Cinema Guild Secures North American Rights to Hong Sang-soo’s “Nowhere to Lay My Eyes”

Cinema Guild announced it has acquired North American distribution rights to South Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo’s 35th feature, Nowhere to Lay My Eyes. The film will make its world premiere in the international competition of the 79th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, scheduled for August 5-15, 2026. The story follows Sanghee (Kim Minhee) as she returns to Jeju Island with her brother to visit a mother she has not seen in a decade, encountering a stepfather-documentarist, a budding painter, and a snack-import job that fuels her own short-film hobby.

Hollywood Reporter

The project reunites Hong with longtime collaborators Kim Minhee, Kwon Haehyo, Shin Seokho, and Park Miso, while introducing actor Choi Myeonggil to his films for the first time. Cinema Guild, known for handling world-cinema titles such as Hong’s *The Day She Returns* and *What Does That Nature Say to You*, negotiated the deal with Youngjoo Suh of Finecut. The distributor’s recent Locarno acquisitions have included Kamal Aljafari’s *With Hasan in Gaza* and Aleksandre Koberidze’s *Dry Leaf*.

Hollywood Reporter

Peter Kelly, president of Cinema Guild, highlighted Hong’s consistent ability to surprise audiences, describing the new work as “a wonderful film to behold with a captivating performance by Kim Minhee.” The acquisition underscores the distributor’s commitment to bringing nuanced Asian auteur cinema to North American audiences.

Hollywood Reporter

• “We can never run out of things to say about director Hong because he continues to surprise with each new release,” — Peter Kelly, Cinema Guild President

Hollywood Reporter

• “a wonderful film to behold with a captivating performance by Kim Minhee.” — Peter Kelly, Cinema Guild President

Hollywood Reporter

The film’s thematic focus on family reconnection, artistic ambition, and everyday conversation positions it as a bittersweet reflection on life’s complexity, poised to attract both festival programmers and independent-film enthusiasts.

Hollywood Reporter