With growing industry acclaim, Interactive Films strengthens its foothold in the $8 billion global short-drama market
CULVER CITY, Calif., Oct. 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Snail, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNAL) (“Snail Games” or the “Company”), a leading global independent developer and publisher of interactive digital entertainment, today announced that its Vertical Entertainment division, Interactive Films, has submitted short drama Hollywood Heartthrob to the International Short Drama Awards. Following the success of Red Talons, which earned Best Fantasy at the 2025 Vertical Shorts Festival, the submission underscores Interactive Films’ growing recognition within the industry and reflects Snail’s ongoing strategy to strengthen creative partnerships and expand its U.S.-based hub for premium short-form storytelling that resonates across both domestic and international audiences.
Interactive Film’s Salty TV develops short, mobile-first dramas using a product-led approach that prioritizes storytelling craft and a paid-access model. Interactive Films have released 67 short film dramas, including licensed films from external organizations, under Satly TV. Each title is created with episode-level hooks and intentional conversion mechanics, subscription options, episodic purchases, and premium access tiers designed to reward engaged viewers and emphasize long-term audience relationships.
In just four years since the launch of vertical dramas, the genre’s market has surpassed $8 billion globally, according to Media Partners Asia. The short drama sector has shifted from experimental to commercially meaningful at global scale, with the U.S. becoming an emerging market. The U.S. accounted for about 8% of global short drama downloads but also 49% of total global revenue in Q1 2025, making it a key battleground for short drama apps and one of the most competitive markets worldwide. The gap between global downloads and global spending signals a growth opportunity for U.S.-based studios that can produce content tailored to these spending habits.
“Submitting Hollywood Heartthrob to the International Short Drama Award is about cultural leadership and practical partnership-building,” said Andres Porras, Production Manager at Interactive Films, “We want to help contribute to popularizing short-form drama in the U.S and position Salty TV as one of the domestic platforms ready to meaningfully connect international audiences and formats with the U.S.”
Salty TVs participation in the International Short Drama Award supports a clear market role; to be a leading U.S. vertical-drama platform that helps bridge the gap between strong international supply and growing domestic demand. By participating in awards and curated industry events, Salty TV aims to validate creative quality in front of festival curators and build relationships that accelerate global availability for premium short IPs.
About Snail, Inc.
Snail, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNAL) is a leading, global independent developer and publisher of interactive digital entertainment for consumers around the world, with a premier portfolio of premium games designed for use on a variety of platforms, including consoles, PCs, and mobile devices. For more information, please visit: https://snail.com/.
About Interactive Films LLC
Interactive Films (IF), a film and media subsidiary of Snail, Inc., was founded with the goal of reaching new audiences, engaging enthusiastic viewers, and telling stories across multiple formats. IF is also the catalyst behind SaltyTV, a specialized film application designed to produce and showcase compelling short-form vertical content. The SaltyTV app is available for download from the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store. For more information, please visit https://interactive-films.com/.
