IT’S SO YUN!
So Yun Um is a Korean American Director and Producer born and based in Los Angeles. She explores intimate and challenging stories of marginalized people with piercing humanity and poignant editing style.
Her directorial debut documentary feature film, LIQUOR STORE DREAMS, which is about second generation Korean American children of Liquor Store owners in the LA area, which made its world premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival. The film screened at 24+ film festivals including Busan International Film Festival, BFI London, TIFF Next Wave, and more.
So Yun is currently a Co-Producer of THE ROSE: COME BACK TO ME (Tribeca ‘25) which follows the Korean rock group, The Rose, and their rise from an indie band to a global sensation. The film is premiering at Tribeca 2025. She is also a Co-producer on Elizabeth Ai’s film, NEW WAVE (Tribeca ‘24), about the Vietnamese New Wave music scene in Orange County, California.
She was 2022-2023 BAFTA Breakthrough USA participant, an alumnus of the 2021 CAAM Fellowship, Armed with a Camera Fellowship by Visual Communication.
So Yun is currently working on her sophomore feature documentary called AMERICANA BANG BANG (Supported by Firelight Fund and Catapult Fund)
GRANTS/FELLOWSHIPS/AWARDS:
- Firelight Fund 2025
- Catapult Research Grantee 2024
- Palm Springs International Film Festival - Young Cineastes Award 2023
- Chicken and Egg Project Hatched Grantee 2023
- BAFTA Breakthrough USA Participant 2022-2023
- CAAM Fellowship 2021
- Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program Grantee 2020-2021
- Sundance Uprising Grantee 2021
- Visual Communications’ Armed with a Camera Fellow 2018
PRESS:
- Korean American Story | Overcoming Rejections to Bring a Korean American Film to Life | Legacy Project Hollywood
- LA TIMES | New documentary about Korean liquor store families starts messy, necessary conversation
- BAFTA Breakthrough USA 2022 | So Yun Um - Director and Producer
- Letterboxd Podcast | Four Favorites with So Yun Um: Fellini, Wong Kar-Wai, Justin Lin and Keanu
- A Rabbit’s Foot | Ground Zero: Dreams of A Liquor Store Baby
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS:
UCLA / USC / CSULB / Haverford College / University of Irvine / The University of Hong Kong / Pomona College / Loyola Marymount University / Park Day School / Legal Aid Foundation of LA / Northwestern University / Texas Christian University / Mt. San Antonio College / ArtsEmerson / Asians for Collective Liberation in Spokane / Citizens / Austin Library / Santa Barbara Perservation / Spotify / Scripps College / Korean American Youth Foundation / CKA x PBS / Hana Center / OCA National Center / The Center for Restorative Justice
