Local Boogeyman Productions
American films have won two top awards at South Korea's Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan), beating out a slew of lesser prize-winning works from South Korea and Taiwan.
“Last Stop, Yuma County,” a crime thriller set in an Arizona restaurant directed by Francis Galuppi, won the 20 million won ($14,500) Bucheon Choice Best Feature Film award, which the jury described as “a work that deeply explores the nature of human beings.” [with] The characters walk the line between justice and malice.”
JT Molnar was named best director in the same category for his retro horror-romance “Strange Darlings,” which the jury called “a refreshing and engrossing story that challenges genre and character stereotypes and subverts implicit prejudices.”
The awards ceremony took place at a closing ceremony at Bucheon City Hall on Friday night, followed by a screening of director Soi Chan's hit Hong Kong action film “Twilight Warriors.”
Other guests included Jang, South Korean actors Jung Yi-seo and Jang Sung-beom, director Jeong Ji-yeon and Bucheon Mayor Cho Yong-ik.
The chairman of the jury for the main competition section was multi-award-winning South Korean actor Park Joong-hoon, and other jurors included academic Kim Sun-ah, Japanese director Sabu and American producer Jason Taylor (X-Men: First Class, 2067).
Bucheon Choice Awards: Featured
The Best of Bucheon (20 million won)
“Last Stop at Yuma County” directed by Francis Galuppi (USA)
Best Director Award (5 million won)
“Strange Darlings” directed by JT Molnar (USA)
Judges' Choice (5 million won)
“Suffocating Love” directed by Liao Ming-yi (Taiwan)
Audience Award
“Last Stop at Yuma County” directed by Francis Galuppi (USA)
Korea Fantastic: Features
Korean Fantastic Film Award (20 million won)
“Esper's Light” Director: Jeong Jae-hoon (South Korea)
Korea Fantastic Best Director Award (5 million won)
“Stupid Girl and the School Ghost: Graduation Anniversary” Director: Kim Min-ha (Korea)
Fantastic Korean Actors
Kim Dae-geun (South Korea) from “The Tenant”
Park Joo-hyun (South Korea) from “Die in Six Hours”
Special Note
“The Pig Who Survived Foot-and-Mouth Disease” by Heo Beom-wook (South Korea)
Korea Fantastic Audience Award
“Die in 6 Hours” Director: Lee Yun-seok (South Korea)
Agricultural Cooperative Association Award Distribution Award (10 million won)
“Base Station” Director: Park Se-yeon, Yeon Ye-ji (South Korea)
Watcha's Fantastic Korean (3 million won)
“The Silly Girl and the School Ghost: Graduation Anniversary” by Kim Min-ha (Korea)
Méliès International Film Festival (MIFF) Best Asian Film Award
“Steppenwolf” directed by Adilkhan Yerzhanov (Kazakhstan)
NETPAC Award
“Who's Going to Stop the Rain?” Director: Su Yi-hsien (Taiwan)
Strange Family Award
“Pigsy” directed by Chiu Li-wei (Taiwan)
