Chinese director Gao Ming’s “Damp Season” won the grand prize for international competition at the 21st Jeonju International Film Festival on Monday.

Sixteen trophies in five categories were handed out at the awards ceremony held at CGV Jeonju Gosa in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province.

“Damp Season” uses the damp summer of Shenzhen, China, to portray the relationship of a young couple who grow apart in the humid season. In selecting the winning film, the jury noted the film’s depiction of the problems facing China’s youth.

Shin Dong-min’s “Mom’s Song” and Kim Mi-jo’s “Gull” shared the grand prize for the domestic competition. The film, which follows a middle-aged woman who strives to recover her dignity after being sexually assaulted by an acquaintance, was noted for revealing society’s anachronistic male-centric perspectives.

Meanwhile, the jury noted Shin’s use of experimental cinematic language in dissecting the theme of family through his autobiographical story in “Mom’s Song.” 

The international competition’s best picture prize went to Argentine director Clarisa Navas’ “One in a Thousand,” while the special jury prize went to “The Year of the Discovery,” by Spanish filmmaker Luis Lopez Carrasco.

Two actors of Maryam Touzin’s “Adam,” Lubna Azabal and Nisrin Erradi, earned special mentions for their roles in the movie that tells the story of two women living in a ghetto who fall in love.

In the Korean competition, actors Oh Jung-se of “Dispatch; I Don’t Fire Myself” and Yeom Hye-ran of “Black Light” were selected for the best acting prize.

“Homeless” by Lim Seung-hyeun received the CGV Arthouse prize.

In the Korean competition for shorts, the grand prize was awarded to Han Byung-a’s “The End of the Universe” and the best director prize went to Bang Sung-jun for “Walking Backwards.” Yoo Joon-min’s “Expiration Date” and Kang Jeong-in’s “Each” received special jury prizes, as “The Thread,” co-directed by Cho Min-jae and Lee Na-yeon, received a special mention.

The NETPAC Award, given by the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema to an Asian film screened outside of competition, went to “The Shepherdess and the Seven Songs” by Pushpendra Singh. The award for Korean documentary films screened during the festival went to “Comfort,” by Emmanuel Moon-chil Park.

Meanwhile, the extended screening event that was slated to kick off on June 9 has been postponed due to the continued spread of COVID-19.

By Choi Ji-won (jwc@heraldcorp.com)