Supernatural thriller Molder from Filipino director Kenneth Dagatan has won the top prize at the 17th Network of Asian Fantastic Films (NAFF) project market, which runs alongside Korea’s Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Bifan).
The third title from Dagatan took home a cash prize of KRW15M (US$11,000) for winning the Bucheon Award. The project also scooped up the Blood Window Award, which includes an expenses-paid invitation to the Blood Window project market at Ventana Sur in Argentina.
Philippines-Singapore-Italy co-production Molder is targeting a shoot date in the second half of 2025 and is looking to cast a major Italian actress.
Dagatan’s In My Mother’s Skin from 2023 premiered in the Midnight Section of the Sundance Film Festival as the only non-English language title in the section, and was later acquired by Amazon.
“Bifan has always had a place in my heart,” Dagatan told Deadline, about his special relationship with the festival. “I first came to Bifan for the Fantastic Film School in 2019. In 2020, I joined the NAFF IT Project Market for my second film, In My Mother’s Skin, and we came back to Bifan for our Asian premiere in 2023.
“Now, being back at with my third film, Molder, it feels like coming back to where I started. Bifan feels like home to me, and I will always be grateful.”
Molder is set in the outskirts of Italy, where 60-year-old Filipino immigrant Cesar lives with his wife Agnes, who suffers from dementia. When they meet a mysterious young Filipino man named Anthony, Agnes disappears, and Cesar’s life turns into a nightmare of physical decay, marked by necrotic skin patches and horrifying visions. Cesar must race against time to find Anthony, whom he believes has cursed them, in order to find Agnes and lift the curse before it completely consumes him.
Molder is produced by Bradley Liew from Epicmedia Productions, Stefano Centini from Volos Films Italia and Huang Junxiang from Dropkick.
Liew said: “This is my sixth year and third feature collaboration with Kenneth. I guess it’s one of those relationships that’s incredibly satisfying on an artistic level. Working with Kenneth is always a joy because of his willingness to collaborate.”
Other winners at the project market included Vietnamese horror title The Heirloom by Le Hoang which won the NAFF Excellence Award.
Japanese dark comedy Push-Button Syndrome by Riko Murakami clinched the Asian Discovery Award.
Additionally, the TAICCA prize was awarded to Japanese project Bait, by director Daihachi Yoshida and supported by Toei Company.
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