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Pusan International Film Festival Wraps Up Its Celebration

The 11th Pusan International Film Festival wrapped up its nine-day celebration on Oct.20 (Friday) in Busan, Korea.

Malaysian director Chui Mui Tan's debut film "Love Will Conquer All" and Chinese director Yang Heng's "Betelnut" won the New Currents award, the top prize in the sole competition section of the 11th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), according to the organizing committe of the large-scale movie festval

Only open to debut and second films by Asian filmmakers, the competition is comprised of 10 films vying for the $30,000 prize to the winner.

The organizing committee also made public other winners of various awards during a news conference held at the PIFF Pavilion Conference Room in Busan, ahead of the closing ceremony.

The Malaysian Tan also grabbed the FIPRESCI Prize from an organization of international film critics for her debut film, and the Korean director Noh Kyeong-tae's "The Last Dining Table" was given the NETPAC (Network for Promotion of Asian Cinema) Award. The Sunje Award, with cash of about 20 dollars for Korean documentary filmmakers in the Wide Angle section, went to Lee Jin-woo for "The Wind Stirs" and Yoon Seong-ho for "Portfolio".

The New Currents Award and some other significant awards were bestowed at the closing ceremony after the film "Crazy Stone" by the Chinese director Ning Hao was screened on the last day of the festival.

The festival showcased a total of 245 films from 63 countries. Divided into ten sections (opening/closing, a Window of Asian Cinema, New Currents, Korean Cinema Today, Korean Cinema Retrospective, World Cinema, Wide Angle, Open Cinema, Critic's Choice, and Mid-Night Passion), these movies will be presented at 31 different theaters. Furthermore, 64 films will make their world premiers in Busan.

The opening film for the festival was selected as "Trace of Love" by Korean director Kim Dae-seung, featuring Yoo Ji-tae, Kim Ji-soo, and Uhm Ji-won.

Boasting an impressive array of movie selections, the festival put a great emphasis on Asian films. Sections such as A Window on Asian Cinema and New Currents featured more than 100 films by rising and veteran filmmakers in Asia.

The festival attracted a total of more than 160,000 audience during its nine-day event.

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