Park Hoon-jung's 'Sad Tropics' wins top prize at France's Etrangeres Film Festival

"Sad Tropics" won the Nouveau Genre Grand Prize, the top honor in the international competition section, at the 32nd Etrangeres Film Festival.

According to international distributor Finecut, the film was invited to compete in the festival's international competition section and claimed the top prize after competing against other entries.

"Sad Tropics" is the latest film from director Park Hoon-jung, one of the leading figures in Korean hard-boiled noir, known for "New World" (2013) and "The Witch" (2018). The film follows the children of a killer organization called "Sad Tropics," raised by an absolute ruler known as "Sabu" who reigns over a tropical rainforest. When a single event shakes the foundations of their existence, the group turns on one another and vows bloody revenge.

Marc Truenen, the festival's international programmer, described the film as "an action thriller that builds with operatic intensity, charging relentlessly toward a furious climax as if there were no tomorrow." He added that it is "high-speed action that never lets you blink and never lets up."

"Sad Tropics" has drawn strong attention in the global market even before its domestic release, receiving invitations from major film festivals worldwide. Following its selection for the "Orbita" section of the 58th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, the film won the Silver Raven in the international competition section of the 44th Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival in April.

Most recently, the film was invited to the 40th Fantasy Filmfest, Germany's largest genre film festival, which tours seven major cities across the country.

"Sad Tropics" is currently in final post-production ahead of its domestic release.