Our friends at KAFFNY (Korean American Film Festival New York) will be holding their annual festival at the Anthology Film Archives this week from June 5-10.
Marking its sixth run this year, KAFFNY promises a “bold” line-up this year with 9 features, 6 premieres, and over 20 short films. Among the films featured are: Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe, Should’ve Kissed,Magic and Loss, and Dol, a short film by Andrew Ahn, which we wrote about earlier this year. The festival will also be commemorating the 20th anniversary of the L.A. Riots with shorts and films told in the voice of the second-generation Korean Americans. KAFFNY’s L.A. Riots 20th Anniversary Program will be free and open to the public on Sunday, June 10.
Susie Lim, the festival’s director says that “[t]he 6th annual KAFFNY celebrates the transformative power of independent visions and character-driven stories, unafraid of crossing seemingly fixed boundaries of culture, nation and identity.”
TUESDAY (June 5)
7PM Should’ve Kissed - Opening Double Feature (Q&A w/ director and actors)
9PM Magic and Loss - Opening Double Feature (co-presented with Japan Society)
11PM Opening Party @ Hotel Chantelle
WEDNESDAY (June 6) – White Box
8PM Girl Walk // All Day (Q&A w/ director and producer)
10PM Dance Party
THURSDAY (June 7)
7PM Shorts Selection (Q&A w/ directors)
9:30PM Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe (DVDs for sale)
FRIDAY (June 8)
7PM Ultimate Christian Wrestling - Centerpiece (Q&A w/ directors)
9PM Shorts Competition (Q&A w/ directors)
SATURDAY (June 9)
12PM Faces of Seoul
2PM Helena’s Flushing (work-in-progress for Cast and Crew)
3PM Magic and Loss
4:30PM Shorts Selection (Q&A w/ directors)
7PM One Day on Earth - Spotlight (Q& A w/ director and producer)
9:30PM Should’ve Kissed
SUNDAY 6/10
12PM LA Riots 20th Anniversary Program (FREE)
The LA Riots: Reflections on Our Future
(USA/2012/10min/Documentary)
director Keun Pyo “Root” Park
writer Carol Kwang Park
executive producer Carol Kwang Park and Edward Chang
Clash of Colors: LA Riots of 1992
(USA / 2012 / 81 min / Documentary)
director David D. Kim
Pokdong
(USA / 2006 / 24 min / Documentary)
director Alex Dongwan Ko
I Got My Mind Made Up
(USA / 1992 / 4min / Music Video)
featuring rap group 429: Billy Chun, Regan Farquhar, and Rashad West
Scenes from LAR20
(USA / 2012 / 6 min / Documentary work-in-progress)
director Kathy Choi, Hosik Kim and Dae Hoon Kim
3PM Shorts Competition (Q&A w/ directors, Awards announced)
5:30PM Wedding Palace: Behind the Scenes documentary (FREE)
6PM Ultimate Christian Wrestling (Q&A w/ directors)
8PM Perhaps Somewhere - Closing (Q&A w/ director)
10PM Closing Party hosted by Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky @ White Rabbit
Choe’s “dirty style” artwork has a large following, and luckily, among his biggest fans is Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, who became a patron of his work and was paid in Facebook stocks when Choe was asked to paint murals for Facebook’s Palo Alto headquarters. And now, after Facebook makes their shares public this year, Choe will soon become one of the richest street artists in the world with shares in Facebook worth up to $200 million dollars, reports The New York Times.
But becoming a multi-millionaire probably won’t stop Choe from his creative ventures. Just recently, Choe participated in the Terminal Kings project—an international art festival, where he and other international street artists created murals that are now being displayed at Denver International Airport.
One of Choe’s artwork for Terminal Kings
Choe also actively blogs, has a podcast called Korean Gone Bad, and creates graphics for RVCA, a well-known skate/surf apparel and lifestyle brand. On top of his budding career, Choe also has out a documentary titled Dirty Hands, and his book, David Choe, whichdepicts his life and art.
Here’s a clip of David Choe with Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook HQ back in 2005:
To see and read more about David Choe, check out his Facebook page here.
In a weekly series of posts, we will present the Top 5 Most Korean-American cities, selected not only for their numbers, but also for their visibility in mainstream America. Our research was guided by the following criteria: population, famous and/or influential locals, programs, and hotspots.
#1 Los Angeles, CA
We’ve finally reached the end of our countdown, and Los Angeles is our #1 Most Korean-American city! After immigrating and settling in the city with dreams of a new life, many Koreans found themselves suddenly displaced after the 1992 L.A. Riots (Sa-i-Gu) took its toll on businesses and homes in L.A.’s Koreatown. But since then, K-town has progressively grown into a vibrant neighborhood that combines cultural traditions with new and modern attitudes. While this may be one of those Captain Obvious moments, let us prove it to you by sharing the countless reasons why the City of Angels tops our list.
