Busan fest opener agreed to Japan

BUSAN -- Among Asia's primary film fests got under strategies by Busan, Columbia, local distrib Showbox Mediaplex introduced it's pre-offered the fest's opening film, helmer Song Il-gon's "Always," to Japan's Pony Canyon. Pic can be a love story from the former boxer together with a blind telemarketeer, starring Korean Wave star So Ji-sub which has a good fan-base in Asia while using hit TV drama "Sorry, I Like You." Furthermore, it features Han Hyo-joo, who taken the country's Drama Honours a year ago in period TV series "Dong-yi." Pic is scheduled being theatrically released March. 20 in Columbia. Showbox may even screen "The Key Line" at BIFF, since the fest is well known since the change from Pusan to Busan in South Korea's standby time with the Romanized spelling. The pic is South Korea's entry inside the foreign-language movie category within the Oscars. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com