▲ These posters of South Korean films "Exhuma" (L) and "Handsome Guys" are provided by distributors Showbox and NEW. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Oct. 15 (Yonhap) -- Director Jang Jae-hyun's film Exhuma, which surpassed 10 million admissions earlier this year, has won the Jury's Special Award at the 57th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, as announced by distributor Showbox on the 15th. 

 

The Sitges Film Festival, alongside the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival in Belgium and Fantasporto in Portugal, is considered one of the world's top three genre film festivals.

 

Invited to compete in the festival's official competition, Exhuma drew significant attention, leading to additional screenings due to high demand from local audiences. 

 

The film tells the eerie story of a geomancer, an undertaker, and a shaman who face strange occurrences after accepting a large sum of money to relocate a prestigious grave. It stars Choi Min-sik, Kim Go-eun, Yoo Hae-jin, and Lee Do-hyun. As a horror film, it achieved great success in theaters, attracting over 11.91 million viewers, the highest ever for the genre in South Korea.

 

Meanwhile, director Nam Dong-hyub's film Handsome Guys won the Audience Award at this year’s Sitges Film Festival. The film centers on Jae-pil (played by Lee Sung-min) and Sang-goo (played by Lee Hee-jun), who dream of a peaceful life in the countryside but encounter unexpected events after moving into a haunted house. 

 

Combining elements of horror and comedy, the film surpassed its break-even point by attracting over 1.77 million viewers since its release in June.

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