The 16th Jeonju International Film Festival announced award winners from competition sections!

- Grand Prizes turned to Poet on a Business Trip (International Competition), Alice in Earnestland (Korean Competition), and Blossom (Korean Competition For Shorts)!

Poet on a Business Trip(JU Anqi), Alice in Earnestland(AHN Goocjin) and Blossom(HAN Inmi) each won Grand Prize in ‘International Competition’, ‘Korean Competition’, and ‘Korean Competition For Shorts’ at the Awards Ceremony of the 16th Jeonju International Film Festival (Jeonju IFF) which was held from 6:30pm on May 6.

‘International Competition’ jury, Kate TAYLOR, who has served as programmer at numerous prestigious film festivals including BFI London Film Festival, said at the overall review, “This selection of emerging filmmakers has been characterized by a risk-taking independent spirit, which we hope they will all take into their future projects.” Greek representative actor, Vangelis MOURIKIS highly appraised the Grand Prize winner, Poet on a Business Trip by saying, “It is simple, curious, artful and ultimately very moving.”

In ‘International Competition’ section, the common theme about ‘survival competition’ or ‘survival at the harsh environment’ was found. Among those films, Navajazo(Ricardo SILVA), which mixed documentary and fiction, won Best Picture Prize(Woosuk Award), and Parabellum(Lukas VALENTA RINNER) which deals with apocalyptic world view won Special Jury Prize. Also, actor Esme MADRA from Until I Lose My Breath(Emine EMEL BALCI) received ‘Special Mention Award’ by strong recommendations of jury members, for her impressive performance.

Alice in Earnestland, which had high popularity as its tickets sold-out for all screening times, won Grand Prize in ‘Korean Competition.’ ‘Korean Competition’ juries, consisted of professional film critic for East Asia, Tony RAYNS, director KIM Sungho, and Programmer at International Film Festival of Mar de Plata in Argentina, Marcelo ALDERETE, said, “We watched ten films and they spanned a very wide range: from screeching melodrama to art-house cool, from seemingly formless storytelling to tightly controlled mise en scene.” Especially, Tony RAYNS gave a review about Alice in Earnestland, “Funny, shocking and sometimes cruel, this film has enough invention and energy to take your breath away.”

For ‘Distribution Support Prize’ and ‘Upcoming Project Prize’ awarded by CGV Arthouse, With or Without You(PARK Hyuckjee) and To be Sixteen(KIM Hyeonseung) were each selected. In addition to those 3 award winners, juries presented ‘Special Mention Award’ to Stay with Me(RHEE Jinwoo), commenting as, “it has special point-of-view towards its characters, and the particular description of the universe that they inhabit.”

Among 20 finalists from ‘Korean Competition For Shorts’, Blossom was unanimously chosen as Grand Prize winner. This film tells about two 12-year old girls having part-time jobs, receiving the comment as, “it captures a breakdown moment of childhood innocence throwing bold questions on violent side of capitalism.”

‘Korean Competition For Shorts’ films including the Grand Prize winner, Blossom, showed strong statements and intense messages thrown out to Korea society. A Lonely Bird(SEOJUNG Sinwoo) which tells the story of an unemployed young man who lives at his sister’s home won Special Jury Prize, and received the comment from juries(John CANCIANI, PARK Jungbum, and SHIN Dongmi) as “A film dealing with a dysfunctional family structure and the personal break out in life with simplicity.” For Best Director Prize, A Crevice of Violence(LIM Cheol) which covers a violent adolescent was chosen.

‘NETPAC Prize’, awarded by Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema(NETPAC) to one Korean feature film from non-competition section ‘Korea Cinemascape’, turned to Under the Sun(AHN Seulki). Actually, this film also won Distribution Support Award at ‘Rising Cinema Showcase’ of the 7th Jeonju Project Market this year, lighting up the bright future for distribution process.

After the Awards Ceremony announcing main competition winners, the 16th Jeonju IFF will continue to May 9, with screening of award-winning films and hottest titles.