Genre market highlights new blood

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Festival News

The Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) 부천국제판타스틱영화제's Network of Asian Fantastic Films (NAFF) 아시아 판타스틱 제작네트워크 (22-25 July) has announced the finalists in its It Project official selection.

The 20 projects originate from 13 countries, reflecting the 12% increase in submissions from outside South Korea this year. In total, there were 93 submissions originating from 21 countries.

The lineup includes several projects from PiFan regulars including JANG Cheol-su 장철수's Service for People 인민을 위해 복무하라. Jang's horror Bedevilled 김복남 살인사건의 전말 (2009) won the festival's top prize two years ago.

Also returning is producer Andy YOON 윤창업 with The Weirdo from Mars 화성에서 온 그놈 to be directed by newcomer CHO Chang-yeol 조창열. Yoon produced the thriller Blind 블라인드 (2011) that closed last year's edition.

Two of the projects in this year's selection were previously presented at the Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) 香港亞洲電影投資會. Sidharth SRINIVASAN's Varanasi-set horror The Profane त्रास and Arvin CHEN 陳駿霖's Taipei romance Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? 明天記得愛上我. The latter had received the NAFF Award in Hong Kong.

The genre project market has also secured new blood.

KIM Tai-sik 김태식 | 金泰植, whose three previous films debuted at the rival Busan festival, presents Kuala Lumpur Taxi 쿠알라룸푸르에서 온 택시. The Malaysian co-production is a thematic sequel to his Tokyo Taxi 도쿄택시 (2009).

Kim's film is among six projects that are South Korean co-productions. Also selected is AR, or After-Recording, from Japan's TERADA Kenji 寺田憲史, who wrote the scenarios of the first three Final Fantasy video games.

Sydney-based film critic Russell EDWARDS, a PiFan regular, is also attending with his feature film project White Zombies. Edwards previously directed the 11-minute short The Agreement (2005).

Successful projects at previous editions of the project market include The King of Pigs 돼지의 왕 (2011), which recently screened in the Directors' Fortnight | Quinzaine des réalisateurs sidebar of the Cannes Film Festival.

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