“The Last Stop in Yuma County” and Korea’s “Esper’s Light” Take Top Prizes at Bifan 2024
The 28th edition of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Bifan) in South Korea concluded on July 12th with the announcement of the festival's top prize winners. The US crime thriller "The Last Stop in Yuma County," directed by Francis Galluppi, scooped both the Best of Bucheon award, which comes with a cash prize of $15,400 (KW20m), and the audience award.
Galluppi's debut feature, which received its Asian premiere at Bifan following its world premiere at Fantastic Fest last September, was praised by the festival jury, led by Korean actor Park Joong-hoon, as a "poignant portrayal that deeply resonated, providing an exceptionally remarkable and emotionally stirring experience." The film stars Richard Brake, Jim Cummings, and Jocelin Donahue in a story about a traveling knife salesman who unwittingly becomes embroiled in a violent hostage situation at an isolated rest stop.
In the Korean Fantastic: Features competition, the award for Best Korean Fantastic Film and a cash prize of $15,400 (KW20m) went to "Esper's Light" by director Jung Jae-hoon. The film revolves around a group of teenagers and their fantastical imaginations, and was selected for the Fantastic 7 showcase at this year's Cannes Market.
Other winners included JT Mollner, who received the Best Director Choice award and $3,600 (KW5m) for his serial killer thriller "Strange Darling," and Korean filmmaker Kim Min-ha, who won the Best Director and Watcha Pic prizes for the sequel "Idiot Girls And School Ghost: School Anniversary."
This year's festival also introduced the Bifan+ AI programme, a three-day conference exploring the use of artificial intelligence in filmmaking, led by AI experts. The festival, which ran from July 4-14, welcomed renowned guests such as actress Soo Ye-jin and directors Johnnie To and Mitani Koki.
Bifan 2024 Award Winners
Bucheon Choice: Features
- Best of Bucheon (KW20m): "The Last Stop In Yuma County", directed by Francis Galluppi
- Best Director Choice (KW5m): "Strange Darling", directed by JT Mollner
- Jury's Choice (KW5m): "Suffocating Love", directed by Liao Ming Yi
- Audience Award: "The Last Stop In Yuma County", directed by Francis Galluppi
Korean Fantastic: Features
- Best Korean Fantastic Film (KW20m): "Esper's Light", directed by Jung Jae-hoon
- Korean Fantastic Best Director (KW5m): "Idiot Girls and School Ghost: School Anniversary", directed by Kim Min-ha
- Korean Fantastic Actors:
- Kim Daegun, "The Tenants"
- Park Ju-hyun, "You Will Die In 6 Hours"
- Special mention: "Pig That Survived Foot-and-Mouth Disease", directed by Hur Bum-wook
- Korean Fantastic Audience Award: "You Will Die In 6 Hours", directed by Lee Yun-seok
- Nonghyup Award (KW10m): "Base Station", directed by Park Syeyoung, Yeon Yeji
- Watcha's Pick for Korean Fantastic (KW3m): "Idiot Girls And School Ghost: School Anniversary", directed by Kim Min-ha
Bucheon Choice: Shorts
- Best Short Film: "I'm Not a Robot", directed by Victoria Warmerdam
- Jury's Choice for Short Film: "Help, I'm Alien Pregnant", directed by THUNDERLIPS
- Audience Award for Short Film: "Meat Puppet", directed by Eros V
Bucheon Choice: AI Film
- Best AI Film: "Where Do Grandmas Go When They Get Lost?", directed by Léo Cannone
- Best Technical Achievement: "Snowfall", directed by Bae Jun-won
- Jury's Special Mention:
- "Latex Kid", directed by Fran Gas
- "One More Pumpkin", directed by Kwon Hansl
- Audience Award: "Snowfall", directed by Bae Jun-won
Korean Fantastic: Shorts
- Best Korean Short Film: "Lovers on Friday Night", directed by Park Yong-shin
- Jury's Special Mention: "Circle", directed by Joung Yumi
- Audience Award for Korean Short Film: "MM, UH, OH, AH", directed by Choi Na-hye
Other Awards
- Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF) Award for Best Asian Film: "Steppenwolf", directed by Adіlkhan Yerzhanov
- NETPAC Award: "Who'll Stop The Rain", directed by Su I-hsuan
- Odd Family Award: "Pigsy", directed by Chiu Li Wei