‘Microhabitat’ honored at festival

Korean film “Microhabitat” won the Tiger Uncaged Award for Best Feature Film at the 17th New York Asian Film Festival (Nyaff), which recently closed, the film’s local distributor said Wednesday.

The film was competing against movies such as the Malaysian film “Crossroads” and Filipino film “Respeto.”

At this year’s Nyaff, there were a total of ten films in the South Korean Cinema section, including the drama “Little Forest” and romance comedy “Hit the Night.” However, “Microhabitat” was the only Korean title to advance to the main competition category.

Starring model-turned-actor Esom, “Microhabitat” follows a homeless woman who is not willing to give up on her luxurious tastes despite her financial struggles.

The movie has also been recognized in Korea, winning awards such as the CGV Arthouse Award at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival and the Audience Award at the 43rd Seoul Independent Film Festival.

Nyaff is a film festival held in New York City, operated by Subway Cinema, a nonprofit organization dedicated to appreciating Asian popular film culture.

By Sung Ji-eun