Genre
Synopsis
Set in Los Angeles in the early 2000s, SMOKING TIGERS is a portrait of a lonely Korean-American teen named Hayoung who is taken under the wings of three wealthy students she meets at an elite academic bootcamp. As she falls deeper into their world, Hayoung works harder to hide her insecurities about her problematic family and lower-income background, only to discover the
bittersweet pains of adulthood that will forever shape her life.
Bio
So Young Shelly Yo is a Korean American filmmaker whose work has been supported by HBO, CAAM, SFFILM, the Sloan Foundation and others. Shelly's feature film, SMOKING TIGERS, was the winner of Tribeca x AT&T’s Untold Stories and was awarded best screenplay, best performance and a special mention for the Nora Ephron prize at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. Prior to SMOKING TIGERS, Shelly wrote and directed many short films including SOFT SOUNDS OF PEELING FRUIT (Tribeca, Hawaii, Palm Springs) and MOONWALK WITH ME (Florida, Austin, Seattle). Most recently, Shelly was given the New Voices award at the 2023 Austin Film Festival. Shelly is currently in development for her next project.
Screening History
World Premiere - Tribeca Film Festival 2023
Jeonju International Film Festival 2024
Warsaw Film Festival 2023
Sao Paulo International Film Festival 2023
Denver Film Festival 2023
Awards History
Tribeca 2023 - Best screenplay, Best Actor, Special Jury Mention for Nora Ephron Prize
Denver Film Festival 2023 - Official Selection, American Independent Award
Austin Film Festival 2023 - New Voice Award
Savannah Film Festival 2023 - Best Director Award
Credits
Lead Actor - Ji-young Yoo
Lead Actor - Joon Ho Jung
Cinematographer - Heyjin Jun
