Puchon 2008

PUCHON INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL 2008 Asked by by a Korean colleague if I would be willing to serve on the international jury for the 12th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (7–18 July 2008) – "PiFan" for short – I responded that I wasn't quite sure what a "fantastic" film is in the first place. Not a problem, he said, for he had heard that grouse often enough before. As it turned out, when I arrived at this bustling satellite city on the outskirts of Seoul (now known officially as Bucheon instead of Puchon), there, above a prominent "PiFan" logo, was a banner that highlighted "Love, Fantasy and Adventure" as the festival's all-embracing theme. Further, in PiFan's 200-page catalogue you could find concisely penned film notes that underscored the fantastic elements in 215 films from 39 countries, including 17 world premieres and 15 international premieres. Indeed, there is –...