At the closing ceremony for Korea’s 11th Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival (MSFF), held on Wednesday July 4th, soon-to-graduate Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA) student UM Tae-hwa was unanimously awarded the festival’s Grand Prize for his film <Forest>. The film also took home a Best in Section award for “Absolute Nightmare,” a section devoted to the horror and thiller genres. KAFA is the fully accredited, degree-granting educational arm of the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), devoted solely to training film professionals of the future.

 

KAFA students in general faired well at the festival’s awards ceremony. HAN Seung-hoon grabbed a Best in Section award for his <Winning Feeling>, which screened in the “King of Comedy” section. Additionally, HONG Suk-jae’s <Keep quiet> was honored with the festival’s I♥Shorts! Audience Award as well as one of two Jury Special Awards handed out.

 

The festival’s jury noted that <Forest> was, “without equal in terms of perfection,” “overwhelming,” and “created tension within the entire jury.”

 

With only three Grand Prizes awarded since the festival’s inception in 2002, films receiving the honor must discover something new to offer to Korean cinema. Additionally, the jury must operate with strict principles and be unanimous in their decision to award a Grand Prize. All three of MSFF’s Grand Prize awardees have been KAFA students: SHIN Jane’s <A Talented Boy Named LEE Junseop> in 2002, JO Sung-hee’s <Don’t Step out of the House> in 2009, and UM Tae-hwa’s <Forest> this year.
 
KAFA is an elite education institution devoted to film training and operated by KOFIC, with HUR Jin-ho, BONG Joon-ho, IM Sang-soo and KIM Tae-yong among the talented 518 individuals who can call themselves graduates. One of KAFA’s special achievements has been the development of its feature film production program, which is without parallel worldwide. From 2007-2012 the program has produced 16 features -- including <Bleak Night>, <End of Animal>, <Mirage> and <The Dearest> -- which have confirmed its success by garnering invitations from numerous film festivals both at home and abroad.

 

UM Tae-hwa and HAN Seung-hoon are now both preparing the feature films they will produce next semester at KAFA, and after their awards at this year’s MSFF expectations are already high.