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PiFan paves way for eerie fantasies

For its 15th anniversary, PiFan will offer an encore screening of "Save the Green Planet" by Jang Joon-hwan. / Courtesy of PiFan

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15th film festival presents 221 films from July 14 to 24 in Bucheon

By Lee Hyo-won

The monsoon rain does little to dissuade gumboot-clad youths from enjoying summer festivals, and overcast skies have proved to be particularly timely for an annual showcase of the goriest, most eerily fascinating films.

The Puchon (Bucheon) International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan), Asia's foremost event for fantastic cinema, opens in the Gyeonggi Province city Thursday, and the 15th edition invites 221 films from 34 countries.

"Fantastic films" are more than just about highflying fantasy, and also refer to the French word "fantasme", which means mental fixation or irrational belief. In the 1950s, Europe saw the birth of small-scale events celebrating such themes through horror, thriller and science-fiction genres.

The genre has expanded to include not only gory slashers and eerie sci-fi flicks, but also works featuring groundbreaking technology or an uncanny combination of horror with melodrama or comedy.

Since its inception in 1987, PiFan has emerged as a "key stopping point on the fantasy film circuit", Patrick Frater, CEO of Film Business Asia, said in a congratulatory message for PiFan's 15th anniversary. "And in recent years, thanks to NAFF (Network of Asian Fantastic Films, a program dedicated to training promising young filmmakers), it has also become a vital and effective stepping stone towards getting independent genre films made. Beyond both of those things, PiFan is one of the most sociable and enjoyable festivals of any sort anywhere in the world".

As PiFan has designated a special section for Bollywood films, this year's festival will open with "Bollywood the Greatest Love Story Ever Told". Co-directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Jeff Zimbalist, the Indian documentary was introduced at this yearCannes Film Festival and makes its local debut through PiFan. Rather than documenting the history of Bollywood cinema, it spotlights its signature elements of sweeping romance, music and dance, along with old newsreels of industry icons such as Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai.

"Whether you're a Bollywood film fan or not, anyone can enjoy it and be charmed with it", said Park Kun-hyung, a chief programmer at PiFan.

The festival will close with a homespun thriller, "Blind", on July 24 after an 11-day run. The film, slated for release here in August, will premiere at PiFan. Popular actress Kim Ha-neul stars as a visually impaired woman who witnesses a hit-and-run. She reports what she "heard and felt" to the police, who are initially reluctant to believe her. But they begin to trust her testimony as she displays extraordinary sensory abilities save for her sight. One day however a second witness, played by Yoo Seung-ho, makes contradictory claims, and the car accident turns out to be related to a serial case of missing college girls.

The film, akin to the 1967 Audrey Hepburn classic "Wait Until Dark", was selected as the Most Popular Project among the Producers Guild of Korea's 2009 Hit by Pitch ranking.

Programmers' recommendations

Both fantastic film enthusiasts and first-time festivalgoers may find it difficult to choose among the 220-plus films in the lineup.

Programmers Park Jin-hyung and Lee Young-jae recommend the following as the cream of the crop.

Puchon Choice, the festival's signature section introduces a dozen of the latest fantastic films from around the world, including "Attack the Block" from the United Kingdom - "a fast, funny, frightening action adventure movie that pits a teen gang against an invasion of savage alien monsters".

Argentina's "Phase 7" is about a man quarantined in his apartment with his pregnant wife due to the outbreak of a deadly virus, and shows how it is possible to make a sci-fi story without the use of fancy visual effects or CGI. But those wanting a more visually stimulating experience can check out the controversial Japanese high school slasher film "Battle Royale" in 3D.

Meanwhile "Revenge: A Love Story" from Hong Kong also involves pregnant women, but in a more gruesome way with freak murder cases in which expectant mothers are dissected alive. Japanese porn star Sora Aoi plays the lead role.

PiFan also offers something for general family audiences. The Family Fanta section introduces fun films such as "Ninja Kids!!!" The Japanese film by Miike Takashi is about Rantaro, the young son of a low-class ninja family, who enters a ninja academy. One day an assassin stages an attack against his classmates and family.

The Ani Fanta section features three animation works including "Detective Conan: Magician of the Silver Key", the 2004 feature animation by Yasuichiro Yamamoto. This film revolves around the Phantom Thief Kid trying to steal a precious gem owned by Julie. The ingenious Detective Conana comes to the rescue but a murder case gives the incident a whole new spin.

In time for the 15th anniversary, PiFan is also offering encore screenings of best-loved films from its previous editions. Fans can re-watch the 2003 cult Korean film by Jang Joon-hwan, "Save the Green Planet", in which Shin Ha-kyun tries to save Earth against alien forces. Also on offer is the 2008 French-Canadian film "Martyrs", about a young woman that kills an ordinary family 15 years after having been traumatized as a young girl.

For more information about about PiFan, visit www.pifan.com (Korean and English).

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