SEOUL, 4 August 2013 – The recently concluded 17th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) gave special recognition in this year’s edition to the Philippine independent film industry with top awards and a special focus.

The PiFan, held in Bucheon, an hour southwest of Seoul in Gyeongi Province, 18-28 July 2013, is one of Korea's top four film festivals and one of the biggest genre film festivals in the world.

Choosing from 12 films, the panel of judges for the PiFan competition handed the Jury’s Choice Award to On the Job (OTJ), helmed by one of the most bankable and prolific filmmakers in the Philippines today, Erik Matti, and the Best Actor prize to veteran thespian Joel Torre for his role as an ageing gun-for-hire in the same film.

OTJ, which was also an entry in the Directors’ Fortnight at the 66th Cannes Film Festival in May 2013, will be screened in the Philippines on 28 August 2013.

The jury includes Singapore director Eric Khoo, Japanese filmmaker Shinji Higuchi, Director's Fortnight programmer Benjamin Illos, South Korean producer Choi Yong-hae and Paris-based actor Brontis Jodorowsky, the son of director Alejandro Jodorowsky.

As one of the trending countries in the international film festival circuit, the Philippines was the featured country for this year's Project Spotlight in the 6th Network of Asian Fantastic Films (NAFF), the project arm of PiFan,

Seven Filipino filmmakers, including Tikoy Aguiluz, Richard Somes, Rico Maria Ilarde, were able to pitch their film projects to Hollywood executives. Khavn de la Cruz, considered the father of Philippine digital filmmaking, won the IT Project Award and financing of 10 million won (US$8,956) for his Ruined Heart! Another Love Story Between a Criminal and a Whore.

The Embassy co-hosted a reception for the Philippine delegation, led by Briccio Santos, Chairman of the Film Development Council of The Philippines (FDCP), at the NAFF Project Spotlight at the Hotel Koryo in Bucheon City. In addition, two Filipino genre film specialists were invited to take part in the Asian Filmmakers' Lab at the Fantastic Film School.

The other members of the Philippine delegation were directors Rommel Tolentino, Rico Maria Ilarde, Ato Bautista, Tyrone Acierto, Mr. Peter Eduria III, as well as producers Aiess Alonso, Achinette Villamor, Joe Alandy, Mon Confiado, and Shugo Praico.

Philippine films have consistently performed well in film festivals in Korea. At the 14th Jeonju International Film Festival in April, Mamay Umeng, the first full-length feature film of former film stylist Dwein Baltazar, won the Woosuk Best Picture Award from among the 10 films in competition.