"A Brand New Life" wins award at Tokyo film fest

Film "A Brand New Life", a joint production by Korea and France, has won the award for Best Asian-Middle Eastern Film at the 22nd Tokyo International Film Festival.

"Life", nominated in the Winds of Asia section this year, won the category's top honor as the best film from Asia, according to fest's official website on Monday.

Korean-born French filmmaker Ounie Lecomte wrote and directed the movie inspired by her own childhood, with noted Korean director Lee Chang-dong as producer.

The film, which also won the jury prize last week at the Cinekid Festival in Amsterdam, is a story about a young girl who is abandoned by her father at an orphanage.

"Life", starring actors Sol Kyung-gu, Ko Ah-sung and newcomer Kim Sae-ron, is set to open in Korea on October 29.

Lee has directed the award-winning "Oasis" and "Secret Sunshine", which won Best Actress (for Jeon Do-yeon) at Cannes in 2007.

Reporter : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr