CJ racks up Ode To My Father sales

Korea’s CJ Entertainment has closed a string of sales across the Asia Pacific region on JK Youn’s blockbuster Ode To My Father, which is screening in Berlin’s Panorama section.

The epic drama, spanning six decades of world history, has gone to Intercontinental for Hong Kong, mm2 Entertainment for Singapore & Malaysia, Dreamwest for Australia & New Zealand and M Pictures for Thailand. 

CJ has also sold the film to Bloomsbury (Mongolia), Viva Communications (Philippines), Medyavizyon (Turkey), MATV for pan-Asian TV and Emphasis for airline rights. 

Released on Dec 17 in Korea, the film has grossed nearly $90m in its home country from more than 12 million admissions. CJ is distributing the film directly in the US, Japan and Indonesia. In the US, it has grossed $1.6m from 22 screens. 

Youn produced and directed the film about a young boy torn apart from his father and sister during the Korean War, who travels to Germany and war-torn Vietnam as a grown man, and never gives up hope of finding his missing relatives. 

Hwang Jung-min (New World) plays the lead with Kim Yunjin (US TV series Lost) as the lifelong companion he meets in Germany. 

Youn previously directed tsunami blockbuster Haeundae and has produced several other hits through his production outfit JK Film, including Sector 7 and Quick.