Rising Stars: Meet Hyejin “Grace” Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hyejin “Grace” Park.

Hi Hyejin “Grace”, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am a filmmaker based in Los Angeles. I was born in South Korea, spent my childhood going back and forth from New Zealand to Korea, and now I’m making films here in Los Angeles.

When I was little, looking at the spectacular night sky in New Zealand, I dreamt of becoming an astronomer. I wanted to show people how beautiful the universe is and reveal all the remarkable stories it contained. But in high school, I realized in order to become an astronomer; I needed to be great at physics, which wasn’t the case… That’s when I found film and realized I could share marvelous stories, emotions, and life with filmmaking.

I majored in film during my undergrad in Korea, made several short films, and after graduating, I worked as a commercial director/producer/editor for a while. Commercial work was very creative and exciting, but there was always part of me that wanted to learn more about making long lengthy narratives. I needed to tell some great, adventurous, and personal stories. So I took a shot at film grad school and got lucky enough to study at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. It was definitely scary leaving my friends and family and traveling to a new continent but it was also the most exciting thing I have ever done.

And so far, it’s been worth it since I got to make many quirky, sci-fi, social issue films that I am in love with and got to co-direct a feature in a Warner Brother’s backlot – I would never have been able to do that had I not taken that leap of faith.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My journey has been filled with ups and downs. There were times I felt so blessed and lucky, and then there were times I felt like I had to give up my dream as a filmmaker.

Like many filmmakers, my journey as a filmmaker was physically and mentally challenging. There are long shooting hours (often 24-hour shoots back in Korea) – Shooting in extreme conditions such as in the high mountains while it’s pouring rain, in the sizzling desert, in freezing night shoots, where I had to seriously worry I might freeze to death.

There were also some sets where I was one of the very few women on set and some weren’t happy that a woman was making decisions as a director. So I had to work twice as hard as others to prove myself.

Years of these experiences made me question whether I should continue pursuing film since, as time passed by, my body couldn’t take it anymore, and my mental health definitely had gotten bad. So there were many moments when I was at a crossroads of whether to continue this filmmaking journey.

Recently, after getting older, I learned how to take care of my body rather than endlessly exhausting it. Also, I have gained the courage to not give too much power to what others say or think about me. As I continue my journey as a female, a person of color filmmaker, I hope to set up an environment where the set is pleasant enough that all the cast and crew can be creative and minority filmmakers can be judged by their talent and work.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a film director, screenwriter, and film editor obsessed with telling stories that capture characters’ little struggles and victories in a whimsical world. As I spent my childhood going back and forth from New Zealand to South Korea, I was naturally drawn to ‘Fish out of water’ stories. As an adult, I started bringing social issues to the core of my Fantasy, Sci-fi films with a sprinkle of humor, hoping to make minorities feel seen and heard.

For the past ten years, I’ve written and directed 24 short films that garnered numerous awards and nominations that explored dreams, unconsciousness, supernatural events, and social issues. These short films include Rope from Heaven (2023), Escape Universe (2021), To Mom (2020), and Sally’s Law (2018). Recently, I co-directed a USC feature film, Jack & Lou (2023), a gangster love story set in 1920s Chicago.

I think of myself as a visual person. So, whenever I direct a film, I storyboard it or do a test shoot of the whole film with my phone. This preparation helps me predict what scenes are challenging and needs extra attention. Spending a lot of time visualizing and sharing my vision with the cast and crew members as detailed as possible is one of my strengths.

I am proud of most of my films, but I would love to share about my three upcoming films.

Rope from Heaven (2023) is a Korean fantasy, period piece about a comfort woman during the Japanese colonial rule of Korea combined with a Korean traditional folk tale, Haenim & Dalnim (Sun & Moon). It was an intense process because I felt like I had to tell this sensitive story in the right way. It was also quite an ambitious project with stunts, VFX, and building. But thanks to our fantastic team, it was an incredibly fun and exciting journey. The film is currently in the process of creating our creature VFX.

New in Town (2023) is a short fiction about a woman who just lost her house and starts her unhoused life on the streets for the first time. I was lucky to have Jóhann Jóhannsson’s music in this short film. His manager and the owner of the music were kind enough to let a short film director use Jóhan’s beautiful music as a film score after hearing the story.

Jack & Lou (2023) is a gangster love story film based in 1920s Chicago. It is a USC collaborative project where 11 directors get together and direct a full feature. I was one of the co-directors and it’s been an absolute blast working with such a talented crew – amazingly professional and kind.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I don’t know if this counts, but my paper scheduler helps me do my best. Since I have such a bad memory, my scheduler helps me be an ordinary member of society (almost). Without it, I would be lost. I tried a phone calendar and other apps. Still, a separate analog scheduler where I won’t be distracted was the best.

A podcast I enjoy listening to is ‘Stuff you should know,’ where I hear stories about all kinds of exciting topics and ideas. And I also get a lot of ideas from Instagram reels as well, I get to experience other parts of the world with just a scroll.

Contact Info:

• Website: vimeo.com/gracepark
• Instagram: instagram.com/graceatthepark

Image Credits
Photo credit: Devon Johns, Amber Jones, Sydney Taylor, Oscar O’Reilly, Nancy Boyd, Daeil Kim,