‘Molly’s Home’ wins at PyeongChang film festival

The PyeongChang International Peace Film Festival (PIPFF) wrapped up its six-day run on Tuesday after being held both online and offline amid the ongoing pandemic.

Under the slogan “A New Hope,” the event kicked off on June 17 with film auteur Ahn Jae-huun’s “The Shaman Sorceress” (2020), which revolves around a female shaman named Mohwa.

Apart from screening his earlier films such as “Innocent Joy” (2000) and “The Road Called Life” (2014), the festival’s CloseUp section highlighted the work of Ahn, winner of the Contrechamp Jury Distinction Award at the 2020 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

A total of 78 films from 26 countries were shown during the third edition of the film fest.

The festival’s organizing committee said that roughly 12,000 attended this year’s event, including those who joined online. The film fest made 49.1 percent of all theater seats available for the screenings, and the total audience size increased by 22 percent from a year earlier.

The Grand Jury Prize in the International Feature Competition category went to British director Matt Chambers’ “The Bike Thief,” about a delivery man who falls in danger of losing his job after his bicycle disappears. In the Korean Short Competition category, director Lim Dae-cheong’s “Molly’s Home” took home the Grand Jury Prize among 15 entries. The 30-minute documentary tells the story of Molly Holt, who spent her life caring for orphaned, mixed-race and disabled children in Korea and sending them to adoptive families abroad.

Apart from the screening, the committee organized several programs to entertain movie buffs. The Pyongyang Cinema, introducing a selection of films related to North Korea, presented two feature films and four short films this year. Among the entries, “Moranbong,” the first North Korean-French film directed in 1960 by Jean Claude Bonardo, offers a rare glimpse into post-war North Korea.

Director Jero Yun’s “Song Hae 1927,” a documentary that depicts the titular veteran entertainer’s grief and his family turmoil, was also featured during the festival. Song, who was born in 1927, attended the screening to meet the audience in person.

Committee officials thanked film fans for their participation. “Our attempt to screen the films at special locations (outdoors) was successful. Every moment when filmmakers and audiences met in person felt like a dream. I hope all our wishes come true,” festival director Pang Eun-jin said.