The 2015 Korean American Film Festival

By Tatiana Ho

On October 24, 2015, The Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn hosted the 2015 Korean Film Festival of New York (KFFNY). The panel had an assortment short films, as well as full length movies, that ran in three different sections. After each section of the film festival was over, the audience was given and hour break. At the start of new sections, the tones /genres of the films were changed.

The film festival kicked off with short film “The Locksmiths” directed by James Kwon Lee, which presented the lives of home robber best friends as they came across a worse criminal: a necrophiliac serial killer. The film left the audience with a bone chilling cold and immediately set the tone for the next film “Against the Blood” (director: Cassidy Lackos), a film centered around two brothers who are debt collectors. While one of the brothers wants to get out of the family business, the other wants to continue until a line is finally crossed. The film festival also presented other films such as the notable “My Life in Your Memories” with director Suyee Jung, and feature film directed by Vera Brunner-Sung, “Bella Vista”.

At the end of the festival, some of the cast and crew of the short films came to the front of the theater to answer questions. Suyee Jung stated that her reasoning for the film “My life in Your Memories” came through the realization that almost every friends group has a point where they outgrow each other. More often than not, these friends groups are the ones that the people involved wish stayed together at the end. “Kin” cast member Jahkobe stated the reason for making the film was to emphasize social injustice in Japan in comparison to what’s going on in America.

Overall, KFFNY was a huge success. College students from NYU came to present their work during the second section “Shorts Competition”. At the end of the competition, audience members ripped pieces of paper indicating which film would be the winner. As a conclusion to the night, the audience members were invited to the after party to celebrate the festival’s success.

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