RisingJoy was invited to speak at MIPCOM 2025, the premier global content market held annually in Cannes, where micro-dramas emerged as one of the festival's defining themes.
CEO Cassandra Yang took the stage on October 15 for the panel "Inside Vertical Drama: Next Gen Storytelling," exploring the creative and commercial potential of vertical fiction — a mobile-native, emotionally rich format that is reshaping the industry for studios, producers, and platforms worldwide.
The conversation
The panel examined vertical drama not as a niche experiment but as a structural shift in content production and consumption. Yang shared insights drawn from RisingJoy's experience licensing and distributing micro-dramas across 30+ countries, focusing on what makes vertical storytelling distinct: high emotional density, rapid narrative pacing, and a production logic built for mobile-first audiences.
The session positioned vertical drama within the broader evolution of the creator economy and AI-powered production — two themes that ran throughout MIPCOM 2025's programming. RisingJoy leadership also participated in additional sessions exploring how technology and global distribution are converging to accelerate the format's reach.
MIPCOM's micro-drama moment
MIPCOM 2025 placed micro-dramas at the center of the industry conversation. Omdia research presented at the market highlighted the format's significant revenue opportunity, while dedicated sessions across the program reflected growing interest from broadcasters, platforms, and investors seeking to understand the vertical content supply chain.
For RisingJoy, MIPCOM served as a launching pad for deeper international collaboration. The connections forged at the market contributed directly to the strategic partnership with Malaysian production house Double Vision, announced later that year, marking RisingJoy's expansion from distribution into co-production and platform development.
Why it matters
As vertical storytelling moves from experimental to essential, the conversations at MIPCOM — around creative standards, monetization models, and cross-border production partnerships — are the ones defining the format's commercial future. RisingJoy's presence on the main stage reflects the company's role not just as a participant in the micro-drama boom, but as a voice helping to shape its direction.