Korean Films at The 49th Asian American International Film Festival
Rehearsing Anger / 2026 / 24 min
Saturday, August 1st, 2026 at 1:45 PM
Virtual or Asia Society - Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium
(725 Park Ave, New York, NY 10021)
Director: Moon Jehyeon
Cast: Jion Kim (Hyunkyung), Chaewoo Seong (Jiwon), Gyeonghee Cheon (Moonyoung)
Synopsis: Hyunkyung, who dreams of becoming an actor, finds it difficult to perform angry scenes. Every time she practices at home, she finds a note saying, “Stop shouting, it’s too loud,” and one day she encounters the note’s author, Jiwon. Feeling a strange sense of solidarity through their shared anger, the two decide to practice “how to be angry” together — and eventually join a protest where their voices cannot be heard.
Before the Call / 2025 / 61 min
Sunday, August 9th, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Village East - Theater 4
(181-189 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003)
Director: James Choi
Cast: Andy Koh, Seong-guk Ha, So-yi Kang, and Gwang-rok Oh
Synopsis: Before the Call follows Jinwoo, a Korean American who returns to Seoul to enlist in the military despite being exempt from service. As a global crisis escalates and Korean soldiers are deployed overseas, Jinwoo’s decision becomes more than a search for belonging. A quiet meditation on identity, duty, and the choices that shape us.