New projects from Korean directors Park Jung-bum (“The Journals of Musan”) and Kim Gok (“Mindullae”) join upcoming productions by Pang Ho- cheung and Isabelle Glachant at next month’s Network of Asian Fantastic Films genre film project market.
The event is the industry sidebar to the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, the new official English name for the Pucheon fantasy festival, held in a satellite town adjacent to Seoul. NAFF will take place at the Koryo Hotel, Bucheon July 19-22, while the 19th edition of Bifan runs July 16-26.
In total the market will present 21 projects from 12 countries, including 7 projects from Korea. Organizers say that they received a record number of applications, with nearly half coming from outside Korea.
The market functions as a four day series of one-on-one meetings, larger seminars and networking events with industry professionals. In addition, to pitches to investors, co-producers, distributors and sales agents the projects compete for some $60,000 of cash awards and production support.
It claims a good degree of success helping indie-produced Asian genre films make it to market. In the past 7 years, a total of 130 projects from 21 countries were pitched, with 35 having made it to theatrical release. They include Korean hit “The Terror, LIVE” (2013), “AM 11:00” (2013), “Azooma” (2012), and adult animation “The King of Pigs” (2011).
Park will present his action project “Never Die Again,” while Kim presents “The Bunker.” Pang will present Hong Kong director Wan Chi-man’s “The Hell Bank Heist,” while Glachant will pitch Indonesian director Faozan Rizal’s “Abracadabra.”
