Director Park Jung-bum wins award at film festival in Tribeca

Scene from "The Journals of Musan" [Second Wind Film]

Korean helmer Park Jung-bum of film "The Journals of Musan" has scored a win at this year's Tribeca Film Festival.

According to the official website of the festival on Friday, Park won the award for best new narrative director for his first feature pic "The Journals of Musan" at the competition category ceremony of the 10th annual Tribeca Film Festival held at New York City of New York from April 20 to May 1.

"This film is an extraordinary study of an outcast, one that examines a complex journey with compassion and grace. The jury was unanimous in honoring this rare film, which is both emotionally arresting and an important social document. We are proud to commend this auspicious debut from an extremely talented filmmaker,” the jurors of the best new narrative competition were quoted as saying.

"The Journals of Musan," which Park Jung-bum himself also stars in, tells the difficulties a North Korean defector named Jeon Sang-chul faces while trying to adjust to South Korea's capitalist society. The film shows the discrimination that Jeon faces as he tries to find a decent job and make friends.

"Musan," which opened in local theaters on April 14, has won a slew of accolades at other international film festivals including the New Currents Award and International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Award at the 15th Busan International Film Festival last October, top prize at the 10th Marrakech International Film Festival held in Morocco in December, the Tiger Award -- a competitive category which screens directors' first or second-time feature films -- during the 40th International Film Festival Rotterdam in February and the Krakow Film Award at the Off Plus Camera International Festival of Independent Cinema.

It was also invited to the Hong Kong International Film Festival and San Francisco International Film Festival as well as being named a must-see film by New York's Time Out New York magazine.

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Reporter : Lucia Hong luciahong@
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