FANCINE HOSTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE SOUTH KOREAN THRILLER ‘BOY’, BY LEE SANG-DEOK
Audience voting closes this Sunday with the screening of What Marielle Knows, which brings the Official Section of the 35th edition to a close.
Sunday at Fancine was marked by a packed schedule featuring meetings, morning screenings, and audience voting, as well as family-friendly activities and films from different countries. The day also saw the farewell of invited delegations, including the South Korean team led by director Lee Sang-deok, who presented the world premiere of the thriller ‘Boy’ as part of the 35th edition of the Fancine, with support from the Korean Cultural Center in Spain and the presence of part of the cast and crew, including actor Cho Byeong-kyu.
Set in the fictional city of Pogu City, the film tells a story of youth crime and love between two brothers who control a marginalized neighborhood under the protection of a local crime boss. The arrival of a young woman disrupts the group’s balance, triggering emotional tensions and conflicts within the criminal environment, in a thriller that blends drama, urban violence, and neon-noir aesthetics with a visual style reminiscent of 80s music videos.
The team behind the South Korean film thanked the audience for its strong reception, as the screening of ‘Boy’ was nearly sold out. Actor Cho Byeong-kyu highlighted how surprising it is to see such interest in a film “that comes from so far away,” while director Lee Sang-deok explained that the story revolves around love as its central theme, expressing his faith in humanity. After the Q&A session, the team interacted with fans, signed autographs and took photos with attendees.
The international lineup continued with the screening of ‘La frecuencia Kirlian’ by Argentine director Cristian Ponce, which closed the encounters of the Latin American Fantastic section. The film adapts his cult series into a feature-length format, set in a nocturnal radio station that broadcasts horror and science fiction stories in a city that seems to exist between reality and fantasy. Ponce explained that the film is an anthology centered on the “night of the comet” and encouraged viewers to watch the original series to fully complete the experience.
In the morning, also at the Albéniz, audience voted for the competition films concluded with ‘What Marielle Knows’, the last entry in this year’s Official Section.
The programming of Fancine has continued with a strong presence of Korean and Latin American influences on Sunday’s schedule, featuring titles such as the Mexican animated film ‘Soy Frankelda’, which sold out its morning screening, ‘La Virgen de la Tosquera’ by Laura Casabé, inspired by Mariana Enríquez’s horror stories, and the Asian production ‘The Square’ by Kim Bo-Sol, included in the Ánima Zone section.
Meanwhile, the Contenedor Cultural at the University of Málaga (UMA) has hosted children’s workshops organized with the Misul association, where younger attendees took part in creative activities such as decorating kites and making handmade lamps inspired by the four seasons. These initiatives turned the space into a family-friendly artistic environment, reinforcing the festival’s educational and participatory character.
Finally, in the same venue during the afternoon session, the Méliès short film programme was screened, offering a journey through European fantasy cinema via a selection of award-winning pieces from various competitions within the Méliès International Festivals Federation. The session featured around ten short films blending science fiction, dark humour, unusual creatures and visual experimentation, showcasing the genre’s creative diversity and emerging voices.
The lineup included the Portuguese ‘Atom & Void’, the Dutch ‘Barlebas’, the German ‘Bye Bear’, the Swedish ‘Don’t Be Afraid’ and ‘The Musical Spider’, the Italian ‘Elevation’ and ‘Playing God’, the French ‘Puzzle’ and ‘Real’, and the British ‘The Pearl Comb’.
About FANCINE
FANCINE is a film festival organized by the University of Málaga through its Vice-Rectorade for Culture. This year, the event celebrates its 35th edition, taking place from 12 to 18 November, in partnership with the Málaga Film Festival and with the support of various public and private institutions. Over its long history — and within its thematic scope — it has become a benchmark on the international festival circuit, thanks to its strong commitment to fantasy, horror, science fiction, and related genres. With a program that balances international releases and innovative works of independent and auteur cinema, FANCINE continues to offer a contemporary and open perspective on the genre, featuring premiere screenings at Cine Albéniz alongside a range of parallel activities in other venues across the city.
This year with the collaboration of the Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA), the Fundación Unicaja, Ayuntamiento de Málaga, Delegación Territorial en Málaga de la Consejería de Cultura y Deporte de la Junta de Andalucía, la Diputación de Málaga, ProMálaga, Polo Digital Málaga, la ESAD (Higher School of Dramatic Art), Cervezas Victoria, Centro Cultural Coreano en España, Clínicas Rincón Dental, Famadesa, Aula Magna, Nics Lab y Fundación General de la UMA