{"id":448901,"date":"2026-01-31T05:26:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T05:26:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/448901\/"},"modified":"2026-01-31T05:26:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T05:26:10","slug":"sony-pictures-classics-acquires-rights-to-sundance-winner-bedford-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/448901\/","title":{"rendered":"Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Rights to Sundance Winner Bedford Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sony Pictures Classics (SPC) has acquired the worldwide rights to Korean love story \u201cBedford Park,\u201d written and directed by Stephanie Ahn, TheWrap has exclusively learned.<\/p>\n

The film, Ahn\u2019s feature directorial debut, had its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and took home the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Debut Feature. This marks\u00a0Sony Pictures Classics\u2019 second acquisition out of the festival.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The film stars Moon Choi (\u201cA Girl With Closed Eyes,\u201d \u201cAnarchist From Colony\u201d), Son Sukku (\u201cNine Puzzles,\u201d \u201cHeavenly Ever After\u201d), Won Mi Kyung (\u201cOur Unwritten Seoul,\u201d \u201cMy Unfamiliar Family\u201d), Kim Eung Soo (\u201c2009: Lost Memories,\u201d \u201cOnce Upon a Time\u201d) and Jefferson White (\u201cYellowstone,\u201d \u201cCivil War\u201d).<\/p>\n

The film\u2019s official logline reads: \u201cThe film follows Audrey\u2019s struggles between loyalty to her Korean immigrant family and her own American identity, as a child raised in New Jersey.\u00a0\u00a0Her mother gets into a car accident which leads to a fateful meeting with Eli, an ex-wrestler battling his own fractured past. They journey through an unexpected relationship and create a bond navigating self-preservation, cultural pressures and chosen love.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDebut director Stephanie Ahn has made a riveting drama exuding the confidence of a master. \u2018Bedford Park\u2019 gives us a complete world, full of rich character and incident, steeped in the history of our current intercultural moment,\u201d Sony Pictures Classics said in a statement. \u201cThis authentic story of two people in New Jersey is relatable and will resonate everywhere \u2014 a great movie that\u2019s a pleasure to share with the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

The filmmaking team and producers behind \u201cBedford Park, added: \u201cSony Pictures Classics is the gold standard for thoughtful, filmmaker-driven distribution, and partnering with them on \u2018Bedford Park\u2019 is a dream outcome. Their impeccable taste and legacy of high quality films that have stood the test of time make it an honor for us to join that family. SPC truly understands how to nurture intimate, human stories and help them find their audience around the world. Their belief in our film and their commitment to giving it the right platform means everything to our team.\u201d <\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"the-incomer\"\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cBedford Park\u201d is produced by Gary Foster of Krasnoff\/Foster Entertainment, Chris S. Lee of B & C Group, Nina Yang Bongiovi of Significant Productions, Theresa Kang of Blue Marble Pictures, and Son Sukku of Stannum, with Russ Krasnoff also serving as producer. Executive producers include Sungwon Choi, Sungwon Jee, Yoon-Hyue Julia Kim, Clara Wu Tsai, Agnes Chu, Alex Peace Power, Charles Zhong, Crystine Zhang, Charley Hine, Annie Yang, Julia Xu, Raymond Lee, Chee Ching, Nina Fialkow, Hyun Park, Lenox Huh, Oliver Hsu, Mark Gooder, Alison Thompson, Yang Jinmo, Caroline Garity, Amy Lee, Bryan Hwang, Ali Jazayeri, Viviana Zarragoitia and Stefan Klink.<\/p>\n

Ahn had never heard of either actor when she set out to cast the film. After searching Korean-American actors, she turned to Korea where six years ago she found Choi, a well known local actress, and they began rehearsing for months via Zoom.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted a killer actress,\u201d Ahn told TheWrap\u2019s Sharon Waxman at Sundance<\/a>. \u201cShe absolutely embodied certain characteristics of me \u2026 a fighter spirit, a rawness inside that\u2019s not always apparent on the outside.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n

In his review of the film, TheWrap\u2019s Zachary Lee wrote<\/a>, \u201cThis is a deeply sincere film, one that avoids the cringe of melodrama by rooting all that transpires, the quiet and vociferous, elation and tragedy, in the lives of its characters. We never deal with one crisis at a time; \u2018Bedford Park\u2019 understands this, and it reminds us to hold close to those who will hold us in those storms.\u201d<\/p>\n

The film was negotiated between Sony Pictures Classics and CAA Media Finance in conjunction with Cornerstone Films on behalf of the filmmakers.<\/p>\n

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