California Teen's Documentary on the World War II-Era Korean "Comfort Women" wins 2022 Scout Film Festival Emerging Filmmakers Grant

As a high school artist and filmmaker, Ian Kim has found new and expressive ways to blend art and activism through documentary, animation, and real-world issues. His latest film, "My Sisters In The Stars: The Story of Lee Yong-soo," tells the story of one of the 11 remaining known survivors of the World War II-era Japanese Comfort Women system of sexual slavery, a war crime the Japanese Government has continued to suppress for decades.

For the fourth year, Filmmaker Colin Trevorrow, in partnership with Visura.co, sponsored the Scout Film Festival Emerging Filmmakers Grants, an opportunity for two emerging filmmakers to receive a $5,000.00 cash grant for the completion of a new short film or work in progress in one of two separate age categories; 18 and Under and 19 to 24.

Ian Kim, a 17-year-old junior at the Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, CA, accepted the 18 and Under grant for his animated documentary short, "My Sisters In The Stars: The Story of Lee Yong-soo."

"I'm incredibly grateful for this support from Colin Trevorrow and the Scout Film Festival, and I am excited to see where this grant will take the film and Grandma Lee's story next," said Kim. "My goal with this project is to bring Grandma Lee's life story and activism to a worldwide audience of all ages, and in the process push the boundaries of how we educate about past and current events."

Born in Daegu, Korea in 1928 under Japanese occupation, Lee Yong-soo was taken away from her home at the age of 14 by the Imperial Japanese Army and forced into sexual slavery on the front lines of the Pacific Theater during World War II. She is now one of 11 remaining known “comfort women” survivors in Korea out of a system that claimed the lives of more than 200,000 women and girls, known as "Comfort Women," from Japanese-occupied territories throughout Asia from 1932 to 1945. Lee Yong-soo continues to fight for justice for a crime the Japanese government continues to deny and suppress.

Writer, director and producer Colin Trevorrow is best known for re-launching the Jurassic franchise with the 2015 Universal release of JURASSIC WORLD, which he co-wrote and directed. Trevorrow also co-wrote and executive produced the follow up film, JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM in 2018 and directed, co-wrote and executive produced the final chapter in the Jurassic series, JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION.

“Today’s technology gives young filmmakers from all backgrounds an unprecedented opportunity to create,” said Trevorrow. “I’m proud to partner with the Scout Film Festival to support our next generation of storytellers."