Bucheon film fest closes amid coronavirus pandemic

SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's largest annual genre film festival came to a close Thursday after showcasing films both online and offline amid the new coronavirus pandemic.

The 24th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) ran from July 9 in Bucheon, 50 kilometers west of Seoul, featuring a total of 194 titles from 42 countries both digitally and in brick-and-mortar theaters.

A closing ceremony was hosted with a limited audience of only 80 people, including winners.

"Pelican Blood," directed by Katrin Gebbe, grabbed Best of Bucheon, and Rose Glass won the Best Director Choice for his "Saint Maud," BIFAN organizers said. "Lapsis," directed by Noah Hutton, won Jury's Choice, and "Sheep without a Shepherd," directed by Sam Quah, won the Audience Award.

This year, the annual film festival -- devoted to horror, thriller, mystery, fantasy and sci-fi flicks -- made a fresh attempt to showcase films both online and offline as part of the global social distancing campaign.

Many movies were streamed on Watcha, a South Korea-based streaming platform, while other programs, like lectures by famous directors, were also available online.

At the same time, selected films were screened in eight theaters in Bucheon under the strict quarantine guidelines. Special discussion sessions with directors and movie fans also took place during the eight-day period.
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