As well as the seven films screening at Cannes, Korean sales companies have also scored a number of pre-sales prior to the opening of the Cannes Film Market.

 

First of all giant media company CJ Entertainment has already announced pre-sales on four films including new monster movie epic Sector 7. The much talked about film that was said to have been sold from only from a 2 minute promotion reel has been sold to MFA+ for Germany, Serenity for Taiwan, VSG for Indonesia and the Philippines, Shooting Stars for the Middle East and BHD for Vietnam. In a similar monster vein is Tarbosaurus which sold to Carmen Films for Russia, MFA+ for Germany, Star for India, ECS for the Midle East, Zon Lusomundo for Portugal, J-Bics for Thailand, Viscom Surya for Malaysia and Indonesia, Dutch Film Works for Benelux, Hwa Yea for Singapore and Saran Media for Turkey. Cashing in on Asia’s fascination with K Pop is White which about a fictional pop group’s rise to fame. Starring the real life lead singer from girl group T-ara, White has been sold to two Asian countries, Malaysia and Indonesia via distributor Scorpio East. Lastly is feature animation Bolts And Blip: The Movie. Directed by Toy Story 2 (1999) animator Peter Lepeniotis the film has been sold to PT Cipta Mutu for Indonesia, J Bics for Thailand, and Luxor for Russia.

 

Korean sales company Finecut has just announced some new titles for sale as it continues selling previously released films. Most prominently in the new film front are works by HONG Sang-soo and KIM Ki-duk which are also screening at the festival. Director Hong who won the top prize in last year’s Un Certain Regard section with HaHaHa (2010) is back with a black and white film The Day He Arrives. KIM Ki-duk, also familiar to Cannes audiences through films Breath (2007) and The Bow (2005), is premiering a new documentary entitled Arirang. Action spy film Athena: Goddess Of War produced by Iris (movie and TV series) production company Taewon Productions has also been recently announced along with new feature animation Leafie featuring the voice of CHOI Min-sik (Oldboy 2003, I saw the Devil 2010) and MOON So-ri (Oasis 2002). Finecut is also introducing new thriller Blind and horror film The Cat both due to be released in Korea this summer.

 

Finecut’s older slate of films also continues to notch sales. Last year’s Cannes premiering Bedevilled (2010) about an oppressed woman on a small parochial island who slashes all its inhabitants to death, has been sold to Madman Entertainment for Australia and New Zealand. Also from last year’s slate is Carancho (2010), which has been sold to Brun Bro Films for Benelux and Les Films D’Aujour D’hui for Canada. Blockbuster I Saw the Devil by KIM Jee-woon has been sold to Luna Films for Singapore and Montblanc for French-speaking Switzerland, comedy Hello Ghost (2010) to Scorpio East for Indonesia, Queen Films for Indonesia and Hwa Yea for Malaysia, which also picked up block buster Midnight FM (2010) and romantic comedy Cyrano Agency (2010).