Champion (2023)

Synopsis

It’s 1997, and 9-year-old Jimin has just moved to California. Jimin refuses to speak to her father who stayed behind in Korea. But when a major financial crisis devastates their home country, all hopes that he can join them in America dissipate. Now, Jimin must gather the courage to take the next steps alone.

Festivals

Hawaii International Film Festival
Asian American International Film Festival
Children's Film Festival Seattle
Cinema on the Bayou
Cleveland International Film Festival
Crown Heights Film Fesitval
Greenwich village Film Festival
Imagine This Women's Film Festival
Kineko International Children's Film Festival
LA Shorts
New York No Limits
Oakland Film Festival
Reel Sisters of the Diaspoa
San Jose International Short Film Festival
Vail Film Festival

Credits

Jimin Erin Yoonsuh Choi
Miran Flora Jiwu Hwang
Kiwoo Jacob Hojin Kim
Dylan Mateo Ray
Zachary Paxton Kubitz
Receptionist Shaun Parker
Dad Heechul Han

Written and Directed by Kim J.Y. Han
Produced by Diana Ward and D.J. Jiang
Executive Producers Mike Bayman, Jessica Zhang, A. Cody Schuffelen
Director Of Photography Bongani Mlambo
Production Designer Eleanora Figueroa Steiner
Editor Autumn Dea
Original Music by Timo Chen

Unit Production Manager Christina Michelle Holleran
First Assistant Director Nand Mahasuwan
Second Assistant Director Yifen Low
Script Supervisor Cari Pak
Casting Director Charlene Lee
Production Sound Mixer Brandon Sequeira
2nd Unit Production Sound Mixer Vicki Syal
First Assistant Camera Emma Manzer
Second Assistant Camera Mark McField
Gaffer Troy Chiu
Key Grip Joshua George
Swing Troy Molina
Steadicam Op Badra Haidra
Set Photographers James Austen, Cleo Chung, Kylie Garcia
Art Director Vickey Song
Costume Design Dani Brown
Hair & Make-Up Nicholas Rice
Storyboard Artist Danni Xin
Poster Designer Connie Huang
Set Teachers Hannah Choi, Alex Jaramillo
Set Medic Spencer Arcos
Production Assistants Grace Tran, Hanul Shin, Yaeji Cha, Alison Minami, Tiffany Hsu, Claire Jia, Willa Zhang, Albert Payano, Daniel Chin
Caterers Pinoy Eats Catering, Clever Foodies
Assistant Editor Sarah Park
Sound Editor and Re-Recording Mixer Klaire Zhang
VFX and Motion Graphics Overmind Studios
Digital Intermediate FotoKem Creative Services
Colorist Brett Van Egmond
DI Coordinator Miten Soni
Camera Courtesy Camera Division
Lighting Courtesy Aputure

THANKS
Claire Jia, Willa Zhang, Hanul Shin, Lauren Gleason, Tiffany Hsu, Morgan Cooper, Hannah Baker, Jerry Won, Hongi Han, Jenny Han & Carl McMinn, Mijung Park, Minchan Park, Mikyoung Park, Joonki Park, Youngja Song, Miryoung Park, Jia Park, Paul Chin, Rebecca Steinberg, Susan Nitta, Steph Zenee Perez, Henry “Hank ”Jones, Shayar Bhansali, Joseph Yim & Kristine Ma, Jennifer Yun, Tom Clapham, Nathan Toung, Kristen Shepherd Del Pero, Dong Ha Nam, Paul Liu, Jin Choe, Janice Chua, Diana Pandelica, Ashley Kang, Christina Wettersten, Ed Williams, Paul Safranski, Lydia Huang, Anna Lauren, HaeYun Park, Elisa Li, Vivian Ngo, Joyce Liu, Sera Ha, Andy Liou, Catherine Ding, Youyang Gu, Jacob Lane, Michal Hall Bravo Ramírez, Calgary Haines-Trautman and Tippo Wang, Neal Jean, Jon Park, Amy Meng, Lou Yufan, Jesse, Shirley Ni, Jon Sudarkasa, Jenine Pastores, Daisy Holmes, Sungtaek Choi, Nicole, Amal Baggar, Eun Ji Koh, Janey Lee, Teo Bobo, Joseph Schnaudt, Casey Baker, Gabriel Greening, Hannah Rose May, YongHo Roh, Victoria Wang, Hyeong Sun Cho, Neil Bhateja, Danny & Fan Yu, Jeff Jungmin Son, Hamid Bendaas, Nicolas Morin, Honor Maxfield, Christine Lee, Patrick Armstrong, Alle Hsu, Katherine Pereira, Heeyoung Park, Lori Frazer, Shirley Sung, Eileen Kwon, Neil Ratna, Tiffany Wang, Ryan Keem, Sky Milch, Marc Helwig and everyone who gave their time and energy to this production.

SPECIAL THANKS
Grace Tran, Merissa Jane Lee, Zubin Anklesaria, Raymond Jung, Heejoon Han, Sumin Song, Kathy Hirata Chin, Denny Chin, Daniel Chin, James Tsao, Gyoo Jean Park, Hee Chul Han, Taylor Han, Korean American Leaders in Hollywood, Joseph Yim & Kristine Ma, Kim Misook, Dong-yang Kim, Sean Dulake, Kelsey Balance, Seung Jee Park

Produced with fiscal sponsorship by Film Independent
Produced by Echobend Productions in association with Darley Street Disco

Director's Statement

In 2001, I moved to California at seven years old with my mother and brother, while my father stayed behind in Korea to be a goose father. We went through so many trials and tribulations together– including living in cheap homestay and motels, being duped with a lemon car, and trying to make a new life while learning English. But the one struggle I remember most clearly was talking to my dad on the phone. I would burst into tears and run away just at the sound of his voice. It was months before I finally spoke to him again.

Despite how common goose families are within the Korean and greater Asian diaspora, the stories borne from it remain largely untold. Many immigrant stories focus on families overcoming obstacles together, but few illustrate the hardships that come with navigating them while apart. My hope is that the anguish, heartache, and early self-reliance I experienced as a result of a disconnected family can be used to shine a light on a new facet in the greater world of immigrant storytelling.

Socials

Follow Champion on Instagram: @championtheshortfilm