While every year fans are lining the red carpet of the Palast Theater during the Berlin International Film Festival, many of the world’s film professionals are busy just a few steps away, taking part in the European Film Market (EFM), one of the largest industry events in the world. Business and the weather were brisk while the nights were long this year, during a market that sets the tone for European and Global film for the year ahead.
The two main venues for the event, which ran this year from the 11th to the 19th of February, are the Martin-Grobius-Brau building just south of Potsdamer Platz, which features a large atrium lined by two floors of busy booths, and, just across from the Sony Center, the Marriott Hotel, where sales companies rent out rooms on the first two floors while plenty of market visitors hold meetings down in the lobby and restaurant below.
Leading Korea’s large presence at the market was the Korean Film Council (KOFIC - Chairman, KIM Sae-hoon), which manned an umbrella stand in the MGB while Korean distributors were scattered throughout the market area, each with an enticing lineup of new films.
As with previous years, KOFIC hosted its annual Korean Film Night, in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Centre in Germany on February 13th in Potsdamer Platz. KOFIC Chairman KIM Sae-hoon and Korean Cultural Centre in Germany Chairman KWON Sae-hoon welcomed around 600 guests, which included representatives from Korean film events such as the Jeonju International Film Festival and the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival and global film jubilees including the Venice Film Festival, the Cannes Film Festival’s Critics’ Week, the Locarno International Film Festival and the Tokyo International Film Festival. Also in attendance were the stars and directors of Berlinale-invited Korean films The Bacchus Lady (director E J-yong, actors YOUN Yuh-jung and YOON Kye-sang) and The World of Us (director YOON Ga-eun and actress CHOI Soo-in).
The Biggest Deals and Others
A total of 175 Korean film professionals descended on the market this year, which included representatives from some of the country’s biggest sales outfits, who all put forward their lineups for the months ahead, which included a number of titles that generated strong buzz in Berlin. Among reported deals during the market, two titles stood out in particular. The biggest was CJ Entertainment’s The Handmaiden, the new title from director PARK Chan-wook and his first back in Korea since 2009’s Thirst and FINECUT’s Korean War blockbuster Operation Chromite.
After presenting early clips to select buyers in their room at the Marriott Hotel, CJ announced that The Handmaiden, which is based on the Sarah Waters' novel Fingersmith (though the action has been transposed from Victorian England to 1930s Korea and Japan) and stars HA Jung-woo (The Berlin File, 2013), KIM Min-hee (Right Now, Wrong Then, 2015) and newcomer KIM Tae-ri, was their second-best pre-selling title ever, behind BONG Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer in 2013 (which recorded 167 presales). All told, the steamy thriller locked deals for 116 markets, including a major acquisition by online giant Amazon Studios for North American rights.
Other CJ titles at EFM include the ensemble social media-themed romcom Like for Likes, featuring YOO Ah-in, youth indie title One Way Trip, which debuted at the Busan International Film Festival last October, fantasy romantic thriller Time Renegades (working title) with JO Jung-suk (My Love, My Bride, 2014) and LIM Soo-jung (All About My Wife, 2012), and action drama Phantom Detective (working title) from A Werewolf Boy (2012) director JO Sung-hee, featuring LEE Je-hoon. Following the record-breaking run of Sweet 20 in Vietnam, CJ also launched sales on its next locally-produced film for that market, the action title Tracer.
Also sealing a slew of deals was the Korean War film Operation Chromite from 71-Into The Fire (2010) director John H. LEE and featuring Liam Neeson as General MacArthur and Korean star LEE Jung-jae (Assassination, 2015). Repped by FINECUT for most markets, though to be distributed by CJ in Korea in July and some Asian territories where they operate direct distribution, the film was sold to Splendid for Germany, Austria and the Benelux, Discovery Film & Video for ex-Yugoslavia and Moviecloud for Taiwan.
Also on FINECUT’s roster were Berlinale title The World of Us, director YEON Sang-ho’s new animated title Seoul Station, NA Hong-jin’s highly anticipated Goksung (working title), MISBEHAVIOR from Set Me Free (2014) director KIM Tae-yong, romantic film LOVE GUIDE FOR DUMPEES, Busan indie Blossom and the in-production animated feature Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs.
9ers Entertainment also reported sales for their titles Office, the HONG Won-chan thriller with KO Asung which premiered at Cannes last year, and BONG Man-dae’s erotic thriller Trap. Office sold to China (Lemon Tree), Japan (Nikkatsu), Hong Kong (Edko Films), Thailand (Mono Film) and the Philippines (Viva Communications), while Trap went to Germany and Austria (Donau Films), Japan (Klockworx), Hong Kong and Macau (Sundream), Taiwan (Moviecloud) and the Philippines (Viva Communications).
Beyond those reported sales, other Korean outfits had plenty on offer to get buyers and film festival programmers excited. Contents Panda, which handles the titles of Next Entertainment World (N.E.W.), held well-received market screenings for The Tiger, the Colonial Era hunting epic with CHOI Min-shik (Old Boy, 2003) from director PARK Hoon-jung, and Lunar New Year Korean War dramaA Melody to Remember. Also on their docket were NO TOMORROW, from Azooma (2013) director LEE Ji-seung, revenge thriller Missing You, featuring young star SHIM Eun-kyoung (Miss Granny, 2014) in her first thriller role, and youth comedy The Last Ride, featuring RYU Deok-hwan (Like A Virgin, 2006).
For M-Line Distribution, titles included E J-yong’s The Bacchus Lady, LEE Joon-ik’s currently screening Colonial Era biopic DONGJU; The Portrait of A Poet, as well as current chart-topper Spirits’ Homecoming, a drama on the plight of comfort women, LEE Cheol-ha’s mystery thriller Insane with KANG Ye-won, the third Horror Stories omnibus and the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA) titles The Boys Who Cried Wolf and Girl on the Edge.
Leading United Pictures’ slate was the upcoming thriller Master, from Cold Eyes (2013) director CHO Ui-seok and featuring stars LEE Byung-hun,GANG Dong-won and KIM Woo-bin. United also presented the romcom thriller Life Risking Romance with Korean star HA Ji-won (Haeundae, 2009) and Taiwanese actor CHEN Bolin, action-comedy Chasing, from Mourning Grave (2014) director OH In-chun, and DMZ-set mystery-thriller MUSUDAN.
Many of the same films and distributors will be on show later this month at the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market while some of the big titles that will fill out the rest of the year’s release schedule are expected to be unveiled at the Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
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