Busan Project Market Winners: Kang Bo’s ‘Kingdom of the Insomniacs’ Takes Top Prize, ‘Hum’ Claims Multiple Awards
After three days of one-on-one meetings within the Asian Project Market, winners were announced at a ceremony in Busan, South Korea, on Tuesday evening.
The project market is held as part of the Asian Contents & Film Market, which is closely aligned with the Busan International Film Festival. Some 30 film projects were pitched by their directors and producers, seeking finance, co-production partners and international distribution. Market organizers reported that they facilitated 706 meetings.
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“Kingdom of the Insomniacs” was the winner of the prestigious Busan Award. “Hum” from The Philippines was the only project to win multiple prizes.
Singapore-based producer Tan Si En, who previously produced Venice award winner “Don’t Cry Butterfly,” Sundance award winner “Pop Aye” and Anthony Chen’s “Wet Season,” notably picked up prizes for both her APM entries, “Levitating” and “Crocodile Rock.”
“Kingdom of the Insomniacs” is a drama thriller set in an old forest farm, “where mushroom farmers are plagued with insomnia and an aging disease. After his father dies, a juvenile tries to extricate himself from this wicked kingdom.”
Kang’s debut feature “Family at Large,” starring Hu Ge (“The Wild Goose Lake”) and Wen Qi (“Angels Wear White”), is currently in post-production.
“Hum” is pitched as a Western, in which “a rodeo couple straddling the demons of their past are haunted when mysterious ecological changes threaten to destroy the stadium they live in.”
“We are very excited to be here at the APM. The last few days have been filled with really fruitful meetings. With this win we are intent on pushing our project forward and getting it made,” Tan told Variety.
Asian Project Market 2024 Awards Winners
Busan Award
“Kingdom of the Insomniacs,” dir. Kang Bo, prod. Xie Meng (China)
One Cool Award
“Life Redo List,” dir. Sotoyama Bunji, prod. Ide Yoko (Japan)
CJ ENM Award
“Levitating,” dir. Wregas Bhanuteja, prods. Siera Tamihardja, Tan Si En, Patrics Nezan (Indonesia, Singapore, France)
TAICCA Award
“Until That Day,” dir. Matsunaga Daishi, prods. Ogawa Shinji, Nishikawa Asako, Chang Sanling (Japan, Taiwan)
VIPO Award
“Crocodile Rock,” dir. Kirsten Tan, prod. Tan Si En (Singapore, U.S.)
Red Sea Film Fund Award
“Making a Sea” dir. Lin Htet Aung, prod. Mai Meksawan (Thailand)
ArteKino International Award
“Hum,” dir. Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan, prods. Hannah Schierbeek, Alemberg Ang (Philippines, U.S.)
Songwon Award
“The Birds,” dir. Sohn Hyun-lok, prod. Jo Su-jin (South Korea)
KB Award
“Hellfire Academy,” dir. Shin Aga, prods. Park Doohee, Choi Chan (South Korea)
ARRI Award
“90 Meters,” dir. Nakagawa Shun, prods. Tsujimoto Tamako, Utagawa Yasushi (Japan)
Kongchak Studio Award
“Leg,” dir. Shokir Kholikov, prods. Algerim Satybaldy, Paolo Maria Spina, Silvana Santamaria, Johann Chapelan (Kazakhstan, Italy, Germany, Greece)
Sorfond Award
“Hum,” dir. Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan, prods. Hannah Schierbeek, Alemberg Ang (Philippines, U.S.)
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