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CJ ENM triumphs at 2023 Cannes International Series Festival with Korean TV dramas “Bargain” and "Island"

CJ ENM triumphs at 2023 Cannes International Series Festival with Korean TV dramas “Bargain” and
South Korea’s leading entertainment company CJ ENM announced TVING originals Bargain and Island achieved an astonishing success at the 2023 Cannes International Series Festival (also known as Canneseries).

Thriller drama series Bargain has won the Best Screenplay award at the Canneseries competition: this is the first Korean OTT original series to attend and win at Canneseries, confirming the global competitiveness Korean content and creators are increasingly achieving.

It revolves around a man who is unexpectedly surrounded by criminals who want to buy his organs. As they bargain over their price in an auction,  an earthquake suddenly occurs and they will have to struggle to survive.

A TVING representative commented: “We are thrilled that TVING original series ‘Bargain’ has won at the Canneseries competition, the first Korean drama to achieve this honor, and carry on the K-content syndrome. We will continue to do our best to discover content that will bring fun and excitement to people around the world and promote TVING’s content competitiveness."

Bargain is a CJ ENM-launched TVING OTT original drama, scheduled to launch internationally this summer on Paramount+, anywhere this streaming platform is available. The series is licensed by Paramount Global Content Distribution outside of Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

Action thriller Island was warmly received by the public, who even gave it an enthusiastic standing ovation at the end of the screening at Canneseries. Actress Heo Jung-hee represented the series and even walked the Pink Carpet at the festival.

Produced by CJ ENM's production house Studio Dragon, Island is a Korean drama that follows a group of individuals who are destined to fight against an evil force that seeks to destroy the world. The series is available to stream on Prime Video and TVING, and has been officially selected for screening in the Rendez-vous section of Canneseries, which presents some of the best drama series from around the world and is one of the most prestigious events in the television industry.

Actress Heo Jung-hee expressed her gratitude and said: “I am happy that many people welcomed me and still can't believe it. I think it's because everyone, including the actors and staff, worked hard to create this work. Part 2 of the series, which has not yet been released in France, will be released through Prime Video later this month. Yeom-ji is expected to show more activity in part 2, so please show a lot of interest in part 2 as well. I will continue to work hard to show good works and develop to be able to visit Cannes again.”

Ben Lee, Head of Marketing and Strategy at CJ ENM, emphasized the uniqueness of the series' storytelling and said, "we're thrilled to have showcased this in Canneseries. We believe that the quality of our storytelling and production is what sets ‘Island’ apart and are excited to showcase it on such a prestigious platform. CJ ENM always explores universal themes, such as identity and belonging. We're grateful for the opportunity to connect with a wider audience and share our passion project with the world."

Island has already garnered positive reviews and has ranked in the Top 10 on Prime Video in more than 60 countries worldwide, according to streaming data analyst FlixPatrol. It is currently streaming on TVING in Korea, while Prime Video is the chosen streaming platform in other territories.
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