Numbers
324,586 – Los Angeles metro area (population data compiled using the 2010 Census)
Visibility
Dr. Sammy Lee (left) and Lt. Susan Ahn Cuddy (right)
Los Angeles is home to three Korean American pioneers: Dr. Samuel “Sammy” Lee, Susan Ahn Cuddy and K.W. Lee.
A doctor and two-time Olympic gold medalist in the past, Dr. Samuel “Sammy” Lee, the first Asian American to represent the US and win an Olympic gold medal in diving, is an inspiration to anyone with an ambitious dream. Last summer, a square in Koreatown was named after the diving hero.
Not only is Lt. Susan Ahn Cuddythe daughter of the first Korean married couple to immigrate to the U.S. in 1902, but she is also the first female gunnery officer appointed to the U.S. Navy; making her an important figure in Korean American history.
K.W. Lee, known as the “godfather of Asian American journalism,” is the founder of The Korea Times English Edition and still continues to serve on the editorial board of Color Lines Magazine. The award-winning journalist-activist also has a center inspired by his lifetime of service called the K.W. Lee Center for Leadership—a non-profit organization teaching youth how to become future leaders.
Phil Yu (left) and Paul “PK” Kim (right)
Phil Yu, the blogger behind Angry Asian Man, recently celebrated his 10th anniversary of being one of the most influential voices in our community. Through his posts, Phil has centralized Asian America by facilitating ongoing discussions about racism, activism and mainstream media’s (mis)representations of Asian Americans. This weekend, Phil will be judging Kollaboration SF 2 along with singer-songwriter Clara C.
Paul “PK” Kim is a multi-talented leader who not only created Kollaboration, the largest Asian American talent show in the world, but co-founded LiNK, a non-profit organization raising awareness to the pressing issues of North Korean refugees. PK is now the co-host and producer of MNET’s BPM: Beats Per Mnet, a daily series covering the latest and greatest in Asian pop culture. You can watch clips from the series here.
Ever since “coming out” as an undocumented immigrant, 21-year-old UCLA student David Cho is one of the handful of Asian American students putting a “human face” on the DREAM Act issue. Having recently won the Freedom From Fear Award, David founded ASPIRE (Asian Students Promoting Immigration Rights through Education) to unify undocumented Asian American students on and off campus. He’s also the 1st Korean American drum major of the UCLA marching band!
Programs
Kimchi Chronicles’ Marja Vongerichten visited KYCC this past July.
Established in 1975, the Koreatown Youth & Community Center (KYCC) offers programs and services specifically aimed towards immigrated and economically disadvantaged children, youths, and their families. Some of KYCC’s programs include clinical services, tree planting, and business education.
Through education, leadership development, and community organizing, the Korean American Coalition Los Angeles (KACLA) seeks to promote the civic and civil rights interests of the Korean American community in L.A. Last month, we covered KACLA’s 3rd annual KBBQ Cook-Off, which brought out all of the top KBBQ restaurants in K-town for all of the foodies’ delight.
Founded in the wake of California’s Proposition 8, Koreans United for Equality (KUE) unites straight and LGBTIQ Koreans in order facilitate a larger acceptance within the Korean community.
The Southern California Korean College Student Association (scKcSA) is the oldest and largest non-partisan, non-profit Korean American student organization in the US, connecting college students from eleven campuses in Southern California. scKcSA promotes a sense of Korean American heritage among students by serving the community and building a strong social network.
The KHEIR Center was initially founded in 1985 to provide quality healthcare for low-income, non-English speaking Korean immigrants. KHEIR now operates the only full-time community clinic in the country with Korean, Spanish, and English language capabilities and services 30,000 patient visits per year.
Hotspots
Roy Choi’s Kogi Truck was the food truck that started it all, and while many try to compete with it, nothing beats the original. Initially parking alongside curbs all over L.A., Kogi Truck now has expanded, making trips to cities in the Valley and in Orange County.
Cafe Mak is a great café to study for exams, finish up some work from the office, or catch up with your friends. The venue is spacious yet intimate with a peaceful ambience and offers free parking (gasp!) after 8pm.
Always the spot for running into people you know, Chapman Plaza boasts several sooljibs (Korean bars) and restaurants, a hookah lounge, and NRB. In the plaza, Gaam is one of the more popular sooljibs in K-town with its contemporary décor and vaulted ceilings.
