WILL THE Philippine entry, Avid Liongoren’s full-length animation “Zsazsa Zaturnnah” take home the bacon at the 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) during the Bucheon Choice World Features derby?
“Zsazsa Zaturnnah,” a tale of a Filipino superwoman who has a gay beautician alter-ego, is the first ever Filipino feature film to be screened at the main derby of BIFAN, the largest genre festival in Asia so many Filipino filmmakers and moviegoers are anticipating a good chance at the prestigious world event.
“Zsazsa Zaturnnah vs the Amazonistas of Planet X” is pitted against other cutting edge international genre films like Japan’s “Burn” and “Cursed Meme,” directed by Nagahisa Makoto and Yamamoto Kan, respectively; Ireland and United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s “Hokum” by Damian McCarthy; Australia’s |Leviticus” by Adrian Chiarella; Spain and USA’s “The Night (Gaua)” by Paul Urkuo Alijo: Finland, France, United Kingdom and Lithuania’s “Nightborn” by Hann Bergholm; Korea and Taiwan’s “Niko” by Julien Birhan Levy; USA’s “Obsession” by Curry Barker; France and Belgium’s “Species” by Marion Le Coroller and UK and Canada’s “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” by Jane Schoenbrun.
Liongoren’s Rocketsheep Studio has collaborated with local film outfits such as CreaZion Studios and Nathan Studios and France’s Ghost City Films to create a more dynamic production.
“Zsazsa Zaturnnah,” originally written by Carlo Vergara, started as a graphic novel then translated into a stage musical and transported into a Regal Entertainment film and now an animation.
The world is watching and waiting for the official results of the competition as BIFAN reels on July 2 to 12, 2026 at various Bucheon City venues.
To carefully select the bests among the crop of this year’s entries, Shin Chul, Festival Director of BIFAN has unveiled the jury lineup composed of professionals from diverse fields—including directors, actors, producers, and festival programmers—the juries will evaluate films from a broad perspective encompassing both genre cinema and the wider film industry.
A Filipino is also included in the board of judges, namely, University of the Philippines (UP) film professor Patrick Campos who will sit as one of the jury members in a separate section.
The Bucheon Choice World: Features section will be judged by an esteemed panel, including Thai genre master Banjong Pisanthanakun, who redefined Asian horror with “Shutter” (2004) and “The Medium” (2021); Byun Seung-min, CEO of Climax Studio and a leading force behind Korean genre content like “Parasyte: The Grey” (2024) and “Concrete Utopia” (2023); Indonesian actress Asmara Abigail, known for her standout performances in horror films such as “Impetigore” (2019) and renowned Japanese filmmaker Yukisada Isao, director of “Go” (2001) and “Crying Out Love In The Center Of The World” (2004).
According to BIFAN, bringing together some of Asia’s most influential genre filmmakers and producers, the jury will provide an in-depth evaluation of the international feature competition entries.
Meanwhile, there is also the Bucheon Choice Korean: features section, where the jury will look at the present and future of Korean genre cinema. The panel includes Kim Se-hun, CEO of SEMOSI, who has discovered new creators across Korean independent and genre film; actress Jeong Ha-dam, known for her distinctive performances in films such as “Steel Flower” (2015), “Ash Flower” (2016) and “Idiot Girls and School Ghost: School Anniversary” (2024) and director Pil Gam-sung, who has showcased a unique world of genre film through “Hostage: Missing Celebrity” (2021) and “My Daughter Is a Zombie” (2025) have showcased a unique genre sensibility.
Serving on the juries for both Bucheon Choice World: Shorts and Bucheon Choice Korean: Shorts are actress and director Ryu Hyun-Kyung, who recently directed “Don’t Go Back” (2025) after appearing in numerous films and television dramas; Yamashita Koyo, programmer at Image Forum Festival and director Lee Sang-geun, who has demonstrated sharp genre sensibility in “Exit” (2019) and “Pretty Crazy” (2025). Drawing upon their diverse industry experience, they will discover new talent and outstanding short films from Korea and abroad.
The jury for Bucheon Choice: AI Films includes director Kim Kwang-sik, known for “The Great Battle” (2018) and “Code: G” (2025); Jay Kim, CEO of Studio Realive and AI filmmaker Roy Oh. They will assess works that merge AI technology with cinematic imagination, focusing on creativity, technical achievement, and new possibilities.
The jury for the Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF) Asian Film Award consists of Elizabeth E. Schuch, Art Director of Fantaspoa International Fantastic Film Festival and filmmaker and Chris Oosterom, Festival Director of Imagine Fantastic Film Festival. Together, they will spotlight the achievements and future possibilities of Asian genre cinema in selecting the winner.
The newly established this year, the FIPRESCI Award will be judged by film critic and Korea University professor Park Yu-hee, Finnish film critic Joonatan Itkonen and Italian-born Japan-based film critic Giovanni Stigliano Messuti. The jury will select a winner from among the films in the Bucheon Choice World: Features section that demonstrate exceptional artistic achievement and a progressive cinematic vision.
The NETPAC Award jury includes Roland Kelts, Visiting Professor in Media, Culture & Society at Waseda University in Tokyo; Song Chee-hwa, writer for KBS Indie Film and film scholar Patrick F. Campos. They will evaluate competition titles from an international perspective and select a film that contributes meaningfully to the development and exchange of Asian cinema.
The preliminary jury for the Korean Short Films section consists of film critic Kim Cheol-hong, journalist Nam Sun-woo, directors Lim Da-seul, Han Jay, and Hur Bum-wook. Preliminary selection for the international short film section was conducted by Kristin Ji, former programmer of the Asiana International Short Film Festival. Drawing on their extensive hands-on experience and expertise, the preliminary jurors carefully selected this year’s short film lineup.
With a jury packed with global filmmakers and industry experts, the 30th BIFAN, to be held from July 2 to 12, is highly anticipated to provide diverse perspectives that diagnose the present and envision the future of genre cinema.
Wow Cobgratulation ! You deserved it. Cudos.