Pusan International Film Festival Awards
Heralded as the biggest film festival in Asia, PIFF ran Oct. 6 – 15th and celebrated its 10th anniversary this year with some of Asia’s greatest talent including Hou Hsiao-hsien, Abbas Kiarostami, and Jackie Chan on hand at its numerous ceremonies.

The festival wrapped last weekend with the top award – the New Currents award for Best New Asian Filmmaker of the Year – going to ZANG Lu of China for directing Grain in the Ear. ZANG uses a restrained, tranquil style to contrast the tragic story of Soon-hee, a Korean-Chinese minority and single-mother who is continually betrayed. The New Currents jury, headed this year by Abbas Kiarostami, praised the film for its “consistent strength, uncompromising story and superb acting.”

South Korean film, The Unforgiven by Yoon Jong-bin dominated the rest of the awards, taking the FIPRESCI prize awarded by the International Association of Film Critics. Yoon’s independent feature debut provides an insightful and harrowing look into the effects of compulsory military service on young Korean men. The Unforgiven also won the People’s Choice Award as the most popular film chosen by festival audiences and the NETPAC award (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema). The NETPAC international jury which selects the year’s best Korean feature film, chose The Unforgiven for its “critical reflection on “masculinity”, not only in Korea or in the military, but in contemporary society in general.”

Cash awards were also given to films either not yet in production or only partially completed as part of the Pusan Promotion Plan (PPP) a three-day networking forum that introduces selected filmmakers to financiers and distributors. This year 27 projects were chosen and over 1000 participants came to PPP.

Among projects seeking financing were KIM Ki-duk’s Beautiful (working title), Fruit CHAN’s Neon Glows in Myanmar and Osama director Siddiq BARMAK’s Opium Wars which won the Cine-Click Asia award of 10 000 USD. Two projects won the Busan Award of 20 000 USD: South Korean project Fairy Tale of a Picture Tree by LEE Kwang-mo and Thai feature Heartbreak Pavillion by Thunska PANSITTIVORAKUL & Sompot CHIDGASORNPONGSE.

PPP also acts as a film market where Korean and Asian sales companies screen new features for buyers and distributors. The market has grown so successful that PIFF announced plans to open a fully-fledged industry fair called the Busan Film Market to be held alongside PIFF next October and to feature over 200 market screenings.


Nigel D’Sa