‘The Final Semester’ Scores Multiple Wins at Busan Vision Awards
Lee Ran-hee’s Korean film “The Final Semester” had the most wins at the 29th Busan International Film Festival’s Busan Vision Awards ceremony, held Thursday evening.
The coming-of-age film secured a trifecta of accolades, including the DGK Plus M Award, the KBS Independent Film Award, and the Songwon Citizen Critics’ Award.
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“The Final Semester” shared the DGK Plus M Award with another Korean film, Hwang Seulgi’s “Red Nails,” which belongs to the psychological mystery and suspense thriller genres.
Kim Sung-yoon’s coming-of-age film “Fragment” also had a strong showing, securing the CGV Award and sharing the Chorokbaem Media Award with Choi Jongyong’s “Waterdrop,” also in the coming-of-age genre, with elements of psychological mystery and suspense thriller. Both films are from Korea. The latter film’s cinematographer, Kang Jongsu, was recognized with the CGK Award.
Other notable recipients at the ceremony included Jo Seyoung’s Korean human rights documentary “K-Number” (Korea), which won the Documentary Audience Award, and Indonesian filmmaker Loeloe Hendra’s “Tale of the Land,” a coming-of-age journey inspired by indigenous communities grappling with land conflict, which won the FIPRESCI Award. The NETPAC Award went to Park Ri-woong’s human rights thriller “The Land of Morning Calm” (Korea).
Additional honors were bestowed upon Korean films, Lee Jong-su’s comedy-satire “Inserts,” which won the Critic b Award, and Kim Dongeun’s archery-themed sports drama “Lost Target,” which was accorded the Watcha Short Award. Palestine-Nepal film “No Other Land,” a Palestine-Israel documentary directed by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor won the Busan Cinephile Award.
The festival’s New Currents and Jiseok awards will be announced separately.
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