The 30th Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) closed its 10-day run July 28th with director KIM Tai-sik picking up one of the events main awards. The Emerging Director in Narrative Feature Award was given to KIM for his feature debut "
Driving With My Wife's Lover". The prize honors the best narrative feature film by a first or second-time narrative feature filmmaker.
KIM's
Road Movie has traveled many miles. After its' festival launch and world premier at the Pusan International Film Festival last year, it went on to screen at top festivals around the world including the Berlinale, Buenos Aires, Sundance and Rotterdam. KIM also won the Best Director Award at Monaco's International Emerging Talent Film Festival, last May.
KIM, also co-scripted this black-comedy, in which small-town shop owner Tae-han learns that his wife is having an affair with Joong-sik, a Seoul taxi-driver. Intending to violently confront him, Tae-han goes to Seoul and hails Joog-sik's cab, asking for a long-distance trip back to his small town. From here on a tense, comedic road trip full of insightful dialogue and unexpected happenings brings KIM to a better understanding of human nature.
"
Driving With My Wife's Lover" was the recipient of KOFIC's Art Film Production Support fund and Marketing Support fund. Produced by Film Line, the film also received Japanese investment. It stars
Park Kwang-jeong ("
Iron Palm", 2002),
Jeong Bo-seok ("Three", 2005) and
Jo Eun-ji ("
The President's Last Bang", 2005).
Director KIM studied at the Seoul Institute of the Arts and the Japan Academy of Moving Images. He went on to produce commercials and TV programs in Japan, Australia, and Hong Kong before working on this first feature film as Assistant Director to
Park Chul-soo in Kazoku Cinema (1998). His short film directorial debut 32nd DEC: Where is Mr. President? (2002) was invited to the 53rd Berlin International Film Festival.
AAIFF, held annually in New York City, is known as 'The First Home to Asian American Cinema'. It is the nation's first festival dedicated to screening works by media artists of Asian descent and continues to be a leading showcase for Asian/Asian American films and videos. On this year's Emerging Director Narrative Feature jury were Helen Koh, the associate director of cultural programs at the Asia Society; Patrick Tam, a veteran director, who, after a 17-year absence made the award-winning After This Our Exile; and Ryan Werner, vice president of marketing at IFC Entertainment and programmer of the Woodstock Film Festival for the last five years.
Nigel D'Sa (KOFIC)
