Seoul-based Hive Filmworks has expanded its sales slate with its first-ever non-Korean title.
The company has secured international sales rights to Japanese feature Wandance, starring Jo from Japanese boy band &Team, based on the hip-hop manga series of the same name.
Directed by Naoya Kusaba, Wandance follows an introverted high school student, held back by his stutter, who meets a confident classmate named Wanda (Anji Ikehata) and discovers freedom through dance. It is set for release in Japan on November 27.
It marks the start of Hive’s plans to expand its slate with titles from outside Korea and will be launched to international buyers at the ACFM this week.
“We intend to take on more films from outside Korea, and that ambition extends beyond Japan,” said Hive Filmworks’ CEO Paul D Kim. “These will include both our own productions and films from other producers.
“We want to specialise in films from a select group of countries, taking the time to understand each industry, build local relationships and develop the expertise to represent its films particularly well internationally. Our aim is to expand one country at a time, building that same depth of knowledge and experience in each as we grow.”
Kim said the move was in line with the company’s strategy to look beyond Korea’s borders, and not just in terms of sales.
“Our ambition has always been to build Hive Filmworks into a company working internationally across film production, distribution and sales,” he said. “We have already produced and co-produced films in other countries and languages, and representing films from outside Korea has always been part of that vision.
“We had expected to begin this [sales] expansion with our own international co-productions this year. Production delays changed that timing, and the opportunity to represent Wandance came along.”
Kim said the opportunity arose when the company was exploring potential production in Japan.
“Genre films often have selling points that translate readily across borders,” he said. “What interested us about Wandance was the challenge of bringing a Japanese commercial feature to international audiences through a different approach. We saw it as an ideal opportunity to develop new strategies and partnerships while building the experience and insight to better represent Japanese films internationally. We hope to build on that foundation as we expand our slate to include films from other countries.”
Kim founded Hive Filmworks in 2019 after previously working as head of domestic and international business at Mirovision.
At the 31st Busan International Film Festival, the company handles Competition drama Beach Fictions and Korean Cinema Today title Sapiens.
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