The 39th Busan International Short Film Festival, which was held in person for the first time in three years, closed Monday at the Busan Cinema Center with Mehrdad Hassani’s ”Adjustment“ winning the International Competition prize and the Korean Competition prize going to “Nowhere Else” directed by Lee Kyeong-won.

“At this year’s film festival, which was held at the beginning of a process to return to normal, we realized the value of watching a movie together at a cinema,” festival director Cha Min-chul said in a statement.

For the BISFF, 154 short films from 48 countries were selected from 3,243 works from 111 countries.

“Adjustment” centers around a 9-year-old boy, Shahrokh, who is humiliated by his family and friends because he enjoys dressing up in girls’ clothes.

“Nowhere Else” by Lee features a woman -- who disappeared six years ago--returning to Okcheon, North Chungcheong Province, with her new husband. The woman, who has lost her memory, encounters her former husband.

The winner of the Kino operation section, “Seung-woo” by Lee Haesol, was also announced during the closing ceremony. The section is run by the BISFF and Jung-gu Busan Metropolitan City to nurture local film study majors.

 

“Seung-woo” also won the Agora Award, which is given by fellow filmmakers.

The Netpec Award, which is given to the best Asian film, went to “The Boys Club” by Chen Yihwen.

The audience award this year went to “At the Feet of My Mother” directed by Vincent Sparreboom and “Mast” by Korean actor-turned-director Lee Ju-seung.