We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lia Baek a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Lia , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
One of the most meaningful projects in my career was working on the global campaign for Decision to Leave and Broker at the Cannes Film Festival. It was a particularly significant moment because it was the first time a single Korean investment and distribution company, CJ ENM, had two films invited to compete in the main competition in the same year.
From the beginning, our focus wasn’t just on having the films screened — it was about making sure they stood out within a highly competitive, global environment. Cannes is as much about cultural presence as it is about cinema, so we approached it as a full-scale positioning exercise.
One of the key strategies was building strong visual visibility across the festival. We secured high-impact outdoor placements at the Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic, which is one of the central hubs of Cannes. By placing bold visuals of the films and lead actors in such a high-traffic location, we aimed to create a sense that these were the titles everyone needed to pay attention to.
At the same time, we focused heavily on international media engagement. This included working with global PR teams to coordinate press coverage across regions, as well as securing placements and visibility in major industry outlets such as Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. The goal was to make sure the films were consistently part of the conversation among critics, buyers, and industry professionals throughout the festival.
Another important aspect was timing. Festival scheduling plays a bigger role than people might expect, so we worked closely with the Cannes team and our local partners to plan premieres and press activities in a way that allowed momentum to build naturally across both titles.
The outcome was incredibly meaningful. Park Chan-wook won Best Director for Decision to Leave, and Song Kang-ho won Best Actor for Broker. Beyond the awards themselves, it was a defining moment in demonstrating how Korean cinema could hold a strong presence on a global stage.
What made this experience especially meaningful to me was that it went beyond promoting individual films. It was about contributing to how Korean cinema is perceived internationally. Being part of a project that helped position these films — and the directors behind them — at the highest level of global recognition was something I found both professionally and personally significant.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
I’m an entertainment marketing professional with experience across film campaigns, international distribution, and content strategy. I originally started my career in marketing at CJ CheilJedang, a global food company in Korea, where I focused on global and B2B marketing, and that foundation eventually led me into the film industry.
I transitioned into CJ ENM, where I joined the international film distribution and festival team. At the time, they were looking for someone with global marketing experience and strong English communication skills who could operate across different markets. That role became a turning point for me, as it allowed me to apply structured marketing thinking to a much more creative and culturally driven industry.
Through that work, I was involved in positioning Korean films for global audiences — from major festivals like Cannes to international releases and awards campaigns. In many ways, the team I was part of was helping define how Korean cinema presents itself internationally. It wasn’t just about promoting individual films, but about shaping perception and building recognition for Korean storytelling on a global stage.
What I bring to my work is a combination of strategic thinking and cultural sensitivity. Film marketing, especially at the international level, is not just about visibility — it’s about understanding how a story translates across different audiences and positioning it in a way that resonates. That could include coordinating global press strategies, managing festival participation, or supporting a range of opportunities — from major festivals to smaller international screenings — to build sustained momentum.
One thing that sets me apart is my approach to possibility. In the environments I’ve worked in, particularly at CJ ENM, there was a strong mindset that there is always a way to make something happen if it matters strategically. That perspective shaped how I approach challenges — not as limitations, but as problems to solve through creative and collaborative thinking.
I’m also very driven by growth. After working in the Korean film industry at a high level, I expanded my experience by joining The Walt Disney Company in Korea. I was particularly interested in understanding how a global studio operates — how campaigns are structured, how decisions are made, and how content is positioned across markets. That experience allowed me to broaden my perspective and better understand the industry from both regional and global viewpoints.
What I’m most proud of is not just a single project, but the trajectory of continuously expanding my perspective. Each step in my career has been intentional — to learn, to challenge myself, and to build a more global understanding of how entertainment and culture move across borders.
At the core, my work is about bridging storytelling with global audiences — helping content travel, connect, and resonate beyond its original market.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
A core mission driving my work is bridging the gap between international storytelling and the Western market—specifically helping global intellectual property (IP), ranging from cinematic releases to major streaming series, find commercial and cultural success within the U.S. entertainment ecosystem.
During my time at CJ ENM, I spearheaded international marketing and festival strategies for prestigious cinematic campaigns. A defining highlight of this tenure was my work on the global awards campaign for Decision to Leave, directed by Park Chan-wook, which was selected as South Korea’s official submission for the 95th Academy Awards.
That high-stakes environment shaped my approach to international entertainment marketing. I realized that launching foreign content in the U.S. is not a simple promotional task; it is a complex process of cultural translation. To resonate with American audiences, critics, and industry stakeholders, a campaign requires a sophisticated strategic architecture—from high-profile positioning at A-list festivals like Cannes, Toronto and Golden Globes to sustained momentum across top-tier U.S. trade media and awards platforms.
Later, at The Walt Disney Company in Korea, I expanded my expertise into the global streaming and television landscape. Working within a major U.S. studio system, I localized massive, globally recognized Disney+ franchises and television series for regional markets. This dual-market experience allowed me to master both sides of the global entertainment equation: how local creative works are exported internationally, and how premier U.S. studio brands are successfully adapted for foreign audiences.
Because of this unique background, my long-term professional goal is to operate at the intersection of these two worlds. I want to leverage my expertise to help U.S.-based distributors, studios, and streaming platforms successfully acquire, localize, and monetize premier international content.
Ultimately, my work is about driving the evolution of the U.S. entertainment landscape, ensuring that world-class storytelling—whether a theatrical feature film or a streaming series—transcends geographical boundaries and achieves maximum commercial viability in the American market.
Have you ever had to pivot?
One of the most defining pivots in my career was deepening my focus within the film industry, and expanding that experience into a global studio environment.
From early on, my focus was always on the entertainment industry. I studied media and communication in university and have always been a dedicated consumer of global content, particularly U.S. films and television series. That exposure naturally shaped my career direction — I wanted to contribute to the industry I had been closely following for years. Because of that, I consistently pursued roles in international marketing rather than domestic-focused positions, with the goal of working on projects that could reach broader, global audiences.
That intention led me to CJ ENM, where I joined the international film distribution and festival team. It was a meaningful step, not only because CJ ENM is one of the leading film companies in Korea, but also because its strategy has always been closely aligned with global markets, particularly the U.S. That environment allowed me to work on projects designed to travel beyond Korea and engage international audiences.
After gaining that experience, I made another intentional pivot by joining The Walt Disney Company in Korea. I wanted to understand how a global studio approaches content, marketing, and audience engagement at scale. It was less about changing industries, and more about expanding perspective — learning how global systems operate and how regional markets fit into that structure.
Looking back, these pivots were not about switching paths, but about building a more complete understanding of the industry from multiple angles. Each step allowed me to move closer to the kind of work I’m interested in long term — operating at the intersection of global strategy, storytelling, and cross-cultural audience engagement.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liathebaek_/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liabaek
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/@Liathebaek0
- Other: Tiktok : https://www.tiktok.com/@liathebaek0
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