"BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FOUNDING FATHERS AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT."

Young Man Kang: Director

1. Give us a little background on yourself, when did you decide that filmmaking was what you wanted to do? My art background is what brought me into filmmaking. I had been drawing a lot of pictures and comic books since I was five years old. I studied hard in high school and finally got into the best art school, Hong-ik University in Korea in 1986. I studied visual design, conceptual design, story boarding, creative idea development, animation, TV commercials and film at that school. The moment that inspired me about moviemaking happened in my third year at the University. I'd watched a lot of films from America, Europe and all over the world. These filmmakers have such a profound impact on their audience. I thought I could create a different world through filmmaking where anything is possible and where I can share entire worlds of experience with my audience. In 1994, I moved to New York City where I studied film at The New School. In 1996, I moved to Los Angeles and continued my film career working as a director for a television commercial production company. In addition to my fifty-plus commercial credits. Between 2000 and 2005, I made five feature films and a documentary. My feature debut, "Cupid's Mistakes," was allegedly made with an invisible budget of US$980 and had a theatrical in Los Angeles & New York City. I made two feature,"1st Testament" and "Death Valley Diary." Documentay "Hatian Slave Children," won Best Effort Documentary at 2001 Jamerican International Film Festival and Silver Remi Award at 2002 WorldFest Houston. My fourth feature, "Soap Girl" won an audience award at the 2002 Big Bear Lake International Film Festival. "Soap Girl" released theatrically in Los Angeles, Texas and Hawaii. Then I made my fifth feature, "The Last Eve" won the best action feature film in 2005 The New York International Independent Film Festival.   2. Who inspired you to become a filmmaker? Federico Fellini, Andrea Tarkovsky, Werner Herzog, Stanley Kubrick, John Casavettes, Akira Kurosawa, Alejandro Jodorowsky, etc., especially my favorites Werner Herzog, Akira Kurosawa and John Casavettes.   3. Tell us about your latest project "The Last Eve". "The Last Eve" is an epic film consisting of three different short films using Adam and Eve from the Bible as motifs. The story of Eve is shown from front to back. We start in the future and ride all the way back to the loss of all innocence. Our journey through time shows us three contrasting tales (Cain & Abel, Snake's Temptation, Eve's Secret) which in their own unique way reveal the dark tragedies at the heart of all romance:  I gathered three action teams from Hollywood, Hong Kong and Korea combine into the production. Muay Thai master Panuvat Anthony Nanakornpanom, martial arts champion Bruce Khan from Jackie Chan & Sammo Hung's action team and Korean martial arts choreographers Eung Jun Lee (Volcano High) and Cheul Hun Ham.   4. What do you think is the most important thing for a Director to bring to the set? Filmmaking is the most collaborative of all the arts and you need to surround yourself with people who share the same vision but with the understanding that your vision is the only one that ultimately counts.

Still from "1st Testament"   Shooting "Death Valley Diary" Stills from "Death Valley Diary"   On the set of "The Last Eve"

On the set of "The Last Eve"   On the set of "Soap Girl"

5. What do you think is the biggest problem with Hollywood today? Lack of creativity, Same format/plot. Wasting money. Remakes. MTV style. TV commercial look.   6. What has been you're all-time favorite project to date? Cupid's Mistake.   7. Any future projects in the works? Kimchi Warrior - Comedy Martial Art Film.   8. Do you have any advice to aspiring independent film makers? "Just do it." I think that the best way to learn how to make films is by making them. These days, with DV or HDV cameras and Final Cut-Pro editing systems, anyone can make films for relatively little money. To me it seems like the best way to learn is to choose a relatively straightforward and do-able project and just make films.   9. Here's where we give you a word or phrase and you give us the first thoughts that pop into your mind. Biggest regret- MIST project was delayed. Favorite Film Genre- Epic Toxic Shock TV- Great website. Your biggest "break-thru" moment- I'll try to make one. You can only watch 3 movies for the rest of your life, which 3- Faces, Wrath of God, Ran You can only listen to 3 songs for the rest of your life, which 3- Vangelis, Mozart, Enigma More info: Website: http://www.youngmankang.com