Smoking Tigers | Winter Film Festival

Feature Film Competition

Year: 2023

Length: 90 mins

Country: United States

Language: English, Korean

Directed by: So Young Shelly Yo

Produced by: Guo Guo

Starring: Ji-young Yoo (Hayoung), Joon Ho Jung (Appa), Abin Andrews (Umma), Erin Choi (Ara)

SEE THE FILM

Thursday Feb 20, 8:40 PM-11:30 PM – Thursday Evening Asian Films + QA

Play the Trailer

2025 WINNER – INDIEPIX VISION AWARD
2025 NOMINEE – BEST PICTURE

Over one summer spent at an elite academic bootcamp, a lonely Korean-American teenager hides her true identity to fit in, only to discover the bittersweet pains of adulthood.

About the Director

So Young Shelly Yo is a Korean-American filmmaker whose films are supported by HBO, SFFILM, Sloan, CAAM and others. Shelly’s first feature, SMOKING TIGERS was the winner of Tribeca x AT&T UNTOLD STORIES and was awarded best screenplay, best performance and a special mention for the Nora Ephron prize. Prior to SMOKING TIGERS, Shelly created many award-winning short films including SOFT SOUNDS OF PEELING FRUIT and MOONWALK WITH ME.

Reviews & Interviews

Smoking Tigers: A Heartfelt Journey of Identity and Growing Up – Winter Film Festival, by by Nefeli Soteriou

Film About Lonely Korean-American Teen Wins Top Prize In This Year’s ‘AT&T Presents: Untold Stories’ Contest – Forbes Magazine, by Jane Levere
‘Smoking Tigers’ Filmmakers on Going From Untold Stories to Tribeca Competition – The Hollywood Reporter, by Hilary Lewis

Photos

Click on photo to view

Awards

2023 Tribeca Film Festival – Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature
2023 Tribeca Film Festival – Best Performance In A U.S. Narrative Feature
2023 Tribeca Film Festival – Nora Ephron Award Special Jury Mention
2023 Denver Film Festival – American Independent Award
2023 Austin Film Festival – New Voice Award
2023 SCAD Savannah Film Festival – Best Director Award
2024 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival – VC Emerging Filmmaker Award
2024 Deadcenter Film Festival – Best Narrative Feature Award