Finecut picks up Korean drama ‘Dolphin’ ahead of Jeonju premiere (exclusive)

Bae Du-ri’s coming-of-age film will debut at Jeonju International Film Festival.

South Korean sales company Finecut has picked up Bae Du-ri’s Dolphin, which is set to make its world premiere at Jeonju International Film Festival (April 27-May 6).

It marks the feature directorial debut of Korea’s Bae, who wrote and directed Dolphin at the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA) as part of the school’s feature-length production programme. The film is set to premiere as part of the Korean Cinema section of Jeonju on Friday (April 28).

The story follows a 35-year-old woman whose only joy after a troubled childhood is caring for her mother and younger brother in a small seaside village where she runs the local newsletter. When her mother announces plans to sell their house and her brother insists on moving to Seoul, she struggles to accept the changes but discovers solace at a bowling alley.

The central role is played by Kwon Yu-ri from TV series such as A Week’s Grace and The Sound Of Your Heart, and the cast also includes Gil Hae-yeon (House Of Hummingbird), Hyun Woo-seok (A Home From Home), Park Mi-hyun (TV’s Our Beloved Summer) and Sim Hee-seop (Punch-Drunk Love).

Bae’s graduation short film from the Korea National University of Arts, Last Night, screened at Busan International Film Festival in 2012.

At Jeonju, Finecut is also handling Kwak Eun-mi’s North Korean defector drama A Tour Guide, which plays in Korea Competition, and black comedy The Nature Man, directed by Noh Young-seok, which screens in the Korean Cinema section. Noh’s previous features Intruders and Daytime Drinking both screened at Toronto.

Both pick-ups were announced last month at Hong Kong Filmart.