Director Lee Ran-hee’s A Year-End Medley (3rd Year 2nd Semester) has cemented itself as one of this year’s major achievements in Korean independent cinema, winning four awards at the 29th Busan International Film Festival, three awards at the 50th Seoul Independent Film Festival, and two awards at the 13th Muju Film Festival, followed by Best Film and Best Screenplay at the 45th Korea Film Critics Association Awards.

The film delicately traces Chang-woo, a third-year student at a vocational high school who begins a workplace internship, as he confronts the realities of labor—its promises, setbacks, and disillusionments—finding himself at a crossroads of growth and choice.