Osaka 2016: Jang Moon-il's MY SISTER, THE PIG LADY Wins Asian Film Festival Grand Prix

Pictured (L-R): Award winners Jang Moon-il, Uisenma Borchu, Kanyama Keihiro, Chiang Fong-hong, Reiko Kishino (accepting for Ming-Cheng Huang).

Osaka Asian Film Festival 2016 came to a close over the weekend with prizes being handed to the best films of the past 11 days. President of the International Competition Jury Yee Chih-yen was present to give out the awards along with fellow jury members and filmmakers Phan Dang Dee and Joko Anwar.

Taking home the top prize, the Grand Prix, was Korean entry My Sister, The Pig Lady. Set in a small rural town where most of the men have left to find jobs in the city, the film follows young Jae-hwa and her efforts to raise pigs as a means of getting rich. While Jae-hwa battles against her philandering mother, drunken father and wandering pigs she must also fight against two love rivals for the affection of Joon-seob, the only man left in the village. Accepting the award director Jang Moon-il stated, "Life is full of obstacles but if you persist you can succeed in the end. I think I am proving this is true by receiving this award tonight".

The Most Promising Talent Award went to Uisenma Borchu, director, writer and actress in her much talked about feature, Don't Look at Me That Way. Accepting the Award the actress stated, "It's our first time in Japan and we already feel we are at home. For me, my homeland is Mongolia and I feel honored people are appreciating what we are doing in filmmaking".

In the Indie Forum section festival programmer Masubuchi Aiko awarded the debut Japan Cuts Award to Kanyama Keihiro for his film Somewhere In My Memory.

Leading actress Ella Chen took the Yakushi Pearl Award for her performance in Taiwanese entry The Missing Piece. The Audience Award went to the festival's Opening Film, Wansei Back Home.