Kakao Hosts Drama and Movie Contest

Kakao Entertainment announced on the 26th that it will hold the '2023 Drama and Film Contest.'

The contest will be held in two categories: drama and film. The film category targets feature-length commercial films, and the drama category targets mini-series with 60-minute episodes (12 to 16 episodes). Applicants can apply for both categories, with a maximum of two entries per person.

[Photo by Kakao Entertainment]

Solo writing as well as collaborative works by two or more writers are allowed. If the applicant holds the copyright, adaptations from webtoons, web novels, novels, or screenplays are also eligible.

Applicants must submit supporting documents along with their entries. For the film category, a proposal including the planning intent, synopsis, character introductions, and one copy of the screenplay must be submitted. For the drama category, a synopsis containing the planning intent, character settings, and summaries of each episode, along with scripts for episodes 1 and 2 (a total of two episodes), must be submitted. Applications open on the 26th and close on the 9th of next month.

The judging panel will consist of representatives and directors from Kakao Entertainment and its affiliated production companies, as well as external experts. The total prize money is 150 million KRW. In both drama and film categories, a total of 12 winners will be selected: one grand prize winner, two excellence award winners, and three honorable mentions.

The copyrights of all submitted and winning works belong to the applicants. Kakao Entertainment will sign separate contracts with the winners and collaborate on planning and developing screenplay projects for the adaptation of the winning works into video content.

Jang Se-jung, Head of Video Business Division at Kakao Entertainment, stated, "We will discover hidden gem-like newcomers and actively support their growth to contribute to securing the global growth potential of the K-culture industry." She added, "We will also accelerate the planning and production of global super IPs (intellectual properties) infused with Kakao Entertainment’s creative DNA."