Resurfacing from last year'scontroversy, Korea's Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) willkick off July 13 with opening film GhostTheatre (working title), a Korean musical directed by Jeon Gye-soo.

The closing film is Berlinale-awardedHK-China production Isabella by PangHo-cheung which screens on July 20.

The festival will hold itsusual two extra days of encore screenings for local audiences until July 22.

Last year saw PiFan plaguedby politics and a local industry boycott when the city dismissed formerfestival director, Kim Hong-joon, who along with his programming team set up aone-time rival festival in Seoul.

This year's PiFan has a newfestival head, Lee Jang Ho, a respected veteran director, who is joined by anew programming team headed by film scholar, Han Sang-jun, formerly aprogrammer at the Pusan International Film Festival.

"We have felt a fewafter-effects from last year, but we have had no problem programming foreignfilms," says Han. "And PiFan has a great deal more Korean films this year."

Commemorating its 10thedition this year, PiFan is programming a record 250 features and shorts from35 countries. Although primarily non-competitive, the festival does hold a mainPuchon Choice competition in addition to awards by the European Fantastic FilmFestival Federation and a new children's film competition.

"PiFan has always beenstrong on retrospectives," says Han. "Films would be sold out in previousyears, so for the 10th anniversary, we decided to hold nine retrospectives."

These include "KoreanDirector's Cut", providing a rare look at films that were censored during themilitary dictatorship. Classics such as Lee Won Sae's Dwarf Launches A Little Ball, Ha Gil Jong's March Of Fools and ChildrenOf Darkness, directed by Lee Jang Ho, are featured.

Other retrospectives andspecials are spotlighting recently deceased Japanese cult director Ishii Teruo,Italian horror films, Fritz Lang's silent films, Jacques Tati and AudreyHepburn.