Cineplay (CEO Choi Tae-young) and the Korean Film Archive (Director Mo Eun-young) are teaming up to co-host the 1st Korea Short Drama Awards!
They are looking for short dramas with fresh and creative themes and stories. Whether you are a seasoned pro or a complete newcomer, you are welcome to apply! However, directors of feature films that have been released in theaters are excluded from eligibility.
The application period runs for two months, from May 20 to July 20. Entries must be vertical short dramas with at least 7 episodes, each lasting between 1 and 3 minutes. Live-action, animation, and even AI-generated videos are all welcome, provided they were produced after July 1 of last year. Each person can submit up to two works.
The awards are divided into the Grand Prize, Excellence Award, Actor Award, AI Short Drama Award, and New Creator Award. The Grand Prize winner will receive 10 million won, and a total of 10 million won will be awarded across the other categories. Winners will also receive archiving support from the Korean Film Archive and distribution assistance through sponsors and partners.
Mark your calendars! The awards ceremony will take place on August 29 at the Korean Film Archive headquarters in Sangam-dong.
Short-form content is evolving faster than ever. This year, the global short-form drama market has reached a staggering 15 trillion won. Along with dedicated platforms like ReelShort and DramaBox, giants like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime have also jumped into the vertical short-form trend.
We have already seen the debut of ENA’s ‘Director’s Arena,’ which blends short drama directing with a survival variety format. Plus, Director Lee Joon-ik, the mastermind behind the 10-million-viewer hit ‘King and the Clown’ as well as ‘Radio Star’ and ‘Sido,’ is set to release his first short drama, ‘Father’s Home-cooked Meal,’ in the second half of the year.
Mo Eun-young, the new director of the Korean Film Archive, shared, “We decided to co-host this event because we highly value the goal of diversifying and expanding visual culture content, which is what the Archive strives for.” She added that archiving support for the winning works is currently being prepared.
Cineplay CEO Choi Tae-young added, “I have been keeping an eye on the short drama market for a long time, and it feels like the time has finally come.” He noted that through this partnership with the Korean Film Archive, a new ecosystem for K-visual content will be created by archiving, preserving, and spreading short drama IP (Intellectual Property).
For more details on the awards and how to submit your work, head over to the official Cineplay website (www.cineplay.co.kr).
