Oscar-nominated French director to head jury at upcoming Korean film fest

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- Oscar-nominated French director Jean-Jacques Beineix
will head the jury of the competition section at South Korea's largest film
festival this year, organizers of the event said Tuesday.
Beineix, one of the best known European auteurs as the creator of "Betty Blue
(1986)," will be examining competitions at the upcoming Pusan International Film
Festival along with South Korean cinematographer Kim Hyung-koo, Thai director
Pen-ek Ratanaruang and Taiwanese actress Terri Kwan, organizers said in a press
release.
The panel led by the French filmmaker will choose the winner of the festival's
New Current Award, given to a promising Asian filmmaker with a cash prize of
US$30,000.
"Betty Blue," which depicts a romance between an aspiring young author and a
former waitress, was nominated for the best foreign film at the Oscars and the
Golden Globe Awards.
The Pusan film festival, one of Asia's largest such contests, is held annually in
the South Korea port city of Busan -- after which it is named, using an old
spelling. It will run this year from Oct. 8-16.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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