Korean Projects Awarded at PIFF (PPP)

A number of Korean feature film projects were awarded production support and cash awards at the Asian Film Market (AFM) which ran for four days during this year's 11th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF). The main event at AFM is the Pusan Promotion Plan (PPP), a project market where selected Asian film projects are presented to investors. Out of 130 projects submitted this year, 36 were selected for the market, an increase from last year's 27.

Among Korean awardees, director Lee Myung-se received the Kodak Award of US$20 000 worth of negative film, for his new project M, a horror-melodrama about ghostly love. LEE is known for his visual flair and choreography with his previous film "Duelist" released in France and Japan.

Director Ryoo Seung-wan was presented the MBC Movies Award of US$10 000 for "Yacha", his big-budget zombie feature project. Since 2003, MBC DramaNet has presented the award to a selected Korean feature project. RYOO, known for his high-energy action films, including last year's The City of Violence, will direct this US$10 million Show East production.

The Overseas Korea Foundation, OKF, committed US$10 000 to Mora Mi-Ok STEPHENS for her project The 38th Parallel, a thriller dealing with Korea's tense political situation and a conspiracy involving an American arms dealer. Each year OKF awards a PPP project by a Korean-born overseas director.

Two awards were presented to newcomers as part of New Directors in Focus (NDIF), a sub-section of PPP. NDIF selects four up-and-coming Korean directors with projects of vitality and provides them opportunities to meet investors and producers throughout the Asian Film Market.

This year the LJ Film Award was presented to LEE Jong=Hoon for Ringwanderung. LJ Films commits US$20 000 towards the project's development and guarantees its production. Debut director YEOL Chang=won the Barunson award of US$10 000 for his project "A Gold Rush".

Nigel D'Sa (KOFIC)

Advertisement