“Sand Storm” by Israeli director Elite Zexer has won the Grand Prize in the International Competition section of this year’s Jeonju International Film Festival, JIFF announced last Friday.

“Sand Storm,” directed by the female director Zexer, tells the tale of a Bedouin teenage girl torn between personal desires and tradition. It was awarded a cash prize of $19,000.

"(The) International Competition has chosen 10 films that attempted to show the bare face of each nation,” said Jean-Francois Rauger, JIFF juror and programming director of La Cinematheque Francaise, at the award ceremony in Jeonju on Friday. “We wish to see more directors putting their efforts into observing the phases of society.”

“Our Love Story” by Lee Hyunju and “Delta Boys” by Ko Bong-soo jointly won the Grand Prize in the Korean Competition section, while Lee Ji-won’s “Summer Night” nabbed the Grand Prize in the Korean Competition for Shorts category.

Additionally in the International Competition, the Best Picture Prize went to “Short Stay” by Ted Fendt, while the Special Jury Prize went to “The Wounded Angel” by Emir Baigazin. “Dead Slow Ahead” by Mauro Herce received the Special Mention Award.

"Spy Nation,” a documentary on corruption in Korea’s intelligence agency, won in the Asian Feature Film and Documentary Prize categories.

The 17th edition of JIFF, Korea’s largest indie film festival, ran from April 28-May 7. It wrapped up with a record number of 211 film screenings, up 11 from last year, and 503 screening times, up 63 from last year. It also recorded 219 sold-out screening times, up 43 from last year.

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)