Choi Yoonhee has been named as the new CEO of Barunson E&A, the Korean sales and production firm that is making a splash at the European Film Market in Berlin this week.
Choi, who joined the firm in 2021 from CJ ENM, takes over from Gene Hong (Brian) Park and Kwak Sin Ae. She joined as MD, overseeing domestic and international operations, and in April 2023 was upped to COO.
Barunson E&A has been in operation since 1996, though was not involved in international sales all that duration. Notable past titles include Bong Joon-ho’s “Mother” and Oscar-winner “Parasite,” on which CJ and Choi headed international distribution. Barunson E&A has also been behind Kim Jee-woon’s “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” and his more recent “Cobweb.”
The company’s upcoming slate also includes the next two features from director Bong Joon-ho, as well as projects from directors Kim Sung-hoon (“Ransomed,” “Kingdom”) and Um Tae-hwa (“Concrete Utopia”).
Since October 2022, Barunson E&A has also been aiming to expand its global footprint by launching international sales and production and finance arms. As a sales agent it recently picked up its first non-Korean film “Miss Shampoo” by Giddens Ko last year and has recently invested in Indonesian film, Angga Dwimas Sasongko’s action thriller “13 Bombs.”
At Berlin’s European Film Market, it is also launching Korean animation film “Yumi’s Cells” and Indonesian horror title “Respati.”
“Barunson E&A will continue to work with the leading filmmakers in Korea, creating compelling content while our international operations actively seek opportunities to board on global projects with world-renowned and up-and-coming talent, placing no restrictions on format, genre, and language,” said Choi in a prepared statement.