Little Big Pictures

Overview

Little Big Pictures is a Seoul-based South Korean independent film distribution and sales company founded on June 18, 2013. The company was created by the Korean Film Producers Association (KFPA) as a partnership between ten production companies: Myung Films, Chungeorahm Film, REALies, Samgeori Pictures, Caper Film, Filmmaker R and K, JupiterFilm, Invent Stone Corp, Cine21, and The Contents Company. Each company contributed KRW 50 million (approximately $47,400) to a mutual fund, with the goal of raising total capital to KRW 2 billion.

The company was formed in direct response to the dominance of Korea's major film conglomerates, CJ CGV, Lotte Cinema/Entertainment, and Showbox/Mediaplex. These major studios control production, distribution, and exhibition, which means independent films not produced by them receive less than optimal theatrical booking. Little Big Pictures was built to give independent Korean productions a distribution and sales pathway outside the studio system. The company's founding goal was to produce three pictures a year.

Little Big Pictures operates as an all-rights distributor, handling theatrical, video, VOD, mobile, and TV rights across features, animation, documentaries, TV series, and concerts/musicals. The company works primarily with Korean broadcasters including KBS, CJ Media, and EBS (for documentary content), and with VOD platforms. It also functions as a video publisher and as an international sales agent for Korean cinema.

Notable Releases and Track Record

Little Big Pictures has 41 titles listed on IMDb, spanning distribution, production, and international sales. Key releases include:

• I Can Speak - a heartwarming comedy that took more than 3.2 million admissions at the Korean box office. Little Big Pictures sold the film internationally to Australia and New Zealand (JBG Pictures), US and Canada (CJ America and Landmark Asia), Taiwan (Eagle), Vietnam (Lumix), and Hong Kong and Macau (Megaton)
• Time to Hunt - a youth sci-fi thriller that premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2020. The film scrapped its theatrical plans in favor of a global Netflix launch across 190 territories, though legal disputes delayed the release before it was resolved
• The Girl on a Bulldozer (2022) - Little Big Pictures served as international sales agent for the worldwide theatrical release
• Poupelle of Chimney Town (2020) - theatrical distribution in South Korea (2021 release)
• More Than Family (2020) - theatrical distribution in South Korea
• The 8th Night (2021) - production company
• Stone Skipping (2020) - theatrical distribution
• Three Sisters (2021) - theatrical distribution
• Young Adult Matters (2021) - production company
• The Discloser (2018) - theatrical distribution
• Beyond That Mountain (2020) - all-media worldwide distribution

Korean Market Context

South Korea's theatrical market is one of the most commercially significant in Asia. The country has a population of 51.7 million and sustains a robust theatrical sector. Korean cinema has achieved international recognition through directors including Bong Joon-ho (Parasite, 2019 Palme d'Or and Academy Award winner), Park Chan-wook, and Lee Chang-dong, and Korean audiences have a strong appetite for both domestic and international cinema.

The Korean documentary sector is supported by several key institutions:

• Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) - documentary programming and industry market
• EBS International Documentary Festival (EIDF) - organized by educational broadcaster EBS, one of Korea's main documentary platforms
• DocuMentary Documentary Film Festival - Seoul-based documentary festival
• Korean Film Council (KOFIC) - government body supporting Korean cinema including independent and documentary film

Korean documentary filmmakers have achieved international recognition at IDFA, Sundance, and Hot Docs. South Korea's modern history, including rapid economic development, the legacy of Japanese occupation, the Korean War, the military dictatorship period, and the ongoing division of the peninsula, provides rich documentary subject matter that generates strong domestic audience engagement.

International Sales Activity

Little Big Pictures operates as an international sales agent for Korean cinema, representing titles at international markets and festivals. The company has sold films to territories across Asia, North America, Europe, and Australasia. Jamie Shin heads the international department.

The company's all-rights model means it can package theatrical, VOD, mobile, and TV rights for international buyers, and its relationships with Korean broadcasters (KBS, CJ Media, EBS) give it access to documentary and TV content that pure theatrical distributors cannot offer. This makes Little Big Pictures a viable partner for international distributors seeking Korean content across multiple formats.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For international documentary filmmakers seeking Korean theatrical distribution, Little Big Pictures provides access to South Korea's documentary-engaged audience through its theatrical relationships and its connections to the Korean documentary festival ecosystem. The company acquires at IDFA, Hot Docs, and through relationships with international sales agents.

For Korean independent filmmakers, Little Big Pictures is one of the few distributors operating outside the CJ/Lotte/Showbox studio system. The company's founding mission was to give independent Korean productions theatrical access that the major studios' vertically integrated structure often denies. However, the company's output has been inconsistent, and its founding goal of three pictures per year has not always been met.

For international sales agents, Little Big Pictures is a viable Korean buyer for arthouse and documentary content, and a potential sales partner for Korean films seeking international distribution. The company can be contacted through its Facebook page (facebook.com/littlebigcinema) or Instagram (instagram.com/littlebig_pic).

See Also

For broader Korean arthouse distribution, see Challan Films in this directory. For international documentary sales that cover South Korea, see Autlook Filmsales and Deckert Distribution in this directory. For the Busan International Film Festival's role in Asian film culture, see the Film Festivals Directory. To model potential Korean theatrical revenue for your film, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For how Asian territorial deals fit into an international sales strategy, see Distribution Deals Explained.