Like most sellers, Korean sales agents will be doing their EFM business online this year, but with a strong showing at the Berlinale and some commercial projects in the market, there is plenty on offer for international buyers.
Berlinale
The Apartment With Two Women
Dir. Kim Se-in
Showing in Panorama, Kim’s feature debut made its world premiere in Busan, where it picked up five prizes including the New Currents award and actress of the year for Im Jee-ho, who also makes her film debut. She plays a daughter living in a tense situation with her mother, played by Yang Mal-bok. Matters come to a head when she runs over her daughter with the car. The film was produced by the Korean Academy of Film Arts and backed by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). Contact: Finecut
The Hill Of Secrets
Dir. Lee Ji-eun
Lee’s feature debut is a coming-of-age drama that makes its world premiere in Generation Kplus. The story follows a sensitive 12-year-old girl with family secrets who starts to gain deeper understanding and connection with the world when she enters writing competitions. Produced by ohspring film, it stars Moon Seung-a (Voice Of Silence), Jang Sun (Three Sisters), Lim Sun-woo (Nothing Serious), Kang Gil-woo (Dust-Man) and Jang Jae-hee (Paper Flower). The film was supported by the Korean Film Council‘s Independent & Art Film Production Support Program. Contact: Finecut
Hot In Day, Cold At Night
Dir. Park Songyeol
Screening in Forum, Park’s sophomore feature picked up two Vision section awards when it premiered at Busan. Independent filmmaking couple Park and Won Hyang-ra co-star in this gentle comedy, which they also wrote, produced and edited. It follows a couple struggling to make ends meet through small jobs, cutting corners and overextending credit — until things come to a head. Saranghaja produced. Contact: Saranghaja
The Novelist’s Film
Dir. Hong Sangsoo
Festival favourite Hong returns to Berlin’s Competition with this world premiere. The filmmaker’s Introduction and The Woman Who Ran picked up Silver Bears for best screenplay and best director in 2021 and 2020, respectively. Hong’s latest stars Lee Hyeyoung (In Front Of Your Face), Kim Minhee (Introduction) and Seo Younghwa (The Woman Who Ran), and was produced by Jeonwonsa Film Co. The plot features a female novelist who takes a long trip to visit a bookstore run by a younger colleague, encountering several people on her journey. Contact: Finecut
European Film Market
Citizen Of A Kind
Dir. Park Young-ju
From the director of Second Life, this action comedy is based on a true story and stars Ra Mi-ran (Honest Candidate) as an ordinary citizen who takes on a voice-phishing investigation. Gong Myoung (Extreme Job), Yeom Hye-ran (New Year Blues), Park Byung-eun (Netflix’s Kingdom: Ashin Of The North), Jang Yoon-ju (Three Sisters), Lee Mu-saeng (Netflix’s The Silent Sea) and Ahn Eun-jin (TV’s Hospital Playlist) also star. The film is produced by Page One Film and C-JeS Entertainment. Contact: Showbox
Confession
Dir. Yoon Jong-seok
A crime mystery thriller from the director of Marine Boy, Confession stars heartthrob So Ji-sub (The Battleship Island), Kim Yun-jin (TV series Lost) and Nana (The Swindlers) and follows a businessman whose adulterous lover is murdered in a hotel room where only the two of them were present. Instantly labelled as the prime suspect, despite protesting his innocence, he hires a talented lawyer to defend him, and confesses to her that a car accident the day before might be connected to the murder. Produced by Realies Pictures (Along With The Gods franchise), the film is in post-production. Contact: Lotte Entertainment
Drown
Dir. Lim Sang-su
This feature debut from Lim screened in Rotterdam’s Harbour section, and follows a young man running an old lakeside motel who is thrown into a dilemma when his dementia-stricken mother disappears one day and a strange young man comes to stay. The film stars Lee Joong-ok, Kim Dae-geun, Kim Yeon-gyo, Kang Mal-geum, Byeon Jung-hui and Kong Min-jeong, and is produced by the Korean Academy of Film Arts. Contact: Jason Chae, Mirovision/Studio Bonanza
Following
Dir. Kim Se-hwi
Kim’s feature debut is a suspense thriller starring Byun Yo-han (The Book Of Fish) and Shin Hae-sun (Collectors), in which a realtor — whose hobby is sneaking into strangers’ homes and peeping into their lives — one day finds the dead body of an Instagram star in her house. When he returns a few hours later with a client, the body is gone. Several days later, he receives a note that says, “It was you, right?” Produced by Ngene Film, Following is in post-production, with a local release planned for later this year. Contact: K-Movie Entertainment
The Killer
Dir. Choi Jae-hun
From the director of The Swordsman, reuniting with its star Jang Hyuk, this action film stars Jang as a retired hitman whose wife goes on a trip with her friend, and asks him to look after the friend’s teenage daughter. Things go awry when he is forced to use a little violence to protect the girl from juvenile delinquents, but then they are found dead and the girl is kidnapped. Produced by Ascendio (The Swordsman), the film is in post. Contact: M-Line
Life Is Beautiful
Dir. Choi Kook-hee
From the director of Default and Split, Choi’s musical drama stars Ryu Seung-ryong (Extreme Job), Yum Jung-ah (Intimate Strangers) and Ong Seong-wu. The story follows a terminally ill woman who asks her husband to help her find her first love. He unwillingly joins her search, but during their travels around Korea the couple are reminded of the most beautiful moments in their lives. Produced by The Lamp (A Taxi Driver), the film is in post. Contact: Lotte Entertainment
Phantom
Dir. Lee Hae-young
From the director of Believer and The Silenced, this period drama features action stars Sul Kyung Gu (The Book Of Fish), Lee Hanee (Black Money), Park So Dam (Parasite), Park Hae Soo (Netflix’s Squid Game), Seo Hyun Woo (Spiritwalker) and Kim Dong Hee (Netflix’s Extracurricular). Set in 1933, a group of secret agents known as the Phantom are leading the resistance movement against Japanese colonisation. When the government sets a trap to catch them, the five prime suspects are spirited away to an isolated mansion and given one day to figure out who the Phantom is to save themselves. In Korean and Japanese, the film is set for local release later this year. Contact: CJ Entertainment
The Witch: Part 2. The Other One
Dir. Park Hoon-jung
This sequel to 2018’s The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion stars Shin Sia, Kim Da-mi, Lee Jong-suk, Park Eun-bin, Sung Yu-been, Jo Min-soo and Jin Goo. A girl wakes up in a huge secret laboratory, then accidentally meets another girl who is trying to protect her house from a gang. The mystery girl overthrows the gang with her unexpected powers, and laboratory staff set out to find her. Produced by Goldmoon Film, the film is due for release later this year. Contact: Contents Panda
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