Director Park Hoon-jung's latest film, 'Sad Tropical,' has achieved a significant milestone by winning the Nouveau Genre Grand Prize at the 32nd Étrange Film Festival held in Paris, France.
According to the overseas distributor Finecut, 'Sad Tropical' was invited to compete in the international competition section of the festival, which took place from September 1 to 12, and emerged victorious after intense competition. The Étrange Film Festival, held annually in September, has a strong connection with Korean cinema, having previously showcased notable films such as 'The Cursed: Dead Man's Prey,' 'Concrete Utopia,' and 'The Drug King.'
'Sad Tropical' tells the story of children from a killer organization called 'Sad Tropical,' raised by a figure known as 'Sabu,' who find their existence shaken by a series of events that lead them to distrust one another and vow bloody revenge. This hardboiled action noir has garnered enthusiastic praise from the festival for its genre-defining thrills. Marc Troonen, the festival's international programmer, remarked, "Director Park Hoon-jung has returned to action and delivered a remarkable film. 'Sad Tropical' is an action thriller that escalates with operatic intensity, racing toward a furious climax as if there is no tomorrow."
Troonen further noted, "The stylized action collides violently with raw, visceral sensations, evoking the golden age of Hong Kong cinema in the 1980s and 90s. It offers a relentless pace that never allows the audience a moment to blink, maintaining a high-speed thrill throughout."
This is not the first time 'Sad Tropical' has made waves on the global genre film festival circuit. It was previously invited to the 'Orbita' section of the 58th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival in Spain and won the Silver Raven in the international competition section at the 44th Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, proving its quality. Recently, it was also invited to the 40th Fantasy Filmfest, the largest genre film festival touring seven major cities in Germany, exciting global genre fans.
Meanwhile, 'Sad Tropical' is currently undergoing final post-production and is set to meet domestic audiences soon.
According to the overseas distributor Finecut, 'Sad Tropical' was invited to compete in the international competition section of the festival, which took place from September 1 to 12, and emerged victorious after intense competition. The Étrange Film Festival, held annually in September, has a strong connection with Korean cinema, having previously showcased notable films such as 'The Cursed: Dead Man's Prey,' 'Concrete Utopia,' and 'The Drug King.'
'Sad Tropical' tells the story of children from a killer organization called 'Sad Tropical,' raised by a figure known as 'Sabu,' who find their existence shaken by a series of events that lead them to distrust one another and vow bloody revenge. This hardboiled action noir has garnered enthusiastic praise from the festival for its genre-defining thrills. Marc Troonen, the festival's international programmer, remarked, "Director Park Hoon-jung has returned to action and delivered a remarkable film. 'Sad Tropical' is an action thriller that escalates with operatic intensity, racing toward a furious climax as if there is no tomorrow."
Troonen further noted, "The stylized action collides violently with raw, visceral sensations, evoking the golden age of Hong Kong cinema in the 1980s and 90s. It offers a relentless pace that never allows the audience a moment to blink, maintaining a high-speed thrill throughout."
This is not the first time 'Sad Tropical' has made waves on the global genre film festival circuit. It was previously invited to the 'Orbita' section of the 58th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival in Spain and won the Silver Raven in the international competition section at the 44th Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, proving its quality. Recently, it was also invited to the 40th Fantasy Filmfest, the largest genre film festival touring seven major cities in Germany, exciting global genre fans.
Meanwhile, 'Sad Tropical' is currently undergoing final post-production and is set to meet domestic audiences soon.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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