'Smugglers' to compete in Sitges Film Festival

Main poster for ″Smugglers″ [NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD]

"Smugglers" by director Ryoo Seung-wan has been invited to the 56th Sitges Film Festival's Òrbita section, distributor Next Entertainment World announced Wednesday.

Held annually in Sitges, Spain, the event is one of the three biggest fantastic film festivals globally, along with the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival and the Fantasporto held in Portugal.

"'Smugglers' is an unexpectedly moving film featuring female heroes and director Ryoo has attempted a new feat," the festival's director Ángel Sala said in a press release.

"Smugglers" is about a group of female divers in a fictional town in Korea in the 1970s who smuggle goods from the sea. Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah and Zo In-sung star in the film.

"Smugglers" has also been invited to the 48th Toronto Film Festival and the 76th Locarno International Film Festival. The film has so far attracted more than 3 million moviegoers, beating other Korean summer blockbusters "Ransomed" and "The Moon."

Um Tae-hwa's "Concrete Utopia" has also been invited to the Sitges Film Festival.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]