In Paris, on June 14, 2025, the world Duanju scene gathered

After an initial local screening in November 2024, the evening of June 14, 2025, took on an international dimension. In Montmartre, the Studio Phocéen association brought together a local audience and guests from Europe, America, Asia, and Africa for an evening dedicated to mobile vertical fiction, still little known in France. In a friendly atmosphere, spectators and professionals discussed a format that is gradually establishing itself as a new narrative language.

The evening's presentation was provided by Maelle Billant , podcaster and international law expert, who coordinates the events of the Studio Phocéen association, alongside Jean-François Fonlupt , renowned producer and winner of four Palmes d'Or at Cannes with the company Ciby 2000 in the 90s, having collaborated with filmmakers such as David Lynch, Pedro Almodóvar and Emir Kusturica. The animation was also provided by Sylvain Binetti , Parisian actor and cabaret singer.

French projections and a global opening

The evening began with the screening on the big screen of five French fictions produced by Sanjorge Production : Amber, Bro's Minute, Militia Men, King Gandolfi and Next Door Adventure. These series, for viewing on a phone, illustrate the evolution of a more direct and rhythmic visual writing.

Also present at the evening were actors Jean-Louis Barcelona, whose rich filmography includes many popular films, and Magali Semetys, an actress familiar to television series audiences.

Actor Michel La Rosa was also in the spotlight with the screening of King Gandolfi. A familiar figure from 1980s television, he now plays this central character in an adaptation of the Duanju format. His presence illustrates the transition of a face from the small screen to the world of digital fiction.

Another highlight was the presence of Tony Leva, voice actor and founder of SyncLab Studio, who presented his work in French-language dubbing of mobile series for platforms such as Stardust TV and Netshort. His presentation illustrated how dubbing paves the way for a European appropriation of the format.

An international vision of the format

Several foreign guests shared their interpretations of the phenomenon. Mexican producer Yamile Vaena emphasized the need for a new narrative language, fast and bold, born from the constraint of writing in a few seconds. Her compatriot Veronica Angeles-Franco compared Duanju to Latin American telenovelas, seeing it as a condensed reinvention of great popular narratives.

American screenwriter Jenny Rosen spoke about her transition from web novels to vertical dramas, highlighting the rapid growth of audiences and the inspiration this format draws from online literature. Californian producer Karla M. Rodriguez, who comes from the worlds of fashion and digital media, defended Duanju as a strategic ground for innovation and diversity for the new generation of talent.

On the British side, BAFTA and Emmy-winning producer Adam Gee came specially from England to present the Smart Film Fest , an international festival dedicated to films shot on smartphones. For him, vertical storytelling is " the language of this generation " a new wave comparable to the energy of the French New Wave. Journalist Jen Cooper, founder of Vertical Drama Love, recalled how the format had reconciled female audiences with romantic fiction, offering immediate emotional effectiveness.

Finally, Chinese producer Wenwen Han, founder of the Short Drama Alliance, placed Duanju within the heritage of online novels distributed in China since the 1990s. She emphasized the importance of screenwriters, who are often invisible, and the need to connect creators from all over the world to build bridges between Asian and European markets.

New platforms and perspectives

The evening was also an opportunity to discover StoryTV, a Duanju platform presented by Alexandre Perrin and Adrien Cottinaud. This platform offers micro-series of 1 to 3 minutes with a narrative mechanics focused on immediate attention and sharing. For its founders, Europe still represents a “virgin” market, promising for the development of Duanju.

A founding step

By bringing together local screenings and international interventions, the evening of June 14, 2025, marked a milestone in the establishment of Duanju in France. It demonstrated the richness of a format capable of uniting creators from very diverse backgrounds and laying the foundations for a global dialogue around new forms of storytelling.