Filmmaker
Christine Yoo earned a BA in Film Production from the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television and is a graduate of Phillips Academy Andover. She makes her feature film debut with the award winning Wedding Palace. Prior to Wedding Palace, Yoo worked as a professional film and TV writer in Hollywood for nearly a decade. She co-wrote the animated series, Afro Samurai, starring Samuel L. Jackson, for Spike TV and Fuji TV. She also co-wrote Hannibal for Vin Diesel and BET network. Her original screenplay, a romantic comedy called For Steppers Only, was optioned and developed by Lionsgate.
Moderator
Stephen Park began his career as a stand-up comedian in New York City after graduating from Binghamton University with a degree in Theatre Arts. This eventually led to roles in the theater and his first part in a movie: Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing, which led to his second film role in Quick Change starring Bill Murray. He then moved to Los Angeles where he won the part as a regular cast member of the ground-breaking hit comedy series, In Living Color. He has since appeared in numerous TV shows, such as Mad About You, Friends, Law & Order, and White Collar. His work in film includes Falling Down, Sgt. Bilko, Desperate Measures, Rocket Science, Fargo, State Of Play, A Serious Man, and Morning Glory. He recently completed work on the independent films Putzel and The Brass Teapot, and is anxiously awaiting the release of one of the most fun films he's ever worked on, Wedding Palace. He is about to travel to Prague to start work on Snow Piercer, a futuristic thriller directed by Joon-ho Bong and starring Tilda Swinton, Chris Evans, John Hurt, and Kang-ho Song.
About Wedding Palace
To be released in summer 2012, Wedding Palace will be the first Korean-American themed film to be launched into the American mainstream. It is also the first US-Korea independently co-produced film. Billed as the “Korean-American My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” the movie is a romantic comedy that centers on an international online romance fueled by the imagination. The film won the top prizes at the Cine Gear Film Series Competition sponsored by Paramount, and Best Asian-American Feature Film at the Chinese-American Film Festival. The film stars Brian Tee (Co-lead of The Fast & Furious 3: Tokyo Drift), award winning South Korean actress Kang Hye-jung (Old Boy), comedians Bobby Lee (Madtv), Margaret Cho, and Stephen Park (Fargo, In Living Color).
First-time director Christine Yoo shares her remarkable experience making Wedding Palace, a loving portrayal of a tight-knit Korean family. Christine began writing the script in 1999 and, when major studios passed on it, she decided to make the film on her own. Actor Stephen Park (Fargo, In Living Color, and Wedding Palace) will join Christine to discuss how she successfully financed, directed, and distributed a film shot on location in both Los Angeles and Seoul. The evening’s program includes the premiere of a behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the film which was called “just as crazy as the film itself.” 
