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 Elizabeth Ai’s Sundance-supported film, NEW WAVE, about the Vietnamese New Wave music scene in Orange County, California.
So Yun is a 2022-2023 BAFTA Breakthrough USA participant, an alumnus of the 2021 CAAM Fellowship, Armed with a Camera Fellowship by Visual Communication, recipient of the Sundance Uprise Grant and a Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program Grantee.
Beyond filmmaking, she has produced a variety of branded K-pop content for Snapchat, Teen Vogue, FB/Meta and more.
GRANTS/FELLOWSHIPS/AWARDS:
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