Finecut Secures Global Sales for Hong Sangsoo’s ‘Nowhere to Lay My Eyes’ and More Ahead of Toronto

Korean sales house Finecut has finalized a series of international distribution agreements for three acclaimed festival titles, headlined by Hong Sangsoo’s award-winning drama “Nowhere to Lay My Eyes.” The moves come just before the Toronto International Film Festival begins.

Hong’s latest work, his 35th feature film, took home three honors at the 79th Locarno Film Festival: the Pardo for Best Direction, the Pardo for Best Performance, and the Ecumenical Jury Prize. It competed in the Concorso Internazionale section. The narrative follows a woman who reunites with her mother after a decade apart, spending two days navigating life within her mother’s new family alongside her brother.

International rights have been sold to Cinema Guild in North America, the Institute of Contemporary Arts in the U.K., Atalante in Spain, Hugoeast in China, Filmgarten in Austria, and Cola Films in Taiwan.

Also featured in the sales push is “Long Long Night,” a 3D animated feature marking the directorial debut of Youm Kyu Bock. The studio pre-sold the film to Japan’s Geek Pictures Inc. prior to its world premiere at Toronto, where it is part of the Centrepiece lineup. Following Toronto, the movie will screen in the competition at the Busan International Film Festival and later at the Sitges Film Festival’s Anima’t section. The film is adapted from a bestselling Korean novel based on true events that has moved over 800,000 copies and was recognized on the International Youth Library’s 2021 White Ravens list.

“Even from just the 15-minute promo footage, we were deeply moved by the beauty of the film and the way it captures the world of the original story, by the endearing bond between the last rhino on Earth and a penguin,” said Kosano Tamotsu, CEO of Geek Pictures Inc. “We immediately felt that this was a film we wanted to bring to audiences in Japan.”

The slate also includes “Dora,” the third feature from director July Jung, which premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes. Finecut has secured deals for the film in Japan through Geek Pictures Inc. and in Taiwan via Light Year Images. Jung holds the distinction of being the first Korean female director to have three consecutive features selected for Cannes. The film stars rising Korean actress Kim Doyeon in the title role, opposite Japanese actress Ando Sakura, known for roles in “Godzilla Minus One,” “Monster,” and the Palme d’Or winner “Shoplifters.”

During Toronto, Finecut will also showcase the animated adventure “Guardians of the Video Game,” based on a webtoon with 345 million views globally, and “Wash Away,” a Japanese horror-thriller about a couple whose lakeside getaway turns sinister due to a resort’s belief that its waters can cleanse the soul. Additionally, Miyahara’s short film “Suck” was selected for the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, while “Wash Away” marks his feature debut and premiered in the Panorama section at Sitges.