Belasco is the new “it” club among today’s young Korean Americans in L.A. on Saturday nights. Hosted by Korean promo companies, Belasco’s events are notorious for keeping the party alive and well into the night. Make sure to get there early because lines have gone around the corner before. Other notable club spots are Le Circle and VR.
As a 21+ NRB, Bobos Karaoke is always a fun place to sing and drink the night away. Bobos offers rooms of many different sizes to accommodate groups of any size. With flat screens in the front and back of each room, you’ll feel a rock star performing for your friends while they sing along as your groupies.
With all of the KBBQ choices in L.A., we couldn’t narrow it down! Check out our list of L.A.’s Top 5 All-You-Can-Eat KBBQ spots to get your meat fix.
Locals
L.A. is home to Hollywood so we have to acknowledge the many Korean American actors and actresses who are eliminating stereotypes within the entertainment industry. ComedianAmy Anderson’s daughter Aubrey Anderson-Emmons will soon play the adopted Lily on ABC’s Modern Family while Jenna Ushkowitz sings her heart out on Glee. John Cho is coming out with the new Harold and Kumar movie this winter, and Sung Kang will star in Sylvester Stallone’s new action flick Bullet to the Head. Also be on the lookout for the Ktown Cowboys who are set to start filming their movie version of the wildly popular webisode series.
On the flip side, KAs are also making a name for themselves behind the camera. UCLA grad Grace Lee wrote and directed The Grace Lee Project, a documentary that tries to breaks down the “Grace Lee” stereotype (i.e. “reserved, dutiful, piano-playing overachiever”). Her new film on Detroit activist Grace Lee Boggs, American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs, is currently in post-production. Previously based in L.A., Michael Kang has directed the Korean American feature West 32nd, which starred John Cho, Grace Park and Jeong Jun Ho. His new film, Knots, is scheduled to release sometime this year. Other filmmakers include Chil Kong and Dennis Lee.
Dumbfoundead and Priscilla Ahn
As for musicians: Priscilla Ahn‘s musical career blossomed after she touched base in L.A. to follow her music career dream. Her latest album, When You Grow Up, encompasses her growth and journey as an artist in every song. K-town’s new pride,Dumbfoundead (Jonathan Park), recently caught the attention of the L.A. Times with his track “Are We There Yet.” Singer-songwriter and YouTube extraordinaire David Choi, Linkin Park’s Joe Hahn, and Korea’s “National Fairy,” Lena Park, also call L.A home.
Known for his “dirty style,” David Choe is a K-town originated artist whose work can be distinguished by its raw, graphic and abd layered qualities. Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe, an art documentary based on David’s work, was recently released on DVD.
How do you describe David Choe? Mad artist? Pure genius? There are many adjectives we could apply to David but this boy wonder is ready to share his genius again in Beverly Hills at the Lazarides Gallery. David is an art school drop out who roams the world looking for inspiration. So how does David describe himself and the town where he’s about to open a new exhibit?
“I am a typical artist, so I’m definitely my own worst enemy, my irritable bowel syndrome being a close second, I self destruct constantly, I suicide bomb my own s**t weekly, and destroy everything that is good and pure in my life. I love and hate LA. I was born and raised here, this is the city where I first fought, f**ked, farted, and rioted. I f**king love the s**t out of this city and I hate it with all my heart. This is the city that never gave me an art show so I had to exhibit at an ice cream parlor. I want to burn this city to the ground.
This is the city that came out in hundreds to see my movie premiere and made my parents proud. I want to face f**k this city. Either way It’s been way too long Los Angeles, and I’m sorry I had to leave in the first place, but you were really annoying the s**t out of me, but I forgive you. I’m sorry I left you when you needed me most, I’ve seen these horrible atrocious art shows you’ve been subject to, I seen these wacked out gimmicky douchey group shows and art walks you been sexually and mentally harassed by, and I’m here to tell you, I’m coming soon, and maybe you’ll appreciate me and not take me for granted this time. Lets make the dysfunction work for us, ok? I promise to try harder if you try harder. It’s been 6 long years since my last show here when you f**ked me and I left you. In that time I’ve seen things, I’ve heard things, I’ve felt things I’ve never felt before, I’ve been hitch-hiking all over the globe, I’ve been to Japanese jails, African jungles, Chinese torture chambers, the Whitehouse, and to all 7 levels of hell and back.
On the 23rd April 2010, I will have my first solo art show with Lazarides. I will take all my love all my hate all my pain all my rage, all my suffering and all my skills and experience I’ve collected over the years, everything I’ve learned in every medium from watercolors to oils to spraypaint, I’m gonna express everything I feel about this city and what it is to live and die and be born again in the City of Angels…. Los Angeles, I’m coming home, and when I come this time, I’m gonna come harder than I ever have before…”
