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KOREAN AMERICAN WITCHES SOCIETY

A lonely, anxious girl wishes to save her cancer-stricken father and befriends the granddaughter of a Korean shaman. Together, they create a secret witchcraft ritual which leads to unexpected consequences.

  • Michael K.Y. Yip
    Director
    The Gay Mafia, Demon Huntr, Spookable
  • Jennifer Kim
    Writer
    KCRW UnFictional (NPR), KCET-TV (PBS), Once Upon a Camp
  • Jennifer Kim
    Producer
    KCRW UnFictional (NPR), KCET-TV (PBS), Once Upon a Camp
  • Medha Jaishankar
    Producer
    He Went That Way, Night of the Bride, Please Don't Feed the Children
  • Sylvia Ray
    Producer
    Preggers, Our Late Father, A Period Piece
  • Derek Richmond
    Producer
    Lady Gaga 2016 Grammys Performance, Led Zeppelin, “Brandy & Coke”, U2, “Invincible”
  • Hailey Soomin Lee
    Key Cast
    "Janie Park"
    Little America, Sarajin, Butterface
  • Viva Lee
    Key Cast
    "Minhee Morgan"
    Polaris, Bossy Bear, Deadly Class
  • J.J. Joo
    Key Cast
    "Dr. Park"
    The Young and the Restless, Tequila & Bonetti, O-Dogg
  • Taehee Kim
    Key Cast
    "Mrs. Park"
    Sarajin, Sonlux, Vanguard
  • Project Type:
    Short, Television, Web / New Media
  • Genres:
    Young Adult, Family, Comedy, Drama
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 28, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Korean
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 2023 Roadmap Writers Shorts Competition (Script Only)
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    Top 10 Finalist Script
Director Biography - Michael K.Y. Yip

Michael K.Y. Yip is a writer/director based in Los Angeles. He was born in Hong Kong, and raised solely by three women (mother, aunt, and grandma), Michael was caught between cultures when he moved to Canada. Unable to find comfort in the myriad of identities that he grew up around in, Michael finds himself stuck in the intersectionality of being a queer immigrant living in Canada. In a previous life, he studied fashion design but eventually ventured into the world of filmmaking after his mother’s passing.

Her death ripped away his identity and will continue to spend years trying to reconnect with his past to get closer to her. Having to repress his sexuality in his teens forced him to conceal a part of himself from those closest around him, and lead to a curious interest in characters and stories that dissect the lies we tell each other, and the sacrifices made to appear “good.”

His works have screened in film festivals all around the world, and he is currently developing multiple projects. Repped by Time Train and PARADIGM, Michael is a multi-faceted artist, also known as a professional dreamer.

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Director Statement

With a background in fine arts, Michael K.Y. Yip has always sought to create visually striking yet emotionally poignant cinematic experiences that transport audiences into a heightened but grounded world.

Meticulously composed shots are always at the core of Michael’s films, assuring that the frame itself tells a story of our characters. From experimental shorts like THE GAY MAFIA, to 3D animated sequences created for film, television, and social media. Michael’s design background comes through in his affinity for color and graphics.

Beyond the visual intensity in his works, Michael always prioritizes the journey the character goes through. With a background in screenwriting, Michael understands the importance of the characters and uses the cinematographic elements within the frame to connect the audience with the characters.

Unafraid to critique and dissect the society around him, Michael thrives to create thought-provoking works, immersive worlds, and emotionally complex moments of humanity through his art.

CREATOR/WRITER/PRODUCER JENNIFER KIM'S STATEMENT:

I was inspired to write KOREAN AMERICAN WITCHES SOCIETY because of my desire to have a true friend. I loved the show PEN15 and the tight friendship between the two girls. I wondered how my life could have been different had I had those bonds as a child. Instead, emotions, truth, and tears were hidden in my immigrant household. When my father was dying, I confided in my diary. Words were my best friend.

But my world was funny, too, growing up as the only Asian (with my sister) in an all-white hillbilly school. I have fond memories of my childhood friends – Lee jeans, cowboy boots, and smiles. We played in the woods with finds from the dumpsters behind Hill’s. My friends were good people, salt of the earth, yet I was considered different from them because of my race.

In college at UCLA, I made my first true Korean American friend. She was from Los Angeles, spoke fluent Korean, and was amazing at karaoke. We formed a two-person feminist club, Korean American Witches Association, and jokingly posted flyers with a poor drawing of a Korean flag and a witch face inviting people to meetings we never had.

I combined all these parts of my life and wrote KAWS, which became a finalist for the ViacomCBS Writers Mentoring Program and led to my signing by Industry Entertainment. Making the KAWS short film brings me closer to my dream of creating a Korean American WONDER YEARS. I hope KAWS can bring comfort, humor, and magic to all.