by Lily Alice, April 20, 2024
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On April 19, the mystery K-movie Sleep, directed by Yoo Jae Sun and starring the late actor Lee Sun Kyun and Jung Yu Mi, won the Emerging Raven award, granted to up-and-coming directors, at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF). 

The jury of the festival announced the winner of the award, stating, "A tight tension dominated the film from the beginning, and the excellent performances by the actors captivated the audience amidst the unpredictable development of the story until the end of the film." 

Sleep tells the story of Hyun Soo (Lee Sun Kyun) and Soo Jin (Jung Yu Mi), a blissful couple whose life is turned upside-down by Hyun Soo's peculiar behavior after he falls asleep. 

Sleep is the debut feature film of director Yoo Jae Sun, known as a disciple of director Bong Joon Ho (ParasiteOkjaThe Host), which also won the top Grand Prix award at the Gerardmer Fantastic Film Festival in Gerardmer, France in January. 

Eight Korean films — Exhuma (Choi Min ShikKim Go EunYoo Hae JinLee Do Hyun)The Sin (Kim Yoon HyeSong Yi JaePark Ji Hoon)Devils (Jang Dong YoonOh Dae HwanJang Jae HoChoi Gwi Hwa)Target (Shin Hye SunKim Sung Kyun)Cheon and Lost Talisman (Kang Dong WonHeo Joon HoEsomLee Dong HwiKim Jong Soo)Sleep (Lee Sun Kyun, Jung Yu Mi)4PM (Oh Dal SooJang Young NamKim Hong Pa)Home (Yang Mal Bok) —  were selected for BIFFF 2024's various competition sections, but only Sleep won an award. 

In 2007, director Bong Joon Ho's The Host won the Golden Raven award at the Belgium film festival.

Sources (1)(2)