EST N8, the international sales, production, and finance company, has acquired “Family Secrets,” a Korean family drama directed by Lee Sang-hoon (“Windmill”), at Hong Kong FilMart.
The film tells the story of an average Korean family whose members begin leading secret lives unknown to each other. The eldest daughter Mina, for instance, skips her piano lessons to take self-defense classes. The narrative reveals these new pursuits are connected to promises made to their deceased family member Seung-hyun, who perished in the tragic Sewol ferry incident.
“Family Secrets” takes a distinctive approach to the Sewol Ferry disaster, focusing on hope rather than sorrow. “The Sewol ferry victims’ families try not to talk about the Sewol ferry disaster, but rather to talk about the good and happy stories,” director Lee Sang-hoon said. “Since they know how much pain they each are feeling, they comfort and encourage each other with hopeful communication during those moments when they are together. That’s why I also wanted to convey comfort to the bereaved families through my film.”
The film won the grand prize at the 2020 Cultural Contents Contest and features a cast including Kim Hye-eun, known for her work in the action film “Revolver” (2024), and Kim Bo-Yoon, who starred in the horror film “Lingering” (2020).
Produced by Oyes Co., Ltd., the film joins EST N8’s growing roster of Asian content. “We can’t wait to introduce audiences to the touching and multifaceted world of this Korean drama. It’s an important story that will touch fans of the genre and new viewers alike,” said Jaeson Ma, chair of EST Studios.
The deal was brokered by Tenten Wei, Sophie Shi, and Cathy Ni of EST N8.
Other titles in the company’s sales lineup include Indonesian horror films “Sorop,” “Hutang Nyawa,” and “Perewangan”; Korean thriller “30 Minutes”; Japanese fantasy “River Returns”; and Malaysian action film “Budak Flat,” among others.
EST Studios was founded in 2022 by Jaeson Ma (Stampede Ventures, 88rising) and Eric Tu (Vice, Anonymous Content), while N8 was established in 2023 by Kris Eiamsakulrat and Rachel Y. Wu as an independent film studio based in Bangkok with offices in New York and LA.
