Leviticus by Australian filmmaker Adrian Chiarella has won the top prize and audience award at the 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Bifan) in South Korea.
The demonic queer horror picked up the Best of Bucheon Award as well as the audience award at a ceremony today (July 9) at the Art Theater of the Bucheon Arts Center.
Leviticus premiered earlier this year in the Sundance Midnight section before going on to play SXSW. Neon secured international rights in what was the first major deal to emerge at this year’s Sundance. It marks the feature directorial debut for writer-director Chiarella and stars Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Jeremy Blewitt, Ewen Leslie and Mia Wasikowska.
Bifan’s best director choice award went to Obsession from US filmmaker Curry Barker.
The horror, about a wish that goes gruesomely wrong, premiered at Toronto and this week became the highest-grossing film made for less than $1m, earning more than $403m worldwide on a budget of $750,000.
The jury’s choice award was scooped by slasher-parody Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma, directed by Jane Schoenbrun and starring Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson. It first premiered at Cannes where it won the Queer Palm and was acquired by Mubi.
The best Korean fantastic film award went to Jeong Beom’s Knock, the filmmaker’s first solo feature, while the best director award went to Yoo Hyoung-joon for The Only Child In The Butchery.
Korean fantastic actors awards were presented to Yoon In-a for Knock and Hong Seo-baek for Smile Charles. Special mention was given to Jung Yi-ju for Savon and Jung Hyung-suk for The Only Child In The Butchery.
The Korean fantastic Showbox audience award also went to Knock, directed by Jeong Beom.
Company Sports Day, directed by Lee Yong-sun, and Smile Charles, directed by Oh Young-doo, both won the Nonghyup distribution award. Lee Jun-sup’s Savon and Nam Ji-eun’s Psyche picked up the Hibe Filmworks International Distribution Award.
The Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF) Award for Best Asian Film went to South Korea’s The Fertilizer Home directed by Jeong Hyo-jung. In addition to the best Korean fantastic film award, South Korea’s Knock also won the Netpac Award. The FIPRESCI Award was given to The Night (Gaua) by Spanish filmmaker Paul Urkijo Alijo.
This year’s edition of the genre festival comprised a record 321 films – comprising 170 features, 85 shorts, 38 AI films, and 28 XR works, with 93 world premieres.
While the awards ceremony took place today, the festival will continue until Sunday (July 12).
BIFAN 2026 winners
Bucheon Choice World: Feature
Best of Bucheon: Leviticus, dir. Adrian Chiarella
Best Director Choice: Obsession, dir. Curry Barker
Jury’s Choice: Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma, dir. Jane Schoenbrun
※ Special Mention: The Night (Gaua) , dir. Paul Urkijo Alijo
Audience Award: Leviticus, dir. Adrian Chiarella
Bucheon Choice Korean: Feature
Best of Bucheon: Knock, dir. (Jeong Beom
Best Director Choice: The Only Child In The Butchery, dir. Yoo Hyoung-joon
KFAA Best Actors: Yoon In-a (Knock), Hong Seo-baek (Smile Charles)
※ Special Mention: Jung Yi-ju (Savon), Jung Hyung-suk (The Only Child In The Butchery)
Showbox Audience Award: Knock, dir. Jeong Beom
NongHyup Distribution Award: Company Sports Day, dir. Lee Yong-sun / Smile Charles, dir. Oh Young-doo
Hibe Filmworks International Distribution Award: Savo, dir. Lee Jun-sup / Psyche, dir. Nam Ji-eun
Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF) Award for Best Asian Film: The Fertilizer Home Jeong Hyo-jung
FIPRESCI Award: The Night (Gaua) , dir. Paul Urkijo Alijo
NETPAC Award: Knock, dir. Jeong Beom
Children’s Fantastic Choice Award: The Invisibles, dir. Takebayashi Ryo
Bucheon Choice World: Shorts
Best Film: Levantamuertos: Cumbia For The Dead, dir. José Eduardo Castilla Ponce
Jury’s Choice for Film: Switch Off, dir. Sandeep Francis
Audience Award: The Last Jiangshi, dir. Yu Chih-Chieh
Bucheon Choice Korean: Shorts
Best Film: Mungchi, dir. Hong Seung-gi
KFAA Best Actor: Han Yoo-yeon (Turning Girl)
Audience Award: Siren, dir. Lee Soo-hyuk
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