Today we’d like to introduce you to Hungyu Kuo.
Hi Hungyu, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Hungyu Kuo, born in Taoyuan, Taiwan, spent his formative years in Kaohsiung. While studying Linguistics and English literature at the National Kaohsiung Normal University, he created short films and plays, including “Overact,” a musical that debuted at Kaohsiung Cultural Center in 2019. Following his acceptance to the New York Film Academy, Kuo moved to Burbank, California, in 2022. There, he wrote, directed, and produced two short films, “Resurrection” and “Turn,” symbolizing the beginning of his professional career in filmmaking. In 2024, Kuo plans to bring his directorial debut, “Angels Near Death,” to life and change the world.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Kuo’s road to his movie dream of being a Hollywood big-time director is craggy. As a son, he never gained recognition from his parents by making films. As a film student, he was rejected by NYU, USC, CalArts, LMU, etc., all the best film schools around the US. People look down on him as a film director because he never made an award-winning film. However, Kuo has always kept up writing screenplays and making films. He is like a train that will only stop until it reaches its destination. Now, he is making his feature debut, “Angels Near Death.” His story represents all the fools who dream and are still struggling in the film industry.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Kuo is a film director with a strong voice and a personal style. His “Angels Near Death” feature debut is a Dark Comedy. Six eccentric strangers, including a set dresser, an actor, a journalist, a nurse, a photographer, and a film director living in the City of Angels, cross paths after near-death experiences, interweaving the journey of love, death, and the human spirit. With a nonlinear narrative like Pulp Fiction, he can establish the complexity of interpersonal relationships and celebrate the unexpected in life. He’ll follow The Holy Mountain’s aesthetic plus some German Expressionism to build a world constantly shifting between the living world and the afterlife. “Angels Near Death” will bridge the gap between reality and dreams, life and movies, encouraging people to live their lives to the fullest. Kuo’s thirst for making the movie is to catch people like an angel when they fall off the brink of despair.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
First, Kuo hopes to improve his ability to pitch a film. Pitching a film project to anyone at any time, length, or place is an art. To achieve this, Kuo will continue pitching his “Angels Near Death” project to people on different occasions. Second, Kuo hopes to better handle interpersonal relationships during the production. The film industry is all about working with other types of people. How to get along with one another is an essential question for every filmmaker. Lastly, Kuo hopes to learn the Guqin, a beautiful instrument that delivers the most exquisite melody worldwide.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hungyuhenrykuo.com/angels-near-death-english
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelsneardeathfilm/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angelsneardeath
- Other: https://linktr.ee/angelsneardeath?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=805a67c5-58f2-4e9a-a849-932b565cf206
Image Credits
Hungyu Kuo
Yijia Sun
