¡ãPoster of the BIFAN 2025 (left), Still from the Closing Film The Go-to Restaurant

The 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN, Festival Director: SHIN Chul), has officially concluded with its closing ceremony. On the afternoon of July 11, BIFAN held its closing ceremony at the Eoul Madang Hall in Bucheon City Hall, where this year’s award winners were announced.

The event was hosted by actress KIM Jooryeong, known for her role in Sisterhood, which was selected for Cannes Fantastic 7. The ceremony began with a report from Festival Director SHIN Chul, who stated, “BIFAN will continue to support today’s filmmakers while nurturing the next generation.”
He added, “Everything in the film industry changes—what remains now is a competition of imagination, not rivalry.” He concluded, “I deeply thank everyone who supported and helped us through the scorching heat, and we now march toward our 30th anniversary.”

The Bucheon Choice: Features (International Competition) Best of Bucheon Award went to The Ugly Stepsister (Norway/Sweden/Poland/Denmark), directed by Emilie BLICHFELDT. The jury remarked, “This film boldly satirizes human nature by fusing grotesque body horror into the framework of the classic Cinderella narrative.” They continued, “The protagonist Elvira’s physical and emotional suffering starkly reveals the destructiveness and violence of lookism in a society where appearance equates to class and power, resonating deeply with contemporary audiences.” The Ugly Stepsister also won the Audience Award, earning a double crown in the Bucheon Choice section.

Best Director Choice Award went to Reflection in a Dead Diamond (Belgium/Luxembourg/Italy/France), directed by Bruno FORZANI and Hélène CATTET. The jury commented, “This film stands out with its retro sensibility reminiscent of the 1960s–70s Eurospy genre and its striking visual flair.”

The Jury’s Choice Award was presented to Together (USA/Australia), directed by Michael SHANKS. The jury stated, “This film showcases a bold attempt to combine supernatural body horror with romantic comedy,” and added, “While maintaining genre-appropriate gore and intensity, the film sustains a consistently light and upbeat tone throughout.”

The Korean Fantastic: Features (Domestic Competition) Best Korean Fantastic Film award was given to Teaching Practice: Idiot Girls and School Ghost 2 (South Korea), directed by KIM Min-ha. The jury stated, “We aimed to recognize the film’s distinctive completeness without overlooking the strength of its lighthearted and entertaining surface.”

The Best Director Award in the Korean Fantastic: Features section went to The Square (South Korea), directed by KIM Bo-sol. Korean Fantastic Actors Awards were presented to: HAN Sun-hwa for Teaching Practice: Idiot Girls and School Ghost 2 and KWON Yong-geun for Classroom Delusions. A Special Mention was awarded to YANG Mal-bok for Manok. The Korean Fantastic Audience Award went to Manok (South Korea), directed by LEE Yu-jin. Classroom Delusions (South Korea), directed by SEO Eun-young, won both the Nonghyup Distribution Award and the Watcha’s Pick for Korean Fantastic, earning the honor of a double winner.

The Mèliés International Festivals Federation(MIFF) Award was presented to I KILL U (South Korea), directed by YOO Ha. The NETPAC Award went to YOUNG & FINE (Japan), directed by KOMINAMI Toshiya. The Odd Family Award was awarded to Bookworm (New Zealand), directed by Ant TIMPSON.

The closing ceremony concluded with official closing declarations by Chairperson of Organizing Committee CHO Yong-eek and CHANG Mi Hee, following the announcement of the award winners.

The 29th BIFAN will continue to run across various venues in Bucheon until July 13.

¡á INFORMATION
▪ Title: 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
▪ Characteristics: Non-competitive international film festival with a few competition sections
▪ Scale: 221 films from 41 countries (104 Features, 91 Shorts, 11 AI Films, 26 XR works)
▪ Date: July 3 (THU)~July 13 (SUN), 11 days
▪ Venues: Bucheon City Hall, CGV Sopung, Bucheon Art Bunker B39, Bucheon Arts Center, Webtoon Convergence Center

¡á Contact
▪ Email: foreignpress@bifan.kr
▪ Website: www.bifan.kr/eng/

TEXT  PHOTO