30th BIFAN Revives the Choon-yun Award
World’s first-ever FIPRESCI Award established at a Genre Film Festival
- The Choon-yun Award resumes at BIFAN after a one-year hiatus; producers KIM Se-hun and Jenna KU of The World of Love (2005) named co-recipients.
- International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) establishes an official award category at a genre film festival for the first time in history.
- Reaffirming solidarity and support for Korean creators, and BIFAN’s global standing as a leading genre film festival.
The 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Festival Director SHIN Chul, hereafter BIFAN) will revive the Choon-yun Award and newly launch the FIPRESCI Award (International Film Critics Alliance Award) this year.
The Choon-yun Award was established in 2022 to honor the legacy of the late LEE Choon-yun, former Chairman of the Korean Association of Film Art & Industry (KAFAI) and former Vice Chairperson of the Organizing Committee of BIFAN, who dedicated his life to the development of Korean cinema. The award is given to producers involved in film planning and production. Following its inaugural presentation in 2022, the award took a one-year hiatus last year and will announce its fourth recipients this year in Bucheon.
This year’s award goes to producers KIM Se-hun and Jenna KU for their work on The World of Love (directed by YOON Ga-eun, 2025). KIM has been recognized for his planning work on notable independent films including The World of Love, The World of Us (2016), Hail to Hell (2022), and Red Nails (2024), as well as his contribution to driving the qualitative growth of Korean independent cinema.
KU has been acknowledged for her extensive producing career, including The World of Love, Little Forest (2018), and The Running Actress (2017), as well as her contributions to the Korean film industry through mentoring on numerous international co-production projects.
¡ã 4th Recipients of the Choon-yun Award / (From left) producers KIM Se-hun and Jenna KU (Courtesy of BIFAN)
The winners were selected through a final screening meeting by a panel consisting of director KANG Je-kyu, actor YOO Ji-tae, former Chairperson of the Korea Media Rating Board CHAI Yoonhee, producer KWON Yeongrak, and BIFAN programmer KIM Youngwoo, based on multiple recommendations from the Producers Guild of Korea (PGK) and the Association of Korean Independent Film & Video (AKIFA). On Saturday, July 4, at 5:00 PM during the festival, its award ceremony will take place with recipients and fellow filmmakers in attendance.
¡á Past Recipients of the Choon-yun Award
| Edition (Year) |
Recipient |
| 1st (2022) |
Producer BAEK Jaeho |
| 2nd (2023) |
Producer KIM Ji-yeon |
| 3rd (2024) |
Producer PARK Kwansu |
| 2025 |
N/A |
| 4th (2026) |
Producers KIM Se-hun and Jenna KU (Joint Recipients) |
In addition, BIFAN is partnering with FIPRESCI to launch the first-ever FIPRESCI Award at the genre film festival. This marks the first time in history that FIPRESCI has established an official critics’ jury and presented an award at a fantastic genre film festival.
The newly established FIPRESCI Award will be presented to a film in Bucheon Choice World: Features, the festival’s international competition section. A three-member jury appointed by FIPRESCI will evaluate the competing films and select the winning title. The introduction of this award is expected to shed light on the cultural value of genre films while enhancing BIFAN’s international standing.
“As genre films continue to gain recognition across the international festival landscape, this partnership reflects FIPRESCI’s commitment to expanding both geographically and across the full diversity of cinema. We greatly value BIFAN’s professionalism, vision, and contribution to film culture, and are proud to present the first-ever FIPRESCI Award at a fantastic film festival,” stated Ahmed SHAWKY, President of FIPRESCI.
“We deeply revere FIPRESCI’s enduring dedication to the enrichment of global cinema and film criticism,” says SHIN Chul, the Festival Director of BIFAN. “This historic partnership will undoubtedly serve as an inspiring catalyst, elevating both BIFAN and the vibrant world of genre filmmaking.”
The 30th BIFAN will be held across Bucheon City for 11 days from July 2 to July 12, 2026.
¡á Festival Overview
Title : 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
Date : July 2 (Thu) – July 12 (Sun), 2026 (11 days)
Type : Non-competitive international film festival introducing partial competition
Scale : 321 films from 50 countries (170 features, 85 shorts, 38 AI films, 28 XR contents)
Main Venue : Bucheon City Hall, Korean Manhwa Museum, CGV Sopung, LOTTE Cinema Bucheon, Bucheon Art Bunker B39, Bucheon Astronomical Science Museum
Please contact the BIFAN PR Team for more details.
E. press@bifan.kr | M. +82-10-7367-6313 | T. +82-32-327-6313 (135, 140)