Busan: M-Line Presents Korean Standouts ‘Not in This World,’ ‘Beasts’

Patrick Frater

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Korean indie sales company M-Line Distribution is handling rights to “Not in This World,” a drama by actor-director Park Jung-bum. The film has its premiere this week in the Korean Panorama section of the Busan International Film Festival.

“World” tells the story of a hermit, who is lured out of his lonely mountain existence by a woman, played by Moon Ye-ji, that he hears singing. But the man’s attempts to help her out of difficulties take him to an unexpected place.

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Park is best known for his multi-hyphenate roles on “The Journals of Musan” and “Alive.” He produced “World” through his Secondwind Film company.

M-Line’s other standout offering at Busan’s Asian Film Market is the previously announced “Beasts Clawing at Straws.” The noir crime film features superstar Jung Woo-sung (“The Good, The Bad, and the Weird,” “Musa The Warrior,” “Steel Rain”) opposite Jeon Do-yeon, who earned the best actress award at Cannes for “Secret Sunshine.”

Adapted from a Japanese novel by Sono Keisuke, “Beasts” is a tale of violent consequences that emerge when a cast of low-life characters converge on a bag of cash. Production, through BA Film and Megabox Plus M, wrapped in November. Release is set for Spring 2020.

Another film with strong festival potential is “Kingmaker,” a political thriller about a presidential candidate and an unscrupulous campaign manager. The film, now largely completed and aiming for a festival slot in the first quarter of 2020, also marks the reunion of director Byun Sung-hyun and leading man Sul Kyung-gu, who together enjoyed success with 2017’s “The Merciless.” It also stars Lee Sun-kyung.

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