Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival opens July 2, spanning horror to comedy in its feature competition lineup

Director Jang Jun-yeop's "Killing Time" [Courtesy of BIFAN]
Director Jang Jun-yeop's "Killing Time" [Courtesy of BIFAN]

The 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, or BIFAN, announced Sunday the 10 films selected to compete in its "Bucheon Choice Korean: Feature" section. This year's feature competition lineup is defined by genre diversity, spanning horror, crime, science fiction and comedy.

The Korean feature competition section, renamed this year from "Korean Fantastic" to "Bucheon Choice Korean," will feature 10 competing films — two more than last year.

Two horror entries represent BIFAN's signature genre in the competition: director Jang Jun-yeop's "Killing Time" and director Shim Gyu-ho's "Focus." "Killing Time" is an intelligent horror film set around a YouTube live broadcast, drawing audiences into a back-and-forth battle of twists. "Focus" uses a camera as a portal into the depths of the supernatural. Director Jeong Hyo-jeong's "Oga," which depicts brutal events unfolding in a village, will also receive its world premiere through the competition.

Director Lee Jun-seop's "Soap" [Courtesy of BIFAN]
Director Lee Jun-seop's "Soap" [Courtesy of BIFAN]
Director Lee Yong-seon's "Company Sports Day" [Courtesy of BIFAN]
Director Lee Yong-seon's "Company Sports Day" [Courtesy of BIFAN]

Three crime-themed films round out the darker entries: director Song Hyeon-beom's "The Lover," director Yoo Hyeong-jun's "The Butcher's Only Son" and director Lee Jun-seop's "Soap." "The Lover" follows two teenage protagonists through a compelling portrait of transgression. "The Butcher's Only Son" unravels impulsive, unexpected situations through a puzzle-like structure, while "Soap" is a thriller tracing the bizarre, sudden and nightmarish ordeals of an aspiring actor.

Director Heo Geon's science fiction film "The Last Human," a dystopian work, also earned a spot in the feature competition. Director Jeong Beom's "Knock" offers a distinctive drama that blurs the line between documentary and fictional reality.

Director Oh Yeong-du's comedy "Smile Charles" and director Lee Yong-seon's animated film "Company Sports Day" round out the lineup with lighter fare.

The 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival runs July 2–12 at screens across Bucheon under the slogan "NEW ERA NEW SKIN." The slogan reflects the festival's vision of embracing change and adaptation — a willingness to take on an entirely new identity amid the sweeping transformations of an unfamiliar era.


balme@heraldcorp.com