SFFILM to Honor Park Chan-wook with Career Tribute and Screening of ‘No Other Choice’

SFFILM will celebrate legendary filmmaker Park Chan-wook with a November 20 tribute and screening of his new satire No Other Choice.

PARK CHAN-WOOK TO BE HONORED WITH CAREER TRIBUTE AT SFFILM

Event Includes Screening of His Latest Satirical Masterwork ‘No Other Choice’

SFFILM will pay tribute to legendary South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook with a special career celebration and screening of his new film No Other Choice, from NEON. The event takes place Thursday, November 20 at 7:00 PM at the Phyllis Wattis Theater at SFMOMA.

The evening will include an in-depth conversation with Park, followed by a screening of No Other Choice — a bold return to the director’s signature darkly comic and morally twisted storytelling. The film reunites Park with Joint Security Area star Lee Byung-hun, in a savage satire about capitalism, masculinity, and the desperate extremes of ambition.

“With No Other Choice, Director Park returns to the biting tone of Sympathy for Lady Vengeance and Stoker,” said Jessie Fairbanks, SFFILM’s Director of Programming. “It’s thrilling to celebrate his career through a film that embodies everything that makes him one of cinema’s most daring voices — visual precision, emotional depth, and fearless social critique.”

SFFILM’s Executive Director Anne Lai echoed the significance of the event: “It’s an honor to welcome Park Chan-wook to San Francisco. To experience his latest film on the big screen, and hear directly from him about his craft, will be unforgettable for cinephiles and newcomers alike.”

About No Other Choice

A scathing corporate satire brimming with Park’s signature visual flair, No Other Choice follows Man-su (Lee Byung-hun), an executive who seems to have it all — until he’s abruptly laid off. As months of unemployment unravel his family life and self-worth, Man-su takes drastic, chilling measures to secure his position in an unforgiving corporate world. The result is a macabre yet darkly humorous portrait of survival in a system that rewards ruthlessness.

Adapted from Donald E. Westlake’s novel The Ax, No Other Choice continues Park’s fascination with moral decay and human desperation. The film will open in select theaters December 25, with a wider release in January 2026.

About Park Chan-wook

Widely regarded as one of modern cinema’s most visionary directors, Park Chan-wook is best known for his Vengeance Trilogy (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance), as well as Thirst, Stoker, The Handmaiden, and Decision to Leave. His career has been defined by boundary-pushing narratives that blend violence, beauty, and philosophical inquiry — securing his place among the world’s most revered auteurs.