First Light StoryHouse aims to elevate Asian voices and narratives
South Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM has launched First Light StoryHouse, a new label dedicated to supporting content development by Asian creators.
The label falls under CJ ENM’s newly unveiled Asian Content Initiative, aimed at elevating Asian voices on the global stage.
The initiative is spearheaded by CJ Vice Chair Miky Lee, producer and former Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Janet Yang, and East West Bank Chair and CEO Dominic Ng. The trio will serve as founding partners and jointly guide the label’s vision and strategic direction.
CJ ENM will oversee operations of the label, with Jerry Kyoungboum Ko, head of the company’s global film business, leading its management.
According to CJ ENM, the label will strategically back a slate of film and scripted television projects led by Asian creatives. The projects are expected to span diverse genres, themes and cultural perspectives, highlighting the breadth of Asian experiences both in the US and elsewhere.
Focusing on early-stage development, First Light StoryHouse will invest in and co-produce select titles with the aim of delivering market-ready projects. Once development is complete, the label plans to collaborate with studios, production companies and streaming platforms to bring the projects to fruition.
"Through high-quality film and scripted TV content that showcases the Asian diaspora, the label aims to elevate historically underrepresented perspectives in both Hollywood and the international entertainment industry," a CJ ENM representative said in a press release.
"Recent successes from Asian storytellers have shown the potential and authenticity of their stories,” said Miky Lee in a press release.
“Through this effort, we aim to spotlight these voices, believing in the power of storytelling to bridge cultures. Janet Yang and Dominic Ng have long championed this mission, and together, we are committed to empowering these stories on the global stage."
The launch of First Light StoryHouse aligns with CJ ENM’s ongoing push to expand the global reach of Asian stories, following a string of high-profile international successes. The company distributed Park Chan-wook’s "Decision to Leave," which won Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival, and Bong Joon-ho’s "Parasite," the first non-English-language film to win Cannes’ Palme d’Or and later Best Picture at the 2020 Academy Awards.
More recently, "Past Lives," co-distributed and co-financed by CJ ENM and A24, earned nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the 2024 Oscars.
CJ ENM continues to expand its global footprint with several upcoming titles, including "Bugonia," an English-language remake of the South Korean cult classic "Save the Green Planet!" directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone, and "No Other Choice," a new film from Park Chan-wook featuring Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin.
yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com
