompromising”.
“It is with great joy and gratitude that we welcome Bong Joon Ho to the Museo Nazionale del Cinema” – says Carlo Chatrian, Director of the Museo Nazionale del Cinema – “Since his dazzling debut film, Barking Dog Never Bites, the four-time Oscar winner has proven himself to be an artist capable of channeling his innate vision into stories that expose the hypocrisies and psychoses of a secularized society. His films are deeply rooted in the history of cinema, both Korean and international, but they reach out toward the future of this art form, which, in Bong’s hands, always seems brimming with new possibilities. We are sure that his presence in Torino will be a not-to-miss opportunity for everyone to be inspired by one of finest talents of our times”.
Blending genres and social critique with extraordinary confidence and precision, Bong Joon-Ho’s body of work defies conventional categorization and is at once entertaining, provocative and deeply insightful. His filmography encompasses crime thrillers, monster movies, dystopian science fiction, black comedies and intimate family dramas, all united by a distinctive visual style, meticulous narrative construction and acute sensitivity to social realities have established him as one of the defining auteurs of contemporary cinema. From The Host to Mickey 17, his films have repeatedly broken audience records and expanded the international reach of Korean cinema, demonstrating a rare ability to combine artistic innovation, popular storytelling and commercial success.
BONG JOON-HO
Born in Daegu, South Korea, in 1969, Bong Joon-Ho studied Sociology at Yonsei University before pursuing filmmaking through the Korean Academy of Film Arts. Following several short films, he made his feature debut with Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000), a dark comedy that already displayed many of the thematic concerns and stylistic originality that would become hallmarks of his cinema.
International recognition arrived with Memories of Murder (2003), a crime thriller based on Korea’s first documented serial murder case, widely regarded as one of the greatest films of the twenty-first century. He further expanded his reputation with The Host (2006), a groundbreaking monster film that became a cultural phenomenon and one of the highest-grossing films in South Korean history, reaffirming Bong Joon Ho’s extraordinary ability to combine genre filmmaking, political commentary and spectacular entertainment.
In 2009, Mother premiered to widespread acclaim, confirming Bong Joon-Ho’s reputation as one of the most accomplished filmmakers of his generation. His international career reached new heights with the English-language productions Snowpiercer (2013), a dystopian science-fiction epic, and Okja (2017), which premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 2019, Parasite achieved unprecedented global success. After winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, it ultimately received four Academy Awards, marking a watershed moment for international cinema and further cementing his position among the leading filmmakers of the modern era.
His latest film, Mickey 17 (2025), starring Robert Pattinson, once again confirms his ability to move between different cinematic traditions and production scales while preserving a distinctive artistic identity. His films continue to inspire audiences and filmmakers alike through their originality, formal sophistication and enduring relevance, offering a uniquely compelling vision of contemporary society through the language of cinema.
Pre-opening sale
Tuesday September 1, 2026 4:00 PM (CET)