Actress Anushka Sen is set to fulfil a long-held personal ambition as her Korea-India co-production 'Jeju Olle' earns its North American Premiere at the 27th Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) on 21 October — giving her a coveted stage to fly the Indian flag on an international cinema platform.

The Festival Selection

The film has been officially selected under the NBFF's Korean Spotlight programme and will screen at 7:30 PM at Screen 1 of Regal Edwards Big Newport, the festival's largest auditorium. It co-stars South Korean actor Kang Hyung-seok and is written and directed by Jin Kwang-Kyo.

Produced by Storyworks Co., Ltd. and Lucifer Production, the film is shot across three languages — Korean, Hindi, and English — making it a rare multilingual cross-cultural production.

What the Film is About

'Jeju Olle' follows Alisha, an Indian star who steps away from the limelight after losing her cousin and longtime manager. She travels to Jeju Island to honour a promise they once made together, where she unexpectedly meets Ha Sun-woo, a former K-pop idol who has retreated to the island following setbacks in his own career.

What starts as a chance encounter deepens into a meaningful connection over a week of exploring Jeju, sharing music, and confronting unhealed wounds. The film blends Korean romance with Indian musical storytelling, exploring themes of love, healing, and new beginnings.

Anushka Sen on Representing India

'Representing India in different parts of the world has always been a dream for me. Every time I get an opportunity to represent my country, it feels super special, and I feel extra grateful for it,' Sen said.

She added: 'Jeju Olle is very close to my heart, so I'm super delighted that we're starting the film's journey with its North American Premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival in America.'

Sen further described the moment as milestone-worthy: 'It's incredibly exciting to see a film that brought together two cultures now travel from India and Korea to North America. I'm really looking forward to celebrating the film with the team and experiencing this moment with a completely new audience.'

Why It Matters for Indian Cinema

The selection of 'Jeju Olle' at a major American festival reflects growing global appetite for South Asian and East Asian co-productions that cross cultural lines rather than simply borrow aesthetics. The Korean Wave — or Hallyu — has significantly raised the global profile of Korean content, and collaborations like this one seek to channel that visibility toward Indian storytelling as well. Notably, the festival's dedicated Korean Spotlight strand is a high-visibility slot, ensuring the film reaches an audience already primed for Korean-connected narratives.

The North American premiere on 21 October will mark the formal launch of 'Jeju Olle's international theatrical journey, with wider release plans yet to be announced.