Brontis Jodorowsky, Shinji Higuchi, Choi Yong-bae and Benjamin Illos also on jury

The 17th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) has announced today its Puchon Choice feature competition jury will be headed by Singaporean director Eric Khoo (Tatsumi).

Khoo is joined by actor Brontis Jodorowsky (El Topo), son of Alejandro Jodorowsky who is the focus of a retrospective this year; Japanese filmmaker Shinji Higuchi, best known for his writing and storyboard art on Evangelion films, Korean producer Choi Yong-bae (The Host), and Benjamin Illos, member of the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight selection committee.

The Puchon Choice jury will award a total of $22,200 (KW25m) in six categories including best film, director, actor and actress.

PiFan also announced that this year’s Producers’ Choice awards will go to actor Lee Byung-hun (G.I. Joe, Masquerade) and actress Gianna Jun, a.k.a. Jun Ji-hyun (The Berlin File), upon the festival’s opening on July 18.

Launched last year, the annual Producers’ Choice awards are given in conjunction with the Korean Film Producers Association and the Producers Guild of Korea, based on votes for the actor and actress who give the best performances and have the most box office power.

Ryuhei Matsuda is also set to walk PiFan’s red carpet on Opening night. The Japanese star will be representing director Yuya Ishii’s The Great Passage at the festival.

Four other juries including those for the European Fantastic Film Festival Federation Asian Award and the Netpac Award will present their prizes at the festival’s closing ceremony July 26. PiFan runs an extra two days of screenings after the closing awards ceremony.