Kenneth Dagatan’s horror thriller Molder won the Bucheon Award Grand Prize at the close of this year’s NAFF (Network of Asian Fantastic Films) Project Market, part of the industry platform at Korea’s Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN).
[Pictured above L-R: Molder producer Bradley Liew, director Kenneth Dagatan, You Seongjun, Director General of the Culture and Education Bureau, City of Bucheon]
Dagatan’s previous film, In My Mother’s Skin, premiered at Sundance Film Festival and was later acquired by Amazon. His new project, which also won the Blood Window Award, revolves around a Filipino immigrant to Italy suffering from dementia. The award came with a cash prize worth $11,000 (KRW15m).
Accepting the award, producer Bradley Liew said: “In the world of genre it’s a little bit difficult to get our projects out because the kinds of films that normally go to markets would not be horror films or fantasy or sci-fi films. Thank you for giving us a place to present these works and to try to make our films and our stories come true.”
Meanwhile, Vietnamese project The Heirloom, from director Lê Hoàng, was presented with the KRW10m NAFF Award. The project is a horror drama about an orphaned museum guard, desperate to get rich to win the heart of a single mum.
The Asian Discovery Award (an award for an Asian newcomer) was given to the Japanese project Push-Button Syndrome, from director Murakami Riko, a satire mystery action comedy about a ruthless protagonist who develops a “button-press syndrome”, compelling him to press every button he sees as he struggles to empathise with others.
The KRW15m Korean Discovery Award (for a Korean newcomer) went to Folklore from director Jung Seeum, a horror romance drama about a funeral director whose life falls apart after losing her husband in an accident on their wedding anniversary (see full list of winners below).
The jurors for the NAFF Project Market included US producer Mike Macari from Koji Production, Yulia Evina Bhara, producer and CEO of Indonesia’s Kawankawan Media, and Korea’s Kim Yohwan, producer and CEO of 88 Avenue.
NAFF Project Market took place during BIFAN (July 4-14) at a new venue – the Bucheon Webtoon Convergence Center. For the first time, the winners from BIFAN’s Goedam Campus and Goedam Short Film Production Support were announced together with the NAFF results.
BIFAN 2024 NAFF PROJECT MARKET AWARDS:
CASH AWARDS:
Bucheon Award (Grand Prize) KRW15m: Molder, dir: Kenneth Dagatan, prods: Bradley Liew, Stefano Centini, Huang Junxiang (Philippines, Italy, Singapore)
NAFF Award (Excellence award) KRW10m: The Heirloom, dir: Lê Hoàng, prods: Tran Thanh, Mai Ngoc (Vietnam)
Asian Discovery Award (KRW10m): Push Button Syndrome, dir: Murakami Riko, prod: Fujita Kanako (Japan)
Korean Discovery Award (KRW15m): Folklore, dir: Jung Seeum, prods: Park Doohee, Choi Chan (Korea)
NAFF Korean Award (KRW5m): Dhammapada, dir: Lee Taegyeom, prod: Kim Young (Korea, Nepal)
NAFF Korean Award (KRW5m): Idiot Girls And School Ghost 2: Teaching Practice, dir: Kim Minha, prod: Park Sejoon (Korea)
TAICCA Award ($10,000): Bait, dir: Yoshida Daihachi, prod: Takahashi Naoya (Japan)
VIPO Award (JPY500,000): Naga Swim Upstream, dir: Patiparn Boontarig, prod: Nakaparn Boontarig (Thailand)
DHL Award (KRW5m): Dancing Gale, dir: Sammaria Simanjuntak, prod: Lies Nanci Supangkat (Indonesia)
POST-PRODUCTION SUPPORT AWARDS:
Mocha Chai Award (Worth $35,000): Virgin Bash, dir: Randolph Zaini, prod: Susanti Dewi (Indonesia)
Kantana Post Award (Worth $25,000): Dhammapada, dir: Lee Taegyeom, prod: Kim Young (Korea, Nepal)
IN-KIND SUPPORT AWARDS:
Blood Window Award (Invitation to Ventana Sur Blood Window project market): Molder, dir: Kenneth Dagatan, prods: Bradley Liew, Stefano Centini, Huang Junxiang (Philippines, Italy, Singapore)
Sitges FanPitch Award (Invitation to FanPitch of Sitges Film Festival): The Vampire Of Sheung Shui, dir: Shreyom Ghosh, prods: Peter Yam, Michael J. Werner (Hong Kong)
Goedam Short Film Production Support:
Holo, dir: Choi Junhyuk (Korea)
Don’t Let Me In, dir: Lee Suhyeon (Korea)
Baljjeo, dir: Kim Sung-hyen (Korea)
Broken Winter, dir: Jeong Yuwon (Korea)
Strange Award: Memory Puzzle, dir: Lim Seunghyun (Korea)
Bucheon Award: The Heirlooms, dir: Devina Sofiyanti (Korea)