‘Beef’ Actor Justin H. Min’s ‘Journey There,’ Hong Sangsoo’s Locarno Winner ‘Nowhere to Lay My Eyes’ Rack Up International Sales for Finecut

Hong Sangsoo’s “Nowhere to Lay My Eyes,” a triple prizewinner at the 79th Locarno Film Festival, and Kim Jin-yu’s “Journey There,” the first Korean production to star “Beef” actor Justin H. Min, have picked up a new batch of territory deals through Seoul-based sales outfit Finecut.

For “Nowhere to Lay My Eyes,” Carlotta Films has taken France, Mimosa Films has Japan, Kligger has Argentina and The Stone and the Plot has Portugal. The new pacts add to earlier sales to The Cinema Guild for North America, Filmgarten for Austria, Hugoeast for China, Atalante for Spain, Cola Films for Taiwan and the Institute of Contemporary Arts for the U.K.

The film is Hong’s 35th feature. At Locarno it won best direction, best performance and the Ecumenical Jury Prize. It sees the director team up again with regulars Kim Minhee (“By the Stream”) and Kwon Haehyo (“What Does That Nature Say to You”), and marks his first outing with Choi Myeonggil, whose credits include TV series “Durian’s Affair.” Jeonwonsa Film Co. produced.

“Journey There” has sold to Andrews Film for Taiwan, KDDI Corporation for Japan, Lev Cinema for Israel and Izagur Media for Mongolia, while Kairos Distribution acquired inflight rights. The drama centers on a middle-aged widow who begins getting ready for her own journey and gets drawn into relationships she never saw coming in the apartment she has just moved into.

Min’s credits include Kogonada’s “After Yang” and the Netflix series “Beef” and “The Umbrella Academy.” The film is the second feature from Kim, whose first, “Bori,” took two prizes at the 24th Schlingel International Film Festival. Kim’s own company, Pado, produced.

“Journey There” was released in Korea on Oct. 28. It has been invited to the Moscow International Film Festival, the New York Asian Film Festival and, more recently, the Paris and London Korean film festivals.

Fresh from Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market, Finecut heads to AFM with a slate that includes the animated “Long Long Night.” The film will screen there for buyers for the first time in its English-dubbed version. It also has invitations from Toronto, Busan and Sitges under its belt.

Also on offer are “Dora,” selected for Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight and Busan’s Gala Presentation section, and “Wi-Fi Love in the Palace,” a period fantasy romance toplined by Kim Young-hoon of K-pop group The Boyz.