Leading Entertainment Company CJ ENM Announces TVING Original Titles “Island” and “Bargain” Officially Invited to the Cannes International Series Festival

Leading entertainment company CJ ENM revealed today that TVING originals “Island” and “Bargain” are invited to this year’s Cannes International Series Festival (hereinafter referred to as “Canneseries”) held from April 14 to 19. 

“Island,” produced by CJ ENM’s premium storytelling group Studio Dragon, is invited to the Canneseries as part of Rendez-vous, out of competition. The fantasy action series based on the popular comic of the same title depicts an unlikable trio involved in mysterious events and fighting unknown demons. “Island” was also released on Prime Video, ranking on TOP 10 TV shows across 26 regions and landing the No.1 spot in Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

TVING original series “Bargain” is the first Korean OTT original to be invited to the Canneseries’ Official Selection in competition. It will compete alongside 10 other nominees for five awards, including “Best Series,” that will be announced on the last day of the event. The show received wide-acclaim for its immersive story of three earthquake survivors engaging in a dangerous bargain and intense one-take scenes. “Bargain” also marks the second partnership with Paramount+, and is scheduled to launch internationally this summer where Paramount+ is available. The series is licensed by Paramount Global Content Distribution outside of Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

This news is an addition to CJ ENM’s growing presence at the Canneseries. At the inaugural event in 2018, the title “Mother”, also produced by Studio Dragon, competed in the Official Selection. Also, TVING originals “Monstrous” and “Work Later, Drink Now” received a lot of attention as they were screened at the Canneseires’ Rendez-vous last year as the first Korean OTT originals to be invited to the festival and were listed in the out of competition section.

A CJ ENM representative commented “We are proud that our premium original content, from TVING originals to CJ ENM and Studio Dragon productions, are receiving great responses from audiences across the globe. On top of the increasing demand and popularity of our content, it is a great honor for our titles to be recognized at prestigious festivals such as the Canneseries.”

Hyejung Hwang, Chief Content Officer at TVING remarked, “We are thrilled to have TVING originals invited to the Cannes International Series Festival for two consecutive years and be recognized for their craft. We hope that 'Bargain' and 'Island' will show the global audience the competitiveness of our originals and enhance the brand value of TVING beyond borders.”

Canneseries’ artist director Albin Lewi also commented “‘Bargain’ was the first title that we chose for the competition, as we were more than confident that it will receive enthusiastic responses from the global audience.” 

Recently, CJ ENM announced its content line-up for 2023, including the highly anticipated TVING original “Duty After School” set to release this March. Please be on the lookout for more hit K-content to roll out.