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 6^th annual KAFFNY celebrates the transformative power of independent visions and character-driven stories, unafraid of crossing seemingly fixed boundaries of culture, nation and identity.”

To buy tickets or passes, click here.
For more information, go to http://kaffny.com/

Anthony Film Archives
32 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10003

Here’s the full schedule:

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

With all the buzz about K-pop breaking into the U.S., let’s not forget the Korean Indie Rock scene that’s been making waves as well.

KAFFNY (Korean American Film Festival New York) is collaborating with Seoulsonic to bring three of South Korea’s hottest indie rock bands to NYC. Crying Nut, Yellow Monsters, and 3rd Line Butterfly will be performing live at Pianos and 285 Kent Ave on March 29th and March 30th respectively.

If you’re unfamiliar with these bands, here’s a quick intro:

- Crying Nut’s debut song “Speed Up Losers” sold more than 100K copies and they have been continuously at the forefront of Korea’s punk rock scene.

- Yellow Monsters are a talent-packed trio with each member previously from different bands: Delispice, GumX, and My Aunt Mary.

- 3rd Line Butterfly can be described as post-modern rock spout with smokey vocals and smooth melodies.

The three bands also made an appearance at the 2012 SXSW Festival last week, and according to KAFFNY founder Dave Kim, “the party was jumping” when the bands took the stage. To hear a sample of each band’s sound, visit Seoulsonic’s Facebook page here.

Seoulsonic’s North American tour also includes stops in San Diego and Los Angeles in April. Read the banner below for more details!

[Photo: DFSB Kollective]

Korean American Film Festival New York (KAFFNY) is holding its second annual KAFFNY Urban on November 13th with a promising lineup of aspiring and established artists from the fields of film and music. Projects directed and performed by local and international talents foreshadow another enjoyably diverse affair following its successful inaugural showcase last year.

Some high-profile directors involved include Korean actress Ku Hye Sun, Cannes Film Festival veteran Soopum Sohn, and father of video art, Nam June Paik. The mini multi-medium fest will also have live performances by Misnomer(S), a hip-hop duo featuring sisters Knewdles (MC), Sos (Violin), and VongKu Pak, who will be playing the Korean traditional drums with a jazz ensemble.

While observing performances and films on the Big Screen Plaza‘s outdoor 30′ LED screen, food will be made available by FoodParc and Bar Basque, which are nearby and have direct views of the outdoor screen. Momofuku Milk Bar will also be serving special treats as well as a signed copy of their cookbook of the same name.

The event is FREE and OPEN to all so save the date! For more information, click here.

KAFFNY URBAN 2011
Date: November 13, 2011
Time: 3-8 PM
Location: Big Screen Plaza
851 Avenue of the Americas (btwn 29th & 30th St.)
New York, NY 10001
Admission: FREE

[Photo: KAFFNY]

KAFFNY (Korean American Film Festival New York) is an international independent film festival in New York City founded in 2006. This summer, KAFFNY is holding its first Open Audition on August 20th and 21st at Bennett Media Studios. All Korean American actors are encouraged to apply, regardless of age, experience, and language ability. Aspiring directors/producers of all levels of experience are also encouraged to apply to view the Open Audition for future castings.

Over the two-day span, registrants will not only get to participate in the auditions, but also get a chance to network with various directors, participate in acting workshops, sit in on panels, and take advantage of the headshot booth.

To register or apply:

To audition, actors will need to register online. To view the audition, directors will need to apply online, and preference will be given to directors shooting a new film soon after the audition. All actors will be able to audition, but only some directors will be selected to view the audition. (All actors and directors will be able to attend the other scheduled activities.)

Click here to apply as a director
Click here to apply as an Actor/Actress

Location:
Bennet Media Studios
725 Washington St. (West Village)
New York, NY, 10014

Check out their announcement for more information!

The Korean American Film Festival New York, aka KAFFNY, is taking place this weekend, February 27 and 28, at the SVA Theatre in New York City.  Watch films by Korean American students, filmmakers, and be prepared to laugh, cry, and enjoy all types of films.  Check out the program at www.kaffny.com and our video we made on “What is KAFFNY?”

KAFFNY, the Korean American Film Festival New York, is playing this weekend at  the SVA Theatre on 23rd St in New York.  You’ll get to see a broad range of film talent from award-winning directors to up and coming directors.  Come meet up with us this weekend and check out the films that will be reviewed at KAFFNY.

KAFFNY is the first film festival created in New York City dedicated to presenting the work of filmmakers and mediamakers of Korean descent. Founded in 2007, KAFFNY aims to build a unique platform to feature and support filmmakers of all backgrounds to bring forth new opportunities which promote the growth of a Korean American filmmaking community here and Korean filmmakers abroad. Our past programming has included films selected to the most elite international festivals, Student Academy Award winners, and box office successes. Since its inception, KAFFNY has continued to nurture new talent and broaden the scope of its programming to serve larger audiences.

Each year, the festival attracts a diverse audience of 500+ from industry executives to professionals in law, fi nance, arts, technology and marketing.

KAFFNY 2010

KAFFNY 2010 will screen original feature films, short films, documentaries, and other works by artists from throughout the world. Due to the significant successes of each previous festival, KAFFNY will expand to a two-day festival to include narrative and documentary feature films as well as short films and animation. The program will be followed by a Q&A session and awards announcement.

Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010 – Sunday, February 28, 2010
Location: SVA Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011

KAFFNY is pleased to announce this year’s program (pending confirmation by the filmmakers). This year’s festival will take place at SVA Theatre on Saturday Feb. 27th and Sunday Feb. 28th.

