"Breathless" Directed by YANG Ik-june (Korea / 2008) The winning film's director will receive 1,000,000 yen. The jury members have decided to give the grand prize to this wonderful directorial debut film which has achieved a very difficult chemistry in films; a fusion of several genres and emotions, sometimes extreme. By combining humorous comedy, melodrama, and tragedy, this film has succeeded in describing the director’s reflexion on the origin of violence in modern Korean history, which exists in societies and families today. Also, the jury was especially impressed by the performance of the main actor, and the director, YANG Ik-june, who seems to live intensely in his own film. "No One Knows About Persian Cats" Directed by Bahman GHOBADI (Iran / 2009) The winning film’s director will receive Kodak Motion Picture Color Negative Film to the value of 8,000 U.S. dollar. This prize was made possible with the support of Kodak Japan Ltd. The jury members have been very impressed by Bahman GHOBADI’s film, << No One Knows About Persian Cats >>. By describing the existence of people who try to express themselves freely through music in a suppressive society, this film has succeeded in surpassing the boundary between fiction and documentary, and using different visual languages efficiently. The way he used great music in expressing this search of emancipation, was considered extremely remarkable and original. "Breathless" Directed by YANG Ik-june (Korea / 2008) The Jury * All films in this program will screen with English subtitles. Israel / 2009 / 94min. Dir. Omri GIVON Iran / 2009 / 106min. Dir. Bahman GHOBADI Iran / 2009 / 72min. Dir. Hana MAKHMALBAF Sri Lanka / 2009 / 83min. Dir. Vimukthi JAYASUNDARA Thailand / 2009 / 94min. Dir. Pen-Ek RATANARUANG Malaysia / 2008 / 110min. Dir. YEO Joon-han Taiwan / 2009 / 107min. Dir. CHANG Tso-chi Hong Kong / 2009 / 89min. Dir. Soi CHEANG Korea / 2008 / 130min. Dir. YANG Ik-june Japan / 2009 / 130min. Dir. SHIBATA Go