“We can’t afford to make mistakes like others…” The trailer has debuted for an indie film titled Smoking Tigers, a coming-of-age story about a young woman which is also the feature directorial debut of Korean-American filmmaker So Young Shelly Yo. This premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival last year, and won Best screenplay & Best Performance, before picking up awards at the Denver & Austin Film Festivals as well. Over one summer spent at an elite academic bootcamp, a lonely Korean-American teenager hides her problematic family & lower-income background to fit in with her new wealthy friends, only to discover the bittersweet pains of adulthood. The film is “about traversing the demands of being a young, first-generation American grappling with teenage angst while lifting up the family members struggling (and at times flailing) around you.” The film stars Ji-Young Yoo, Jung Joon Ho, Abin Andrews, Erin Choi, Erin Yoo, and Phinehas Yoon. It looks like a distinctly stylish and deeply personal story about identity and growing up. // Continue Reading ›