Animation & Culture: Virtual Spotlight on Korean American Animators

Submitted by the Event Organizer

What makes animation special to you? How does your Korean heritage, and concepts such as “han” (the unique Korean feeling of unresolved emotional pain), influence your life and art? Join us for the answers to these intriguing questions and more as we shine a spotlight on three young Bay Area luminaries of animation: Edwin Chang from Pixar Animation Studios, writer and director of the SparkShorts film “Wind”; Eun Bi Chang, producer/director of “Paper City (Madina Papel),” a short film set to release in 2021; and Keika Lee, producer/director of an award-winning animated short, “Odd Dog.” The panel will be moderated by Derek Kirk Kim, who has been telling stories with art for over 20 years. (See full bios below.)

Edwin Chang, Panelist
Edwin joined Pixar Animation Studios in 2005 and has worked as a technical artist in simulation and crowds on features like “Coco,” “Inside Out,” “Up,” “Brave” and theme park rides like “Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage” and “Toy Story Midway Mania!” Edwin also wrote and made his directorial debut with the SparkShorts film “Wind,” which premiered on Disney+. Originally hailing from Hancock Park and Koreatown in Los Angeles, he struggles to find comparable kimchi in the SF Bay Area. Instagram: @edwinwchang Twitter: @edwinwychang

Eun Bi Chang, Panelist
Eun Bi is an independent film producer/director and a full-time teacher. Her short film “Paper City” (Madina Papel) is set to release in early 2021. Her experiences as a TCK (Third Culture Kid), living in South Korea, New Zealand and the U.S., have strongly shaped how she views the world and influenced her work. Eun Bi is particularly interested in exploring the themes of “home” and “belonging” in her work. Instagram: @ ebc_ink

Keika Lee, Panelist
Keika has 18 years of experience in film and games production at companies like Electronic Arts and DreamWorks Animation on such titles as “Shrek 3,” “Madagascar 2,” and “Megamind”. She started her own animation studio (greyscale animation) in 2017. From there, Keika produced and directed her first award-winning animated short film, “Odd Dog,” which has screened in film festivals around the world. Keika loves cooking Korean dishes for her husband and son. FB, Instagram: @greyscaleanimation Twitter: @greyscaleanim

Derek Kirk Kim, Moderator
Derek is a writer, director and artist who has been telling stories with art for over 20 years. He is the creator of “The Last Mermaid,” currently being serialized on his Instagram. He worked on the new Disney series, “Amphibia,” directing 20 episodes for its first season. Previously, he worked for Cartoon Network on the Emmy Award-winning series “Adventure Time” and for Warner Bros as a storyboard artist on “Green Eggs and Ham,” an adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s legendary book, now streaming on Netflix. Derek is also a prolific comics writer and artist with 5 graphic novels under his belt, translated into numerous languages. He has won all three major comics industry awards: the Eisner, Harvey, and the Ignatz. He eats chips with chopsticks. Instagram: @derekkirkkim

This event is part of the Korean Chuseok Festival. Checkout the FULL lineup of Chuseok Festival activities and offers by visiting the Festival website: https://koreancentersf.org/chuseok2020/

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