When Winning the Award, Qualified to Enter the Academy Awards

DARK YELLOW, a short directed by Actor Koo Hyesun, has been selected as the Official Competition supported by Sony Asia International Competition at the 24th Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia. Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia is held annually in Japan and is largely divided into the categories: ‘Official Competition supported by Sony International Competition’ and ‘Official Competition supported by Sony Japan Competition.’ The best work in each category will be nominated for the grand prize, and the final winner will be automatically nominated for the U.S. Academy Awards for Foreign Short Film. Koo Hyesun won the Spotlight Award at the 12th Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia for The Madonna. 

DARK YELLOW is Director Koo’s 9th production and the 5th work of the color film project following The Madonna, You, Fragments of Sweet Memories, and MYSTERY PINK. The film is a 22-minute short story about a strange man (Yeon Jehwan) who shows interest in a woman (Koo Hyesun) working at a yellow flower shop, entering her secret space. 

In the film, Koo Hyesun performed everything from production and directing to script, music, and acting. About the film, the director explained, “I also put a lot of conventional items that symbolize women in the movie. I wanted to talk about the inferiority, complex, and violence in the inner world, not just what I see.” She continued, "Rather than I wanted to make a female movie, there has to be a woman’s perspective because I’m a woman. I hope men and women can have a chance to understand each other through this film.” 

Actors such as Ahn Seohyun from Bong Joonho’s Okja (2017), Yeon Jehwan, and Yun Hyukjin starred in DARK YELLOW. In particular, Ahn Seohyun participated in the film as a donation of talent, showing her affection for the work and Koo Hyesun. 

The 24th Short Shots Film Festival & Asia 2022 will be held in Tokyo, Japan, from June 7 to 20.