"Seoul Searching," a film in which teens come to terms with their Korean heritage, will have its gala premiere on June 17 at the 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival.
The film is based on filmmaker Benson Lee's own experience growing up Korean-American and is also an homage to the John Hughes teen dramedies of the 80s. The story centers on a group of Korean high school teens from around the world during the summer of 1986. These students from the U.S., Mexico, Germany, and UK identify with the country they live in but are forced by their parents to attend a government sponsored "propaganda" camp in Seoul to learn what it means to be Korean. They end up experiencing an eye-opening, cross-cultural journey.
The film stars Justin Chon, who appeared in "21 and Over" and played a regular character in the "Twilight" film series. Chon plays Sid Park, a character that is based on the young director Lee. "Seoul Searching" also stars Jessika Van, who appeared in MTV's "Awkward. Korean actor Cha In Pyo plays Mr. Kim, the teacher that Sid turns to for advice.
The other actors in the film are Heejun Han, Teo Yoo, Esteban Ahn, Rosaline Leigh, Sue Son, Crystal Kay, Uatchet Juch, Nekhebet Juch.
You can find out more about the film and the premier on the Seoul Searching Facebook page.
The filmmakers are also running an online contest for the chance to party with Justin Chon and our casts at the VIP party of the LA premiere on June 17th. All you have to do is post a photo of yourself from the 80s (or in costume) with the hashtags #RespectThe80s and#SeoulSearchingMovie for a chance to win a pair of tickets! Ten lucky winners will be chosen.
"Seoul Searching" previously aired at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Lee was previously the first Korean-American filmmaker to be entered into the competition at the Sundance Film Festival. His 1998 feature film "Miss Monday" was awarded a Special Grand Jury Prize for Best Actor.
Lee also directs documentaries. His documentary "Planet B-Boy" was one of 2008's top grossing documentaries. He directed a 3D Hollywood adaptation of "Planet B-Boy titled "Battle of the Year," which stars Josh Holloway and Chris Brown.
The Chinese-Korean-American production was shot in Korea. Variety described the film as "a melting pot of a production."
