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History
New Currents Award
New Currents Award is given to the two best feature films selected from the first or second works of new Asian directors introduced in the New Currents section (a competitive section of BIFF for Asian films). A grand prize of 30,000 USD is awarded to each film. The jury consists of world-renowned film experts who will choose winners to discover and encourage the hidden jewels of Asian cinema.
SAVAGE
Clean up
Kim Jiseok Award
It is to remember and honor the late Kim Ji-seok who passed away after devoting his whole life to discovering young Asian directors and supporting the growth of Asian cinema. A grand of prize of USD 10,000 is awarded to two films.
Rona, Azim’s Mother
The Rib
BIFF Mecenat Award
This award is granted to the best Korean and Asian documentary pictures in the Wide Angle Competition section. Winners are granted 10,000,000 KRW (approx. 10,000 USD) each with the purpose of assisting in their next production.
Opening Closing Forgetting
ARMY
Special Mention
A War of Memories
Sonje Award
This award is granted to the best Korean and Asian short films in the Wide Angle Competition section. Winners are granted 10,000,000 KRW (approx. 10,000 USD) each with the purpose of assisting in their next production.
Cat Day Afternoon
NOOREH
Actor & Actress of the Year Award
Actor & Actress of the Year is the award to focus on first-time actors in the independent Korean films among the New Currents and Korean Cinema Today Vision. The top-class Korean actor and actress select one actor and one actress with outstanding performance. The winners will be awarded at the closing ceremony with cash prize of 5,000,000 KRW (approx. 5,000 USD) each.
Maggie
Our Body
KNN Audience Award
This award is given to the film that gained most acclaim from festival audiences, among the films introduced in the New Currents section. The award is granted by the KNN foundation and its winner is awarded 20,000 USD.
House of Hummingbird
BNK Busan Bank Award
This award is given to the film that is most highly rated by festival audiences. Approximately 10 films from the Flash Forward section are selected beforehand to participate in this competition. A total of 20,000 USD is granted by the BNK Busan Bank. 10,000 USD is awarded to the director and the other half is used to support the distribution of the film in Korea. BIFF character, Pine Tree sign , will be marked next to the eligible candidates.
The Little Comrade
Citizen Critics Award
Citizen critics from the Busan Cinematheque choose the best film from those screened in the Korean Cinema Today Vision section and its director is granted the award. The winner is awarded 10,000,000 KRW (approx. 10,000 USD) with the purpose of assisting in their next production.
Maggie
DGK Award
DGK(Directors Guild of Korea) Award goes two Korean films from Korean Cinema Today-Vision section. Each winner will be granted 5 million KRW (approx. 5,000 USD).
Bori
Sub-zero Wind
CGV Arthouse Award
This award was newly created in 2011 in collaboration with CJ CGV Arthouse to shed new light on the Korean Cinema Today Vision section. The award aims to provide independent films, indie films, new films, and low budget films with distribution and screening opportunities.
Maggie
Busan Cinephile Award
This award is given to the best non-Asia documentary film presented in the Wide Angle documentary showcase. The winner is awarded KRW5,000,000 (approx. USD5,000). The jury consists of college students, including numerous students from the cinema-related departments of six universities in Busan region, select the winner.
Bruce Lee and the Outlaw
KTH Award
KTH Award is designed to support Korean independent films. Two winners will be selected among Korean Cinema Today_Vision and New Currents sections and granted 10 million KRW (approx. 10,000 USD).
Clean up
A Boy and Sungreen
KBS Independent Film Award
KBS Independent Film Award is given to support Korean independent films. One Korean film will be selected among Korean Cinema Today_Vision and New Currents sections to receive 10 million KRW (approx. 10,000 USD).
Maggie
NETPAC Award
This award is given to the year’s best Korean film from either the New Currents or the Korean Cinema Today Vision section. NETPAC is an international organization founded in 1990 devoted to the expansion of Asian film distribution and screening.
House of Hummingbird
FIPRESCI Award
The FIPRESCI Award is awarded to well-made works that reflect its experimental and progressive spirit, among those presented in the New Currents section.
The Red Phallus
Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award
This award is granted to the Asian filmmaker who has made the most significant contribution to the advancement of Asian film industry and culture throughout the year.
SAKAMOTO Ryuichi
Musician, Artist, Producer | Japan
Sakamoto Ryuichi as a musician, artist, producer, as well as a progressive anti-war, peace and environmental activist, had initially stepped into the world of film music by playing Oshima Nagisa’s Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence in 1983. He was in charge of composing the film’s musical score and won the British Academy Film Awards. He gained extensive reputation as a film score composer on the strength of winning majority of awards such as the Academy Award for Best Original Score and Grammy Awards as the first Asian in 1987 thanks to The Last Emperor (1986) by director Bernardo Bertolucci and receiving the second Golden Globe Awards for The Sheltering Sky (1990). Going through a year of medical treatment after the announcement of throat cancer in 2014, Sakamoto Ryuichi returned to the composer’s chair with The Revenant (2015) by Alejandro González Iñárritu and maintained musical reign by being selected for the Golden Globe Awards and the Grammy Awards Nominee. Sakamoto Ryuichi has been recently presenting beautiful music through more than 40 films including Fortress (2017) by director Hwang Dong-hyuk and animated cartoon My TYRANO: Together, Forever (2019) that resonates with the film and fascinates all with its delicate melody with a long-lasting message.
Korean Cinema Award
This award is granted to the notable figure that has made significant contribution in promoting Korean cinema worldwide.
Martine THÉROUANNE
Festival Director and Co-founder of Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas
| France
Martine Thérouanne studied literature and worked for the specialized school documentalist.She is the Festival Director and the Co-founder of the Vesoul International Film Festival ofAsian Cinemas, as well as the chief editor of the VIFFAC‟s catalog. She has been a currentmember of NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) since 2003, and she hasparticipated in many domestic and international film festivals as a member of juries, such asthe New Delhi International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, and HanoiInternational Film Festival. She has been rewarded prestigious national titles such as theL‟Ordre des Palmes académiques in 2018, Chevalier de la Légion d‟Honneur in 2012, andChevalier de l‟Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2003. These prestigious national titles showher dedication against cinema.
Jean-Marc THÉROUANNE
General Manager and Co-founder of Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas
| France
Jean-Marc Thérouanne is an archivist and specialized librarian, who initially studied Law atuniversity and completed a Master‟s degree in History. He is the General Manager and Cofounderof the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas. He has headed the juryof many of film festivals like Silk Road Film Festival, Aviff Cannes Art Film Festival, andDijon International Adventure Film Festival; in addition, he has been a jury member at boththe Chungmuro International Film Festival in Seoul and Delhi International Film Festival.He is a regular correspondent for InterCDI Magazine and a current member of NETPAC(Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema). He has been awarded many prestigiousawards such as the l‟Ordre des Palmes Académiques 2018, Ordre des Arts et des Lettres2003, and the Medal of Honor (City of Vesoul) 2014.