BIFAN Opens on July 7
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] The 26th Bucheon Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN·Executive Chairman Shin Cheol) announced on the 23rd the 16 jury members composed of domestic and international directors, producers, actors, writers, programmers, critics, and journalists.
BIFAN, a non-competitive international film festival that introduced partial competition, has award categories including ▲Bucheon Choice: Feature ▲Bucheon Choice: Short ▲Korean Fantastic: Feature ▲Korean Fantastic: Short ▲M?li?s International Festivals Federation (MIFF) Asia Film Award ▲NETPAC Award (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema). The industry program (B.I.G) and the ‘Ghost Story Campus’ section are operated separately.
The ‘Bucheon Choice: Feature’ jury consists of five members: Monica Garcia, Masato Harada, Nick James, Kang Hye-jung, and Shim Hye-jin (in alphabetical order by last name). They represent film festivals, directors, critics, producers, and actors.
Monica Garcia is the chairperson of the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival Foundation and also co-directs and writes for the Fantastic Film Master’s program at the University of Catalonia. Masato Harada debuted with "Hello, Movie Friend" (1979) and won the Grand Prix runner-up and Best Director at the Valenciennes International Action Adventure Film Festival in France for "Kamikaze Taxi" (1995).
Nick James served as editor-in-chief of the historic film monthly magazine Sight & Sound for 23 years. In 2011, he was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government and has served as a juror at various international film festivals including the Berlin International Film Festival. Kang Hye-jung, CEO of the film company Oyu Naegang, and actress Shim Hye-jin also joined the jury.
The ‘Korean Fantastic: Feature’ jury consists of three members: Lisa Dreyer, Lee Dong-gu, and Yoo Bora, representing film festivals, directors, and writers. Lisa Dreyer has worked as a programmer at various film festivals such as the Austin Film Society, Oak Cliff Film Festival, and Contrast Film Festival. Lee Dong-gu is a theater actor and director.
The M?li?s International Festivals Federation (MIFF) Asia Film Award aims to discover and encourage Asian fantastic genre films and awards one Asian work from the ‘Adrenaline Ride’ section and the ‘Metal Noir’ section. The jury members are Anders E. Larsson and Rocio Moreno.
The NETPAC Award selects the best Asian film in the ‘Merry Go Round’ section. The jury consists of Ida Anita del Mundo, Lee Jung-jin, and Kwak Myung-dong.
The 26th BIFAN will be held in a hybrid offline and online format from July 7 to 17. A total of 268 films from 49 countries will be screened at 13 venues including Bucheon City Hall Lawn Square, Eoul Madang, Fantastic Cube, Korea Manhwa Museum, CGV Sopung, Megabox Bucheon Starfield City, and online via wavve. The opening film is the horror movie Men.
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