Director Park Hoon-jung's 'Sad Tropical' Wins Grand Prize at Étrange Film Festival

Proving the appeal of hard-boiled action noir that captivates global audiencesPark Hoon-jung's 'Sad Tropical' wins 'Nouveau Genre Grand Prize', the top award in the international competition section at the 32nd Festival de Cannes. /Mindmark Co., Ltd.[Reporter Park Ji-yoon] Director Park Hoon-jung's 'Sad Tropical' has once again shined at an overseas film festival.Distributor Mindmark Co., Ltd. announced on the 16th, "The film 'Sad Tropical' (directed by Park Hoon-jung) has achieved the feat of winning the 'Nouveau Genre Grand Prize', the top award in the international competition section at the 32nd Festival de Cannes."The film depicts the story of children belonging to the killer organization 'Sad Tropical', raised by Sabu (played by Kim Myung-min), who reigns as the absolute ruler of the rainforest, becoming suspicious of each other due to an incident that shakes their existence and vowing bloody revenge. This is the latest film from director Park Hoon-jung, who also directed 'New World' and the 'The Witch' series.Previously, 'Sad Tropical' proved its solid quality by winning the 'Silver Raven Award' in the international competition section at the 44th Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, following its invitation to the 'Orbita' section at the 58th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival. It also heated up the global fervor by being invited to the 40th Fantasy Filmfest, Germany's largest genre film festival held in seven major German cities, and the 32nd Festival de Cannes.The Festival de Cannes, held annually in Paris in September, has previously invited notable Korean films such as 'Exhuma', 'Concrete Utopia', and 'The Merciless'.According to overseas distributor Finecut, 'Sad Tropical', invited to the international competition section at this year's festival held from the 1st to the 12th, won the top award, the 'Nouveau Genre Grand Prize', after fierce competition, once again solidifying the strong presence of action noir.Marc Truenen, International Programmer, praised, "Director Park Hoon-jung has returned to action and done it right. 'Sad Tropical' is an action thriller that builds intensely like an opera, relentlessly accelerating towards a climax filled with rage as if there were no tomorrow."He further heightened expectations, saying, "Stylized action, raw, visceral senses, and deep melancholy collide violently, reminiscent of the golden age of Hong Kong cinema in the 1980s and 90s," and "It's a high-speed chase of action that doesn't let you blink for a moment and never slows down."'Sad Tropical', which is shining at prestigious overseas film festivals, is scheduled to meet domestic audiences after final post-production work.jiyoon-1031@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]