May 4, 2017 - 11:04 AMT
“Rifle,” “Seeds of Violence” win grand prizes at S. Korea’s Jeonju Fest

Brazilian director Davi Pretto’s“Rifle” won the grand prize and $18,000 in the international competition section at Jeonju, South Korea’s second biggest film festival, Variety said.

French director, Damien Manivel’s “The Park, won the best picture prize with $10,000. A special jury prize, worth $6,000, went to “In Between” by Maysaloun Hamoud and “The Human Surge” by Eduardo Williams. The jury was headed by French academic, Jean-Pierre Rehm.

In the Korean competition section, Lim Tae-gue’s drama “The Seeds of Violence” took home two prizes: the grand prize with $9,000; and the arthouse distribution support prize that guarantees two-weeks of screenings at CGV Arthouse. CGV will also provide $9,000 for the winner’s next project. Lim’s debut feature “Seeds” deals with violence and harassment in the army and family.

Emmanuel Moon-chil Park’s “Blue Butterfly Effect” won the documentary award and $9,000. “Butterfly Effect” sees residents of Seongju county protesting against the installation of the THAAD anti-missile system.

The current political tensions between China and South Korea, partially sparked by Korea’s THAAD deployment, meant that some Chinese film makers stayed away. Others withdrew their films. “Children are Not Afraid of Death, Children are Afraid of Ghosts,” by Rong Guang Rong, played in the festival, but Rong was absent.

The festival will run through May 6 and close with Yaguchi Shinobu’s “Survival Family.”