‘The Wailing’ wins double at Bucheon Film Festival

Director Na Hong-jin’s horror-thriller “The Wailing” took home the best film and audience awards at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, which ran from July 21-31.

At the closing ceremony Friday, the film won the Best of Bucheon award in the Bucheon Choice: Features competition section, which celebrates progressive and unique genre films. Its panel -- consisting of veteran actors Jang Mi-hee and Jung Jin-young, director Park Chan-wook, Christian Jeune, director of the film department at Cannes Film Festival, and others -- lauded the film as rubbing shoulders with occult horror flicks like “The Exorcist” and “Seven.”

The award came with a 20 million won ($18,000) prize.

“The Wailing” also won the NH Audience award.

British director Babak Anvari’s horror flick “Under the Shadow” received the Jury’s Choice award. French actress Karin Viard was awarded Best Actress for “21 Nights with Pattie.” Indian actor Deepak Sampot took the Best Actor award for “Autohead.”

The fest’s closing film Friday was Yeon Sang-ho’s zombie animation “Seoul Station,” a prequel to “Train to Busan,” the live zombie-apocalypse thriller flick also by Yeon and which has become a recent box office hit here. “Seoul Station” will open in local theaters on Aug. 18.

BIFAN opened with Matt Ross’ “Captain Fantastic,” a dramatic film about a man raising his children in the wilderness, on July 21 and screened a BIFAN record 320 films from 49 countries this year.

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)