Korean blockbuster "The Battleship Island" bagged an award at the Sitgest International Fantastic Film Festival in Spain. Its director's cut version won the Orbita Best Feature Length Film over such films as Takeshi Kitano's "Outrage Coda" and Taylor Sheridan's "Winder River."
"The Battleship Island," directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, was released in Korean last July and has earned US$44.8 million and sold 6.59 million tickets, according to the Korean Film Council. It is currently No. 4 among the best selling films in Korea in 2017.
Starring Hwang Jung-min, So Ji-sub and Song Joong-ki, the movie is about Koreans who were forced to work in a labor camp in Japan during World War II.
This is Ryoo Seung-wan's third time to win an award at the festival. He previously won for "The Unjust" in 2011 and "Veteran" in 2015.
CJ Entertainment said festival vice chairman Mike Hostench as saying that "The Battleship Island" won because it combined epic, drama and action genres.
The other winners at the festival are:
Sitges 50 Official Fantàstic Selection
Best Feature Length Film: "JUPITER'S MOON" by Kornél Mundruczó
Special Jury Award: "THELMA" by Joachim Trier
Best Director: Coralie Fargeat for "Revenge"
Best Actress: Marsha Timothy for "Marlina The Murderer in Four Acts"
Best Actor: Rafe Spall for "The Ritual"
Best Screenplay: Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt for "Thelma"
Best Special Effects: Ferenc Deák for "Jupiter's Moon"
Best Cinematography: Andrew Droz Palermo for "A Ghost Story"
Grand Audience Appreciation Award: "Matar A Dios" by Albert Pintó and Caye Casas
Best Short Film: "R.I.P" by Pintó and Caye
Focus Asia Special mention: "Marlina The Murderer in Four Acts" by Mouly Surya
Panorama Fantàstic
Best Feature Length Film: "Creep 2" by Patrick Brice
Anima't
Best Feature Length film: "Tehran Taboo" by Ali Soozandeh
Best Short Film: "Hybrids" by Florian Brauch, Matthieu Pujol, Kim Tailhades, Yohan Thireau and Romain Thirion
Noves Visions Plus
Best Feature Length Film: "Dawson City: Frozen Time" by Bill Morrison
Noves Visions Petit Format
Best Short Film: "Hoissuru" by Armand Rovira
