Hong Kong's Focus Films sealed one of the first deals at this year's Pusan film market by selling Robin Lee's The Shoe Fairy to Japanese distributor IMX.

The film, which screened in the New Currents section of the Pusan International Film Festival, is the first film to emerge from the Focus: First Cuts series.

Produced by Taiwan's Three Dots Entertainment, it tells the story of a newly married woman who gains the ability to walk after an operation and becomes obsessed with her collection of shoes. Taiwanese star Vivian Hsu and Hong Kong actor Duncan Lai head the cast.

Focus: First Cuts is a collection of six High Definition (HD) features from up-and-coming Asian talents, shot in collaboration with Star Chinese Movies Network.

Before directing The Shoe Fairy, Lee was awarded best short film at the 2004 Golden Horse Film Awards for The Magical Wash Machine. Three Dots previously produced Taiwanese box office hits Formula 17 and The Heirloom and is currently working on action comedy Catch.

Tokyo-based IMX is also a management company which represents Korean star Bae Yong-joon. It has previously released Korean films in Japan but The Shoe Fairy marks its first Chinese-language acquisition.

(hkfilmart October 24, 2005)