The eighth Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) wrapped its nine-day run today with the top Woosuk Award going to The Other Half, directed by Ying Liang. Local distributor Sponge also picked up Koji Hagiuda's Genius from Bitters End at the fest's industry screenings.

The Indie Vision jury on awarding The Other Half declared the mainland China film, featuring a woman working at a law firm whose boyfriend who is accused of murder, is 'an excellent portrait of the problems faced by modern society.'

JIFF (April 26 - May 4) ran on a budget of approximately $2.5m, screening 185 films from 37 countries. These saw an 80% capacity attendance rate in the festival's 13 theaters including the Jeonju Megabox and CJ CGV. The fest saw 77,258 admissions with 61,500 tickets sold.

JIFF also held industry screenings for local distributors, with a help desk for business meetings, and lectures and seminars to aid low-budget/independent films.

Arthouse specialist Sponge bought Japanese film Genius for Korea, while 26 Years Diary, Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait, Wholetrain, and The Journals of Knud Rasmussen were in negotiations at time of press.

Industry screenings participation almost doubled from last year to 149 guests from 58 companies (of these, 103 people were from 37 film companies and 42 people from 19 broadcast media.)

2007 festival winners

Indie Vision section
Woosuk Award ($10,000) - The Other Half (China), dir. Ying Liang
Special Mention - Salty Air (Italy), dir. Alessandro Angelini

Korean Cinema on the Move section
JJ Star Award ($10,000) - Hers, dir. Kim Jeong-jung
Audience Critics' Award ($2,000) - Who's That Knocking at My Door', dir. Yang Hea-hoon

Korean Shorts - Critics' Week - KT&G Sangsangmadang Awards Best Short Award ($5,000) - Seongbuk Port
Best Director Award ($3,000) - Seung-a
Special Jury Award ($2,000) - Blood Simple
Special mention: The Ten-minute Break, The Whale in the West Sea


NETPAC Award for best Asian film - Summer Heat (Philippines), dir. Brilliante Mendoza

Cinemascape, Cinema Palace
JIFF Audience Award - When the Road Bends Tales of a Gypsy Caravan (US), dir. Jasmine Dellal

CGV Korean Independent Feature Film Distribution Support Award -- Who's That Knocking at My Door', dir. Yang Hea-hoon

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