South Korean New Tang Dynasty (NTD) produced mini-series “The Wishes of the Oak Tree” recently won the Best Screenplay Award at the Los Angeles Webfest, the largest online series event in the United States.
The festival took place on May 3rd (local time) in Hollywood. NTD’s original mini-series “The Wishes of the Oak Tree” stood out among 11 other works, including the American web series “A Witness to Aloha,” and secured the prestigious Best Screenplay Award.
In addition to the Best Screenplay Award, “The Wishes of the Oak Tree” also received nominations for Best Music, Best Short Film, and Best Acting (Short Film) categories.
Producer Zhang Youbin (音), from the Korean division of the Epoch Media Group responsible for planning and producing the series, commented, “This is a heartwarming family story about mother-daughter conflicts, understanding, and love. Winning the Best Screenplay Award is of profound significance.”
Explaining the original intent of the creation, she said, “South Korea has experienced rapid changes in recent decades, leading to significant differences and conflicts in thoughts between generations. However, on the other hand, there is also a strong warmth and bond within families. Therefore, we believe this is a culture that can bridge and resolve differences, which is also the essence we tried to showcase in the series.”
She also mentioned, “It is a warm and emotional piece set in 1994. During production, we chose the rural landscapes of Sacheon, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea for filming, which played a crucial role in the storyline. Particularly, Sacheon is home to a 500-year-old oak tree, adding integrity to the story and symbolizing the ‘mother’ in the series.”
“The Wishes of the Oak Tree” by NTD is a warm humanistic work that tells the story of a young daughter accidentally time-traveling to meet her mother in her youth, experiencing the preciousness of family bonds. The filming of the series received assistance from the Sacheon County Government in Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea and can currently be viewed on the Epoch TV streaming platform.
The LA Webfest has been held since 2009 and this year marks its 15th edition. The event, based in Los Angeles, California, is one of the earliest and most renowned online series festivals in the world.