Leading Korean distributor CJ Entertainment has picked up worldwide rights to two Berlinale Forum films - Members Of The Funeral and The Day After - both from the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA)'s inaugural cycle of feature-length graduation films.

Set for its international premiere in Berlin, Baek Seung-bin's debut feature Members Of The Funeral previously attracted attention on its world premiere in the Pusan festival's New Currents competition where it won the NETPAC award and gained acclaim for its dark humor and intelligence.

The film centres on what takes place when high school student Hee-joon dies and the different members of a family come together at his funeral - each unaware of what kind of relationship the others had with the dead boy. But they soon find out he knew them each intimately enough to be writing a novel about them, before he committed suicide.

Due to make its world premiere in Berlin, The Day After is directed by Lee Suk-gyoung, a former author, national television talk show host and woman's movement activist.

Despite Lee's history of activism, the reconciliatory film is a quietly personal one which reflects her own story as a struggling divorced single mom raising a daughter.

As part of KAFA's new Advanced Program for producing feature-length graduation films, both Members Of The Funeral and The Day After initially got support funds from CJ Cultural Foundation and exhibitor CJ CGV, affiliates of CJ Entertainment.

This is the first time CJ Entertainment has taken on sales of KAFA films. The company noted they made the decision on the strength of the films' and directors' potential, as well as the importance of supporting independent cinema.