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Still from 'Bedford Park' (provided by The Hollywood Reporter)

Two years after launching his production company Stannum, actor Son Suk-ku has opened doors at the world's largest independent film festival. Bedford Park, director Stephanie Ahn's debut feature starring Son and Choi Hee-seo, won the Special Jury Award for Best Feature Debut in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 42nd Sundance Film Festival and secured a worldwide distribution deal with Sony Pictures Classics.

The film sold out the 1,200-seat Eccles Theater at its world premiere on January 28. Among the 90 independent films presented at this year's Sundance, only four secured distribution deals—and Bedford Park was one of them. In its acquisition announcement, Sony Pictures Classics praised the film as "a compelling drama with the confidence of a master filmmaker," stating that "this authentic story of two people set in New Jersey will resonate with audiences everywhere."

The film follows the romance between Audrey (Choi Hee-seo), a Korean American woman, and Eli (Son Suk-ku), a former wrestler who was adopted as a child. Brought together by the mother's car accident, the two build a connection as they confront their respective wounds. The Sundance jury noted that the film "upended all our expectations with its depth and craft" and "invited us into a world we've never seen on screen before."

Immigrant narratives have previously captured Hollywood's attention. Lee Isaac Chung's Minari (2020) earned six Academy Award nominations in 2021, and Celine Song's Past Lives (2023) also premiered at Sundance before advancing to an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Bedford Park has been praised for addressing the identity conflicts and generational tensions explored in previous immigrant films while capturing the "universal emotions" of isolation, healing, and love.

This case marks a new precedent in the expanded role of Korean actors in Hollywood. Historically, Korean actors' Hollywood ventures have primarily taken the form of "casting." In contrast, Son Suk-ku established his own production company and led the project from the development stage. This achievement, just two years after founding the company, is seen as an example of expanding the roles Korean actors can play in the global film market.

The next challenge identified is box office performance in the Korean market. Stannum representatives expressed their commitment, stating, "We want to put special effort into the Korean release to connect with audiences." Expanding the success achieved in Hollywood's independent film ecosystem to the domestic market, and carrying the momentum of this first project into subsequent ones, will be Stannum's next chapter.

Sources

• Sports Kyunghyang, "Son Suk-ku Production and Starring Film 'Bedford Park' Wins Sundance Special Jury Award", 2026.02.02

• My Daily, "Son Suk-ku Starring 'Bedford Park' Wins Sundance Film Festival Special Award", 2026.02.02

• The Korea Herald, "'Bedford Park,' starring Son Suk-ku, Moon Choi, wins special jury award at Sundance", 2026.02.01

• Variety, "Sony Pictures Classics Lands Stephanie Ahn's 'Bedford Park,' Sundance Prize Winner for Debut Feature", 2026.01.30