SHORTS COMPETITION

The Last Mermaids
Directed by Liz Chae

A Green Mountain in the Drawer
Directed by Hwa Jun Lee

His Name Is Trevor
Directed by Kim Seuk Hwan

A Cup of Coffee
Directed by Lee Young Woo

Maley from India
Directed by Jang Jaehyun

Hide and Seek
Directed by Chih-Wei Chang

My Four Inch Precious
Directed by Sou Yun Sim

Crippled
Directed by Ien Chi

SHORTS

L’Asilo di Brea
Directed by Dae Hoon Kim

Une Vie Merveilleuse a Paris
Directed by Sungmi Park

The 8th Samurai
Directed by Justin Ambrosino

Duelers
Directed by Min Oh

A School Rep
Directed by Park Sang-Joon

One Night in LA
Directed by Jon Maxwell

Deli
Directed by Hosik Kim

The Tin Soldier
Directed by Jennifer Cho Suhr

Familyship
Directed by Yoon Hye-Ryeom

Meet Parents
Directed by Yang Jun-ho

Our Knight
Directed by Eugene Yi

FEATURES

Make Yourself at Home
Directed by Soopum Sohn

Munyurangbo
Directed by Lee Isaac Chung

Thirst
Directed by Chan Wook Park

Going Home
Directed by Jason Hoffman

Check out last year’s festival.

Our friends at the Korean American Film Festival New York are calling out for submissions to the 2010 film festival. The event will be held once again at the Times Center on February 27th 2010. If you’re a young filmmaker or have produced a film recently, then why not submit your work to KAFFNY.  If you’ve never been to KAFFNY, here’s a quick video of this year’s KAFFNY event. It’s a great event where you can see work from up and coming directors and also meet some new friends.

From KAFFNY:  The 4th Annual Korean American Film Festival New York (KAFFNY) is scheduled for February 27th 2010 at TheTimesCenter. KAFFNY is a one-day New York festival screening works by emerging Korean American filmmakers. Our program features films of all genres and lengths from a variety of Korean and American perspectives.

New for 2010 is our Narrative Shorts Competition with Jury and Audience Awards with cash prizes. Also new are Web Screenings, submissions received and selections screened on a rolling basis year round, open to all genres, completed by any date.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

We are now accepting short film submissions from filmmakers of Korean descent and of any nationality.

Narrative Shorts Competition:
Narrative films, completed January 1st, 2008 or later.
Filmmakers of Korean descent and any nationality.
Films shorter than 30 minutes preferred.
Jury Award – Cash Prize $500
Audience Award – Cash Prize $500

Shorts Program:
All genres, completed any date.
Filmmakers of any descent and any nationality.
Films shorter than 30 minutes preferred.

Feature Presentation:
Narrative or Documentary films, completed January 1st, 2008 or later.
Filmmakers of Korean descent and any nationality.
Films longer than 60 minutes preferred.

Web Screenings:
All genres, completed any date.
Films will be screened on a rolling basis throughout the year at www.kaffny.com
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Step 1:
Fill out online entry form at: www.kaffny.com/2010entryform

Step 2:
Send DVD submissions, NTSC Region 0 or 1, to:
KAFFNY
c/o Barrel
42 W 24th Street
New York, NY 10010

The submission deadline is November 30, 2009 (except Web Screenings). There is no entry fee for the deadline. Programming decisions will be made by December 31st, 2009.

Please direct your inquires to info@kaffny.com. Also, visit our website at www.kaffny.com.

ORGANIZERS
Dae Hoon Kim – Festival Director
Peter Kang – Coordinator
Susie Lim – PR/Marketing

We were at the Korean American Film Festival this past weekend and it was a lot of fun meeting the many talented directors.  This was the 3rd year for KAFFNY and it was certainly a success. 

Korean Beacon was in attendance last night for the 3rd annual Korean American Film Festival of New York.  It was a great success because it showcased some incredible talent.  What I found interesting was how each director had different starting points to their careers and pursued making films because of a single purpose, and that was to pursue a passion that many Korean parents wouldn’t fully support.  Thomas Ko was in the US military reserves and had no formal film training, but we saw his raw talent on display in “Monsters.”  Then you have Gene Rhee who finished at the top of his class at the world renowned USC film school and he’s probably one on a path to many feature films.  His latest work, “The Trouble with Romance,” was released to the public on Friday and an excerpt was shown last night.  Over the course of the night we discovered some great film gems that we hope will get some quick attention.  My personal favs and films that intrigued me include the aforementioned films but also Grandma and Wrestling, Ultimate Christian Wrestling and Make Yourself at Home.  I’ll be sure to watch the full screening of all the films I mentioned.  We were very fortunate to interview and talk with several of the directors and we’ll have those interview videos posted in March. The funniest interaction I had was with Soopum Sohn who made the film Make Yourself at Home with famed Korean actress Song Hye Kyo.  This was his first feature film as a director and when I said the film was very well made, his humble response was that he had more budget than most other filmmakers.  Wait till you see his interview.  Let’s just say the whole film crew that interviewed him enjoyed interviewing him.  He is a true “artist.”  Congratulations to David Kim, Susie Lim and Peter Kang for putting on a special program.

It’s the third annual Korean American Film Festival in New York this Saturday, Feb 28th.  Being held at the The Times Center, KAFFNY will feature innovative short films and teasers of feature films by emerging young Korean filmmakers from America and abroad, with director Q&A to follow.  Our camera crews will be there to interview the audience and directors.  There are two programs: 5pm and 8pm.  Purchase tickets now before they run out >