BIASes

Director: Aaron Yunsuk Choe

Producers: Aaron Yunsuk Choe, Hannah Choe, Jillian Choi, Sammy Kim

World Premiere, Jeonju International Film Festival

BIASes follows BIAS NYC, a K-pop club party started by co-founders Sammy and Julian, as they bring their event to Seoul for the first time. Sammy, a queer and nonbinary Korean American, worries about whether they’ll be able to show up as their full self and if they’ll be accepted for who they really are. They wonder if they’ll find a true sense of kinship there as they struggle to disrupt the idea that there’s only one way to be Korean. Julian grew up rebelling against Chinese-American stereotypes and found a home in the hardcore metal music scene, where he resonated with the themes about being depressed and not fitting in. Despite having a deep connection to the subculture, he felt othered in the predominantly white space, and became trapped between two worlds while not fully belonging in either. Now as BIAS NYC prepares to make their debut in the birthplace of K-pop, Sammy and Julian agonize over whether or not people will show up for them. They’ve poured themselves into creating the community that they’ve always yearned for, but will it embrace them back?