The Cannes Film Festival official selection has added Ounie Lecomte’s debut feature A Brand New Life to its Special Screenings category.

The Korean-French co-production is introduced under the title of “Lee Chang-dong presents” in the same section as the “Tribute to Fanny Ardant” which will screen Ashes And Blood, the directorial debut from the legendary actress.

Lee, who is one of the producers on A Brand New Life, is also on the Cannes jury this year. His Secret Sunshine won the Cannes best actress award for Jeon Do-yeon two years ago.

The sales agent for A Brand New Life, Seoul-based Finecut announced at Hong Kong Filmart that Diaphana had picked up French-speaking rights to the film, excluding French TV rights which are owned by Canal Plus. French distributor Diaphana had also picked up Secret Sunshine from CJ Entertainment ahead of the Cannes festival in 2007.

Inspired by Lecomte’s own childhood experiences, the film is told from a nine-year-old Korean girl’s perspective, about what happens when her father sends her to a Catholic orphanage in the hope that she will get adopted.

Produced by Korea’s Now Films and France’s Gloria Films, the film has been billed as the first official co-production made under the aegis of the Korea-France co-production treaty which was signed in 2006.

Seoul-based Finecut also has Hong Sang-soo’s Like You Know It All in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard.

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