The Passport from Malaysian director Ananth Subramaniam has scooped the top Bucheon Award at the 16th Network of Asian Fantastic Films (NAFF) project market, which runs alongside South Korea’s Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Bifan).
The black comedy drama, produced by Bel Choo Mun of Malaysia’s Sixtymac Production and Idio Sync, received a cash prize of KRW15m ($11,500).
Scroll down for full list of winners
Set in the 1970s, the story follows a budding Indian rock star set to embark on her first international tour but who experiences a traumatic event at the UK border and invents an imaginary friend to cope.
It will mark the feature debut of Subramaniam, a Malaysian filmmaker of Tamil descent, whose 2022 short The House Of Brick And Stone screened at Fantasia and Bifan.
Several winners of both cash and in-kind prizes were announced at a closing ceremony of the Bifan Industry Gathering (B.I.G.), which ran from June 30 to July 3.
The Korean Discovery Award, also worth KRW15m ($11,500), went to The Grotesque Train, directed by Tak Sewoong of South Korea. It follows a YouTuber who explores a real horror story at Gwangjin Station in Seoul.
Filipino project Please Bear with Me, from director Gabriela Serrano and producers Gale Osorio and Keith Deligero, secured three prizes: the Asian Discovery Award; the Mocha Chai Award, which includes post-production support; and Sitges FanPitch Award, which includes an invitation to Sitges Film Festival in Spain.
Set in a dystopian future, the story centres on a call centre agent with memory loss who is paid in “dream-time” and uses these transient dreams to relive her past as a rising pop star.
Accepting the Asian Discovery Award, Serrano said: “This story was born out of frustration with Filipino women being silenced, their voices being muted, their dreams and ambitions being rendered invisible, so it’s very nice to be able to stand on this stage here at Bifan representing Filipino women.”
This year, NAFF received 279 submissions from 40 countries and selected a total of 29 projects from 18 countries, including five for this year’s Project Spotlight, which focused on Japan. Some 122 companies attended this year’s NAFF business meetings, which reached 605 in total.
NAFF 2023 winners
CASH AWARDS
Bucheon Award
The Passport, dir. Ananth Subramaniam (Malaysia)
Korean Discovery Award
The Grotesque Train, dir. Tak Sewoong (S Korea)
Asian Discovery Award
A Woman in Flames, dir. Natsuki Nakagawa (Japan)
Please Bear with Me, dir. Gabriela Serrano (Philippines)
NAFF Award
Parasomnia, dir. Rafki Hidayat (Indonesia)
PLANET, dir. Fredrik S. Hana (Norway)
NAFF Korean Award
Idiot Girls And School Ghost: School Anniversary, dir. Kim Minha (S Korea)
Show Me The Liver, dir. Kim Jeongho (S Korea)
TAICCA Award
Sesame Has Its Soul, dir. Oscar Duong (S Korea, Vietnam)
VIPO Award
Maiden Home, dir. Sinn Kirin (S Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia)
DHL Award
Lake Of Stars, dir. Jake Wachtel (Cambodia)
POST-PRODUCTION SUPPORT AWARDS
Mocha Chai Award
Please Bear With Me, dir. Gabriela Serrano (Philippines)
IN-KIND SUPPORT
Blood Window Award (invitation to Ventana Sur)
PLANET, dir. Fredrik S. Hana (Norway)
Sitges FanPitch Award (invitation to Sitges)
Please Bear With Me, dir. Gabriela Serrano (Philippines)
No comments yet