Korean drama, film, music, and other forms of media have become integral to global popular culture and entertainment. Through a series of curated events, discussions, collaborations, and screenings, KSI brings together artists, scholars, and media professionals to examine the role of Korean media in shaping new forms of artistic expression. Additionally, the Institute also brings theatrical and musical performances to the USC campus, creating a platform for the critical appreciation of Korean arts and culture within academic contexts.
In curating these events, our faculty collaborates with professional schools, including the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, the School of Dramatic Arts, the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, the Thornton School of Music, and more.
USC Korean Film Festival Archive, 1996-2017
The USC Korean Studies Institute has hosted Korean film festivals since 1996. This program was first launched by David E. James of Critical Theory in the School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) through his organization of Dir. Im Kwon Taek’s first North American retrospective hosted at USC. Beginning in 2007, then KSI associate director Elaine Kim brought a new momentum to the institute’s film-centered initiatives. With contributions also by EALC faculty Youngmin Choe, and Sunyoung Park, as well as other SCA faculty, including Akira Lippit, KSI hosted annual film festivals through 2017, screening films in 35mm and digital formats, often also inviting film scholars, critics, and experts in Korean entertainment as well as Korean film directors.
Over the years, organizations that supported the Korean film festival have included the School of Cinematic Arts, the Korea Foundation, the Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles, the Korean Film Council, the Academy of Korean Studies, USC East Asian Studies Center, USC Korean Heritage Library, USC Center for International Studies, USC Center for Feminist Studies, and the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures.
Past Events
Behind the Scenes of K-pop
Friday, October 18
Annenberg Auditorium (G26)
Renowned for their remarkably active, passionate, and omnipresent fanbase, K-pop artists enjoy unparalleled exposure and engagement on the global stage. From sold-out world tours to staggering album sales, K-pop is making its mark.
Behind the Scenes of K-pop is an exciting, all-day symposium featuring insiders and experts who will foster conversations about the art, culture, business, and future of the international music sensation.
Frida: The Last Night Show
Produced by Korea’s leading musical theatre company EMK, Frida: The Last Night Show is an virtuosic homage to Mexican artist Frida Kahlo’s life and work. Marking the 70th anniversary of Kahlo’s death In a concert format featuring four female actors, the show’s first U.S. showcase stars Korea’s musical theatrical phenom Sohyang Sophie Kim performing a female-centered, coalitional identity that transcends national borders and delivers a message of hope to the audience.
After the performance, a panel on transnational creativity and the ethics of cross-cultural representations in musical theatre will feature Sohyang Sophie Kim and Frida: The Last Night Show’s writer/director Jung Hwa Choo and producer Sophy Jiwon Kim, along with USC faculty including English and American studies and ethnicity professor David Román and School of Dramatic Arts professors Esther K. Chae and Luis Alfaro (moderator). What are the impacts and implications of musicals such as Frida, Hamilton, and SIX, in which actors perform identities from other cultures? As the entertainment industry becomes increasingly globalized and cultural texts travel beyond national borders, how do local identity politics become legible in different contexts?
Banner Image: Behind the Scenes of K-Pop by Aud Ma (See her article in the USC Annenberg Media)