The 14th Pusan International Film Festival closes today (Oct 16) with the top New Currents award going to Shawkat Amin Korki’s Kick Off and So Sang-min’s I’m In Trouble.
The inaugural Flash Forward award went to Zaida Bergroth’s Last Cowboy Standing.
The New Currents jury, headed by French filmmaker Jean-Jacques Beneix, and also including Kim Hyung-koo, Penek Ratanaruang, Territ Kwan and Yesim Ustaoglu, noted that the competition films showed a certain darkness and uncertainty about the future, but also a concern for the era we live in and the meaning of humanity and values.
One of the few buzz films of the festival, I’m In Trouble, humorously follows a young poet’s wanderings while he delays joining the workforce. The film is a graduation project from the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA)’s Advanced Program, which started producing feature films last year – including Members Of The Funeral which was another PIFF buzz film and winner in 2008.
Kick Off follows a Kurdish Iraqi community as it gears up for an inter-community football game. The jury described it as a “simple movie and yet full of imagination and strength” which “consecrates the emergence of a director whose talent is unanimously greeted by the jury.”
Headed by veteran actress Kang Soo-yeon, the Flash Forward jury commented that Last Cowboy Standing’s “overall storytelling, acting and directing is carefully constructed and shows the subtlety of a female director, as well as strong mise-en-scene” and also lauded the director’s potential.
The festival screened a record 355 films with stronger star power than usual – with guests including Josh Hartnett, Tilda Swinton, Lee Byung-hun and Jang Dong-gun.
Second-time director Park Chan-ok’s Paju was the standout of the festival, but only took the NETPAC award.
PIFF, which brands itself as a festival of discovery, continues to have strong points and weak points. It boasts enthusiastic audiences, high-profile guests and is a key event to network and have conversations about films and business.
But the general atmosphere this year was subdued – partly because guests had to contend with the logisitics of events and screenings split between three areas – Nampo-dong, Haeundae Beach and the new Centum City shopping area.
PIFF 2009 Full List of Awards:
1. New Currents Award:
Kick Off – Shawkat Amin Korki (Iraq, Japan)
I’m In Trouble – So Sang-Min (Korea)
*Special Mention: Squalor – Giuseppe Bede Samperdro (Philippines)
2. Flash Forward Award:
Last Cowboy Standing – Zaida Bergroth (Finland, Germany)
*Special Mention: Miss Kicki – Hakon Liu (Sweden, Taiwan)
3. Sonje Award for Short Films:
Somewhere Unreached – Kim Jae-won (Korea)
Rare Fish – Basil Vassili Mironer (Singapore, Indonesia)
4. PIFF Mecenat Award for Documentaries:
Earth’s Woman – Kwon WooJung (Korea)
The Other Song –Saba Dewan (India)
5. FIPRESCI Award:
Kick Off – Shawkat Amin Korki (Iraq, Japan)
6. NETPAC Award:
Paju – Park Chan-ok (Korea)
7. KNN Movie Award (Audience Award):
Lan – Jiang Wenli (China)
The 14th PIFF Final Statistic Data
Total admissions: 173,516
Accredited Guests (Press excl): 6,400
Korea: 3,178
Overseas: 860
Cinephiles: 1,388
Asian Film Market: 974
Press: 2,202
Korea: 1,832
Overseas: 370
Screenings
Number of Films: 355
World Premieres: 98
International Premiere: 46
Total amount of Screenings: 803
No comments yet