South Korea’s Green Narae Media won the inaugural Unifrance Distribution Prize at this year’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris, claiming $10,290 in prize money honoring the distributor’s innovative local rollout of Trần Anh Hùng’s “The Taste of Things.”
Released in South Korea this past June, the Cannes prizewinner turned French Oscar submission went on to bank more than 45,000 local admissions, making the romantic drama a boutique success story for 2024. After buying the title off script, the Korean distributor put together a robust social media campaign that targeted young audiences while emphasizing the film’s mouth-watering content.
“[The film] contains many scenes of cooking and food that may cause stomach rumbling, which may affect viewers on an empty stomach,” teased the witty campaign. “Please be careful when watching.”
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“They organized many events, most notably with [Michelin starred chef and ‘The Taste of Things’ actor] Pierre Gagnaire, who owns a renowned restaurant in Seoul,” says Charles Tesson, who oversees this new prize. “These events were culinary in nature and aimed at engaging a younger audience with food and film. They also made extensive use of Instagram and other social media tools, positioning the film by organizing dinners, prizes, and contests.”
“These efforts began as early as Cannes [2023], as they had acquired the film based on its screenplay [ahead of that year’s festival],” Tesson adds. “They were able to prepare well before the film’s release, which proved to be a significant advantage.”
Indeed, thanks in no small part to the Busan Film Festival – which welcomes strong Gallic delegations each year – and to a keyed-in and film literate public, South Korea has emerged as a hale and reliable market for French cinema, seizing on festival-laureled titles like “The Taste of Things” and Celine Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” while sometimes delivering admissions that even best the films’ domestic returns.
Distribution prizewinner Green Narae Media has played a key role, acquiring a handful of projects at each major market before launching each title with bespoke campaigns. More recently, the distributor picked up Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Perez” out of Cannes, and will soon launch the title to tie-into the film’s Oscar run.
“Our audience is looking for something unique and fresh,” says Green Narae’s Chris Yu. “They want to experience something different—something they can’t just find at home or on their mobile devices.”