Korean Director Eric Oh Enters New York Aiming for Academy Award Win

Premiere of Short Animation 'Namu' at Tribeca Film Festival

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Korean-American film director Eric Oh premiered his new short animated film "Namu" for the first time in the world in New York, beginning his journey toward winning an Academy Award.

Director Eric Oh [Photo by New York Cultural Center]

On the evening of the 14th (local time), a screening and reception for "Namu," officially invited to the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival in Manhattan, New York City, were held. About 100 media and cultural figures from New York, including NBCUniversal, MSNBC, Cond? Nast, IndieWire, and Screen Anarchy, attended the event.

"Namu" is the follow-up work to "Opera," which was nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the 93rd Academy Awards held last April. Inspired by the death of his grandfather, director Oh created the film depicting the journey of a man from birth as a baby to the end of his life. Attendees at the screening showed enthusiastic reactions to the universally relatable theme.

This is director Oh's second time attending the Tribeca Film Festival. He greatly welcomed the different environment compared to his previous attendance at the Academy Awards.

Director Oh said, "Unlike the last Academy Awards, the experience of being able to meet the audience at the Tribeca Film Festival is very amazing," adding, "I plan to attend many film festivals in the future." He also explained, "I am interested in works about the experience of COVID-19."

A representative from the New York Cultural Center also conveyed that "Namu" is aiming for the next Academy Award. The center stated, "Amid the recent acclaim for director Bong Joon-ho’s 'Parasite,' which made history by winning four Academy Awards, and actress Youn Yuh-jung’s Best Supporting Actress win for 'Minari,' a Korean director’s animated work is expanding the horizons of the American film industry."

The production company, Baobab Studios, is also planning active promotion to secure the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for "Namu."

Director Eric Oh graduated from Seoul National University’s Department of Western Painting and worked for seven years at the American animation company Pixar, participating in works such as "Inside Out," "Finding Dory," and "Monsters University."

The Tribeca Film Festival, a representative film event of New York City, was suspended last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is scheduled to be held from the 9th to the 20th this year following the easing of New York City’s quarantine regulations.