Young Korean Artists Series: Story Up Shorts in New York

Presented by the Korean Cultural Center New York & CJ Cultural Foundation

Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 2:00pm & 5:00pm
Korean Cultural Center New York
(122 E 32nd Street, New York, NY 10016)

Ticket: FREE (RSVP REQUIRED)
  * RSVP and seating are first come, first served.
  * Limited same-day standby tickets available.

* All films featuring Korean dialogue will have English subtitles available.

Program 1 (2PM)
- Pitch Black (2021 / 27m 30s)
- Honor guard (2021 / 27m 28s)
- To each your Sarah (2019 / 25m 35s)

Program 2 (5PM)
- Light It Up at 2 AM (2022 / 18m 56s)
- In The Dry Stream (2022 / 25m 43s)
- 29th breath (2022 / 26m 53s)

The Young Korean Artists Series began as a continuous partnership between the Korean Cultural Center New York and CJ Cultural Foundation in 2022. The Series aims to discover and support a new generation of Korean artists across different artistic genres. Firmly believing that the growth of emerging artists is essential to contributing to the cultural landscape, the program will nurture Korean artists based in New York to pave their way to the international stage.

The ‘STORY UP Shorts in New York’ introduces films of aspiring young Korean directors who dream to make an impact in the cinema world like Bong Joon-Ho and Park Chan-Wook. Through the selected six award-winning films across genres, the films give viewers delve into the visions and narratives of Korea's young filmmaking talent.

The Korean Cultural Center New York and CJ Cultural Foundation will continue to support various young, emerging artists in sharing their work at the newly opened Korean Cultural Center New York. Please join us in our ongoing efforts to empower artists in pursuing their dreams.

For any inquiries, please contact the Korean Cultural Center New York at film@koreanculture.org.

Please read carefully below for more information:

* Ticket Holder

  • Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.

  • All seating is first-come, first-served.

  • Your tickets will be released to the standby line 10 minutes before the show, so we recommend you arrive early to secure your seats.

* Standby Entry:

  • There are a limited number of tickets available for the standby line day of, and additional seats may become available on a first-come, first-served basis only.

  • Standby line will form on the 1st floor at 122 E. 32nd Street, NYC.

  • We cannot guarantee admission for those in the standby line, but we will do our best to accommodate as many guests as possible.

◆ Programs Line-up

- Program 1 (2PM)

◆ Pitch Black 칠흑 (2021)

  • Director/Writer: Lee Jun-sup (이준섭)

  • 27m 30s

synopsis

Weary from his wife's repeated suicide attempts, the husband seeks help from a secretive agent an old doctor introduced to him; In the middle of the night, "they" come to his house.

◆ Honor guard 돌림총 (2021)

  • Director/Writer: Lee Sang-min (이상민)

  • 27m 28s

synopsis

Hyeon-gyu, who was injured and fell into an administrative soldier while learning the motion of the ‘spinning-gun’ at the honor guard, wants to become a member of the honor guard again and run the event.

◆ To each your Sarah 나의 새라씨 (2019)

  • Director/Writer: Kim Deok-geun (김덕근)

  • 25m 35s

synopsis

Having been discouraged by her life in Seoul, 51-year old woman ‘Jung-ja’ returns to her hometown. There she starts working at a slaughterhouse under the alias ‘Sarah’ to hide her miserable plight from other people… And then, she meets someone who calls her ‘Jung-ja’.

- Program 2 (5PM)

◆ Light It Up at 2 AM 새벽 두시에 불을 붙여 (2022)

  • Director/Writer: Yoo Jongseok (유종석)

  • 18m 56s

synopsis

The film begins with a girl’s narration of a story about the fire that broke out at an institute for girls and a girl named Yurim. Yurim was particularly afraid of fire but was determined to start one. Based on the true story which took place in 1995—forgotten in most people’s memories despite dozens of casualties.

◆ In The Dry Stream 유빈과 건 (2022)

  • Director/Writer: Kang Ji-hyo (강지효)

  • 25m 43s

synopsis

Deep in the dry stream are two boys named Yu-bin and Geon, who are each other’s only friends. To them, the dry stream is the best hideout and playground, but no one seems to understand.

Jeju-do is a special island south of the Korean Peninsula which has been cultivating unique mythology and culture isolated from the mainland. This short film is based in Jeju-do, as it is rapidly losing its primeval forest and culture while its connection to the mainland grows stronger.

◆ 29th breath 29번째 호흡 (2022)

  • Director/Writer: Kook Joong-yi (국중이)

  • 26m 53s

synopsis

Ah-Hee wasn’t planning on becoming a zombie from the start. All she wanted was to take on a new challenge to work on her acting skills. However, as time went by, she realized that she was only cast as a zombie and promised herself that she would never play a zombie again… Eventually, she ends up heading back to the set as a zombie…

◆ CJ Cultural Foundation

Founded in 2006 by CJ Group, the CJ Cultural Foundation is dedicated to nurturing cultural diversity and empowering the next generation of creative talent. By providing support to young artists across diverse fields such as music, filmmaking, and musical theater, the Foundation actively enriches the Korean cultural landscape. The Foundations’ initiatives, which include TUNE UP, STORY UP, STAGE UP, and the CJ Music Scholarship program, offer valuable resources and opportunities to aspiring creators. 

The Foundation's mission is to foster a balanced and thriving creative ecosystem by discovering and empowering early-career artists across various disciplines. This comprehensive support system enables young creatives to cultivate their talents and confidently pursue their artistic dreams.

For more information, visit www.cjazit.org. Follow @cj.cultural.foundation on Instagram and @CJculture on Youtube.

 
pastTaehyun Hwang