Walt Disney, a longtime collaborator with Korean creators, said it will further strengthen its partnerships with Korean content at the Lumière Summit held in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France.
Dana Walden, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment and chief creative officer at The Walt Disney Company, said on the 7th that "Korea is one of the world's most dynamic and vibrant content markets and an important driving force leading global storytelling." Walden added: "Disney has worked alongside Korea's creative community for decades, and having presented more than 50 Korean original titles on Disney+ to date, we have seen firsthand that Korean stories can resonate deeply with audiences around the world." Walden also said Disney "will continue to support Korea's creative ecosystem and keep creating new opportunities so that more Korean creators and stories can reach audiences worldwide."
Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, who joined the event, also stressed the importance of the Korean market. "Korea is a very important market for Disney, and we are proud that Disney's films have been consistently loved by Korean audiences and have contributed to the growth of the theatrical industry," Bergman said. "Our world-class studios take great pride in the fact that great storytelling has delivered special viewing experiences to audiences on theater screens and has built bonds that have lasted a long time." Bergman added that Disney "will continue to deliver blockbuster titles beloved by Korean audiences and the finest cinematic experiences for a long time to come."
The Lumière Summit, held in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, was the first international summit on the future of the film and video industry, co-chaired by France and Korea. Key agenda items included technological change such as artificial intelligence, the spread of streaming, the crisis facing the theatrical industry, content investment and protections for creators.
Attendees included the heads of global content companies such as Disney, Netflix, NBCUniversal and Sony, along with major figures from Korea's content industry including CJ Group Vice Chairwoman Miky Lee and CJ ENM (035760) CEO Yoon Sang-hyun, as well as directors and actors representing Korean cinema such as directors Lee Chang-dong and Jung Ju-ri and actors Jeon Do-yeon and Sul Kyung-gu.
The summit also adopted the "Lumière Declaration" for the future of the film and video industry. The declaration calls for protecting creative freedom and human creativity and respecting intellectual property rights, while expanding international co-productions and content investment and reaffirming the value of the theatrical viewing experience. The signatories also agreed to pursue international cooperation to make audiovisual education universal.
In a related move, President Lee Jae-myung and French President Emmanuel Macron adopted a joint declaration on a global film and video industry investment cooperation initiative, under which each country will invest 500 million euros in its own film and video industry over the next five years, for a combined 1 billion euros. The two countries plan to support their domestic content companies through independent funds and to expand cooperation through co-productions and other means.
