CJ Cultural Foundation Honors 3 K-Story Fund Awardees at TIFF, Expanding Global Opportunities for Filmmakers of Korean Heritage

Emerging K-Story Fund filmmakers were honored at TIFF as CJ Cultural Foundation celebrated its 20th anniversary The K-Story Fund is a support program launched by CJ Cultural Foundation in partnership with TIFF and the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) in September 2023. The program supports the development of first or second feature films by Korean diaspora filmmakers based in North America. Now in its third year, the K-Story Fund selected eight projects for story development mentorship from submissions received through an open call between November 2025 and January 2026. From March through June, the creators of the eight selected projects received approximately four months of story development mentorship from CJ ENM, coordinated by CJ Cultural Foundation. Three were ultimately selected as the year’s final recipients. This year’s K-Story Fund ambassadors included director Maggie Kang, whose animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” became a global hit, and actor Teo Yoo, the first Korean actor to receive a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Film Awards nomination for Leading Actor for “Past Lives.” Both shared video messages of encouragement during the announcement of the final recipients on August 31. The final three recipients are Andrea Bang for “I Don’t Understand,” Ji-yun June Lee for “The Invisible Land of Love” and Josh Kim for “Camellia Girl.” The three final recipients of the CJ & TIFF K-Story Fund were honored at the awards ceremony held during the 51st Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada, on September 12. From left: Josh Kim, Ji-yun June Lee and Andrea Bang (Photo courtesy of KOFIC) Andrea Bang is an actor and writer best known for her role as “Janet” in the Canadian sitcom “Kim’s Convenience.” Ji-yun June Lee is the writer-director of “Motherland,” which was selected in 2022 for STORY UP, CJ Cultural Foundation’s program supporting emerging filmmakers. Josh Kim’s previous film, “How to Win at Checkers,” was submitted for consideration at the Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. Each of the three recipients will receive 10,000 CAD (approximately 7,065 USD) in development funding to support their continued project development. The awards ceremony was held as part of TIFF’s “Korean Film Night.” Attendees included      Heekyung Jo Min, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at CJ; Han Sang-jun, Chairperson of KOFIC; and Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer at TIFF along with other representatives from the Korean film industry and TIFF. A special program was also held to mark the 20th anniversary of CJ Cultural Foundation, featuring a commemorative video highlighting the Foundation’s 20-year journey and achievements in discovering and supporting creators over the years. The event also included the presentation of appreciation plaques to TIFF and KOFIC as well as a signing ceremony to extend the K-Story Fund partnership for another three years. Representatives attended a signing ceremony extending the K-Story Fund partnership for three more years, held during the 51st Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada, on September 12. From left: Han Sang-jun, KOFIC Chairperson; Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer and Heekyung Jo Min Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, at CJ (Photo courtesy of KOFIC) “For the past 20 years, CJ Cultural Foundation has worked to expand the K-content ecosystem by identifying promising young creators and supporting their growth,” said Heekyung Jo Min, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at CJ. “We will continue to build on that commitment, supporting creators as they grow and make their mark on the global stage.” The 51st Toronto International Film Festival was held from September 10 to 20.