Sphere Films International has closed key territories deals on Anthony Shim’s festival favourite RICEBOY SLEEPS. The film premiered in Toronto at TIFF where it won the Platform prize and then went on to win the Audience Award in Busan along with countless other festivals and awards. Along with 1091 Pictures for the US, the film has been sold to Icon for ANZ, Pancinema in Korea, Lighthouse Film in Singapore, Creative Century in Taiwan, September Films in Benelux, Yoda Films in Spain and Lev Films in Israel. Theatrical releases are planned for the spring in Korea and Singapore with other releases to follow shortly after.
RICEBOY SLEEPS tells the story of So-young, a Korean single mother raising her adolescent son, Dong-hyun, in the suburbs in the 1990’s. Having recently immigrated, the two struggle to acclimate as they face various racial and cultural challenges; as time passes, the mother-son relationship grows farther and farther apart as Dong-hyun dissociates from his Korean identity. The two return to South Korea for the first time since their initial departure in order to reconnect to their roots and reconcile their tragic past.
Sphere Films International Senior Vice-President’s Anick Poirier and Lorne Price express, “We are excited by the continued positive response for this charming and entertaining film. The enthusiasm from buyers and festivals alike is what we have come to expect for a film of this high pedigree.”
Sphere has also closed deals on another of it’s TIFF titles, Stephane Lafleur’s VIKING. UFO has nabbed the film for France while Cinedigm will release it in the US. Jennifer Baichawal’s documentary INTO THE WEEDS has been swept up for the US by Film Movement.
Hoping to continue the momentum, the Australian fim SWEET AS will have it’s European premiere as part of Generation K Plus at Berlinale. Director Jub Clerc’s SWEET AS is set in the stunning countryside of Western Australia and inspired by the her own journey of becoming a filmmaker. An uplifting road movie about unconventional friendships, first crushes and finding who you are on the road less travelled.
EFM has Sphere launching pre-sales on the feature animation film SPACE CADET from Internationally renowned DJ Kid Koala. It is the moving story of a young astronaut and her guardian robot. It is an inspiring dialogue-free fable about connectivity, hope, isolation and family with themes that explore loss, grief, love and the cycles of generations.
Sphere is launching the French language drama A RESPECTABLE WOMAN (Une Femme respectable) from director Bernard Emond and Francis Leclerc’s THE DISHWASHER (Le Plongeur) which is based on the award-winning book of the same name.
Espérant poursuivre sur sa lancée, le film australien SWEET AS sera présenté en première européenne dans le cadre de Generation K Plus à la Berlinale. Le film SWEET AS de la réalisatrice Jub Clerc se déroule dans la campagne magnifique de l’Australie occidentale et s’inspire de son propre parcours pour devenir cinéaste. Un road movie édifiant sur les amitiés non conventionnelles, les premiers béguins et la découverte de soi sur le chemin le moins fréquenté.
EFM a aussi confié à Sphère Films International les préventes du film d’animation SPACE CADET de Kid Koala, DJ de renommée internationale. Il s’agit de l’histoire émouvante d’une jeune astronaute et de son robot gardien. C’est une fable inspirante et sans dialogue sur la connectivité, l’espoir, l’isolement et la famille, avec des thèmes qui explorent la perte, le deuil, l’amour et les cycles des générations.
Finalement, Sphère présentera le drame français UNE FEMME RESPECTACLE du réalisateur Bernard Émond et LE PLONGEUR de Francis Leclerc, basé sur le livre primé du même nom.
