Films that grapple with the issue of violence took top prizes at this year’s Jeonju International Film Festival.

Brazilian director David Pretto’s “Rifle” and Korean director Im Tae-gyu’s “The Seeds of Violence” were announced the grand prize winners in the international competition category and the Korean competition category, respectively, at a ceremony held Wednesday evening at the Jeonju Cine Complex.

“Rifle,” which made its Asian premiere at the Jeonju festival, is a mystery crime film set in southern Brazil. Its central character Dione, played by Dione Avila De Oliveira, is a young man who has been left behind in a quiet rural town, coveted by landowners hungry for development.

The film’s “hardboiled tone” achieves a “skillful balance under the structure of a Western, with its divide between native and conqueror,” said JIFF programmer Jang Byung-won.

“The Seeds of Violence,” Im’s first feature film, is concerned with physical assault in the military and the leadership’s attempts at a cover-up.

The Woosuk award went to French director Damien Manivel’s “The Park,” while the special jury prize went to Hungarian director Maysaloun Hamoud’s “In Between” and Argentinian director Eduardo Williams’ “The Human Surge.”

Lee Seung-won’s “Happy Bus Day” and Im’s “The Seeds of Violence” jointly received the CGV Arthouse award’s upcoming project prize.

Chae Eui-seok’s “Bomdong” won the special jury prize in the Korean competition, while Kim Young-sam won best director for “Hye-Young.”

The NETPAC award, given to the best Korean feature film, went to Kim Hee-cheol’s “The Painter’s View,” while the best documentary award went to Park Moon-chil’s “Blue Butterfly Effect.”

The Daemyung Culture Wave award went to Ko Bong-su’s “Loser’s Adventure.” Hwang Gyu-il’s “Saem” won the Union Investment Partners award, given to the best debut feature film.

The 18th edition of JIFF runs until Saturday, when Japanese director Yaguchi Shinobu’s “Survival Family” will close the festival.

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)