Paris-based sales company Reel Suspects has acquired worldwide sales rights to "Border" ("Bian Jing"), the feature debut of Chinese filmmaker Ah Biao, which will have its world premiere in competition for the Golden Shell at the San Sebastián Film Festival. The deal marks a significant launch for a first-time director, placing him alongside established names such as Mike Leigh, Pablo Larraín, Nicole Garcia and Yeşim Ustaoğlu in the festival's main competition lineup.

The film, a Hong Kong-US-South Korea-Japan co-production from Borderless Films, follows an impoverished young miner whose reticent existence in a remote town is upended when a mysterious woman draws him away from his familiar life, unaware she is concealing her true identity. It stars Zheyan Li, Feng Qi, Sanming Han, Gang Zheng and Tao Guo, and is also among 24 titles shortlisted for the Sebastiane Award, given by Basque LGBTIQA+ association Gehitu for the strongest portrayal of queer lives. Reel Suspects, founded by CEO Matteo Lovadina in 2005, is known for backing independent film and emerging directors, with "Interior Apartement Dia" and "Buffet Libre" also on its current slate.