Korea's Yu wins top award at Gerardmer festival for 'Sleep'

Korean director Jason Yu, right, poses with French author, journalist and director, president of the feature film jury, Bernard Werber after winning the Grand prize for the film "Sleep" during the closing ceremony of the 31st Gerardmer Fantastic Film Festival in Gerardmer, northeastern France, on Jan. 28. AFP-Yonhap

Korean filmmaker Jason Yu was on Sunday awarded the prestigious Gerardmer International Fantastic Film Festival Grand Prix for his first feature-length offering, "Sleep."

The 34-year-old's movie is a comedy horror about a young couple's lives being turned upside down after the husband's nightmarish sleepwalking habits terrorize his wife.

The Jury Prize was awarded to "Amelia's Children" by Portugese filmmaker Gabriel Abrantes and Frenchwoman Celine Rouzet's "En Attendant la Nuit" (For Night Will Come).

"Amelia's Children" is about a man who believes himself to be an orphan but then finds his family.

"En Attendant la Nuit" is about a teenager who needs human blood to survive and falls in love with his neighbour.

"When Evil Lurks" by Argentine Demian Rugna won both the Critics' Prize and Audience Award, while Briton Barnaby Clay's "The Seeding" picked up the Great East Region Youth Jury Award.

"Transylvanie" by Frenchman Rodrigue Huart was awarded the Short Film Grand Prize.

The Gerardmer festival specialises in films from the fantasy, science fiction and horror genres. (AFP)