Yoon Dan-bi's 'The World Before' joins Platform competition
Korean director Yoon Dan-bi's coming-of-age feature "The World Before" will make its world premiere in the Platform competition at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, distributor At 9 Film announced on Wednesday. The film is one of 12 titles selected for Platform, TIFF's only competitive section. It marks the second Korean film to compete in the section following Yoon Ga-eun's "The World of Love" (2025).
Cast and director background for 'The World Before'
"The World Before" follows two teenagers, Jin and Doo-jae, whose lives intersect when Doo-jae arrives on Jin's island to attend his grandmother's funeral. Sim Su-bin, known from the Netflix series "Teach You a Lesson," plays Jin, while Kim Eo-jin, who appeared in the school drama "Fragile" (2024), plays Doo-jae. The film is Yoon's sophomore feature after her debut "Moving On" (2019), which won awards at the Busan International Film Festival and was invited to the International Film Festival Rotterdam. The film is set for release in Korea next year.
Shuhua's TIFF debut with 'Happiness and Joyful Days'
(G)I-DLE member Shuhua's screen debut, "Happiness and Joyful Days," has been officially invited to the Special Presentations section of TIFF, her agency Cube Entertainment announced on Wednesday. The Special Presentations strand, an institutional section of the festival, has previously showcased Korean works including Bong Joon Ho's "Mother" (2009) and "Parasite" (2019), and Park Chan-wook's "The Handmaiden" (2016). Shuhua said through Cube Entertainment that she "could not believe" the news and hoped viewers would gain empathy and comfort through her character Lin Zachi.
Director and festival context
"Happiness and Joyful Days" follows two sisters with contrasting personalities whose peaceful daily life is disrupted by a stray cat. The film is directed by Feng Ai Fiona Lung, who won best new director, the International Federation of Film Critics award, and the audience award at the Golden Horse Awards for her debut "American Girl." TIFF chief programming officer Anita Lee was quoted in a festival press release saying that "Platform was created to spotlight directorial voices and this year's 12-film selection is an imaginative reflection of new auteur cinema now." The 51st TIFF is scheduled to run September 10–20, and (G)I-DLE will perform at Lollapalooza in Chicago on July 31 before wrapping their world tour with two shows at the Galaxy Arena in Macau on August 29 and 30.
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