Curating & Marketing an Asian Film Collection

Successfully introducing 10 critically acclaimed Korean films to North American audiences.

Curating & Marketing an Asian Film Collection

I played a lead role in establishing and launching 5 Points Pictures – a home video distributor specializing in DVD releases for niche foreign films – during my time as marketing director at Right Stuf, Inc.

The Work

  • Initiated and conducted research that identified a potential market opportunity for content that wasn’t currently or readily available to English-speaking audiences.
  • Made recommendations regarding release format and on-disc content, which ultimately distinguished the label’s releases from those of other distributors. (Special-edition treatment with ample, translated on-disc extras and background materials.)
  • Evaluated and selected launch titles, based on film quality, pre-existing consumer demand, and North American market potential.
    • Korean-language titles acquired (and released) per my recommendation include: Bleak Night, Finding Mr. Destiny, Glove, Going By the Book, The Happy Life, Moss, Penny Pinchers, Punch, The Suicide Forecast, and Tazza: The High Rollers.
  • Identified and interacted with the prospective audience for the label as a whole and on a film-by-film basis.
  • Planned, supervised, and executed omnichannel marketing and communications – from the label launch to individual film launches– including press releases, release announcements, trailer reveals, social media, and sales team support.
  • Established relationships with key media and strategic partners.
  • Managed the development – and in some cases, adaptation – of promotional materials, including press releases, media kits, retailer kits, ads, trailers, website content, sell sheets, and promotional items.
  • Developed and adapted on-disc liner notes and cultural extras for the following titles: Bleak Night, Finding Mr. Destiny, Glove, Going By the Book, The Happy Life, Moss, Penny Pinchers, Punch, and The Suicide Forecast.
  • Conducted quality control, fact-checking, and/or research for each of the titles in 5 Points Pictures’ 10-film catalog.

The Films & Their Impact

At the time of the label’s founding, most of the Asian movies released in North America tended to be award winners and/or be of the martial arts, horror, historical, or crime-thriller genres.

While the films released by 5 Points each had a degree of critical and popular acclaim, the line’s romance, comedy, and dramatic offerings played a part in broadening the genres offered to North American fans and reviewers.

Several of the films have additionally gone on to find success via online streaming and/or physical release in other license regions.

“Play-Video” icon by jayson lim via The Noun Project.