PiFan 2014: Preview Part 1 - Opening/Closing + Puchon Choice

Opening Film - Stereo (Germany/Maximilian Erlenwein)

Opening PiFan this year is Stereo, a hard-boiled German thriller that bowed at the Berlinale earlier this year. Moody atmospherics and a twisted, modern-day white collar Robin Hood narrative bode well for what should be an intriguing start to this year’s festivities.

Closing Film - My Ordinary Love Story (Korea/Lee Kwon)

Closing out the festival will be the local My Ordinary Love Story which, in true Korean style, begins as a romcom before devolving into a mystery and eventually winding up as a horror film. Funny man Song Sae-byeok redefined himself earlier this year in A Girl at My Door. He stars alongside Gang Ye-won, his The Huntresses co-star.

Puchon Choice - The Babadook (Australia/Jennifer Kent)

On paper, Australian horror The Babadook sounds like a conventional haunting/don’t use this cursed object entry, but a look at the film’s terrific production values and atmospherics, not to mention the resounding chorus of critical approval (no mean feat for a horror film these days), and this quickly looks like one of the hottest tickets at PiFan.

Review - Todd Brown

Puchon Choice - Camera (Hong Kong-Singapore/James Leong)

Having its world premiere at PiFan this year is James Leong’s Camera, an intriguing tale of a one-eyed surveillance expert. The Singapore-Hong Kong co-production (set in the near future in the latter city state) looks a ways apart from the usual HK output and that’s enough to make it worth seeking out.

Puchon Choice - The Dark Valley (Austria-Germany/Andreas Prochaska)

The Dark Valley, an Austrian western set in the alps, looks like a sober but well-honed entry into the genre. It’s not often that we get an exciting film from Austria and this moody genre film went down well at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year.

Review - Patrick Holzapfel

Puchon Choice - Hong Hoon (Thailand/Kulp Kaljareuk)

With buckets of visual flair and an interesting story to go with it, new Thai offering Hong Hoon seems like a heady mix of genres but with a more sophisticated aesthetic than the average film from Thailand. Following last year’s deliriously fun Puchon Choice selection Countdown, I’m eager for another slice of clever Thai genre cinema.

Puchon Choice - The Midnight After (Hong Kong/Fruit Chan)

I love the vibe that emanates from Fruit Chan’s The Midnight After and with HK favorites like Simon Yam and Suet Lam along for the ride, it was never going to hard to get me on board for this one.

Review - Ben Croll

Puchon Choice - Open Windows (France-Spain-USA/Nacho Vigalondo)

Nacho Vigalondo returns to PiFan for the 3rd time with Open Windows, a new age voyeuristic thriller starring Elijah Wood and Sasha Grey. From the director of the wildly inventive time travel flick Timecrimes, Open Windows promises to be a weird and fun ride.

Review - Peter Martin

Puchon Choice - The Rest

Darkness By Day (Argentina/Martin Desalvo)

Review - Eric Ortiz Garcia

Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead (Norway/Tommy Wirkola)

The Great Hypnotist (China/Leste Chen)

Jack Strong (Poland/Wladyslaw Pasikowski)

Review - Patryk Czekaj

Time Trip App (Japan/Lee Toshio)

When Animals Dream (Denmark/Jonas Alexander Arnby)

Review - Shelagh M. Rowan-Legg