This is what you have to give to be successful in indie films: everything. I'm so proud to share my conversation with So Young Shelly Yo at the start of her Los Angeles theatrical run with SMOKING TIGERS. The film won the AT&T Tribeca "Untold Stories" competition in 2022 and after it screens in LA, it will stream on MAX starting August 23, 2024. Expect it to show up in indie awards season. In this episode, we talk about how she got started in film; the deeply personal nature of SMOKING TIGERS; what it's like to be a Korean-American filmmaker and how she shares that experience with colleagues; her thoughts on representation and if she's okay with people labeling this as a Korean film rather than specifically a Korean-American or coming of age story. This is such an important topic and she speaks so eloquently on it. And Shelly concludes by turning expectations around in this interview — you don’t need to rush into your next project, you don’t need to be on Instagram and it’s okay to think deeply about your next project. Wow. Shelly's Indie Film Highlight: WHEN THIS SUMMER IS OVER (2024) dir. by Jang Byung-ki (https://boxd.it/MlWU); SHORT VACATION (2020) dir. by Kwon Min-pyo (https://boxd.it/rSDa); PAPER MARRIAGE (2024) dir. by Jeff Man (https://festival.vcmedia.org/2024/movies/paper-marriage/) Links: SMOKING TIGERS tickets (https://www.laemmle.com/film/smoking-tigers) So Young Shelly Yo Biography (https://risingvoicesfilms.com/bio/shelly-yo/) SMOKING TIGERS Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/smokingtigersfilm/) MUBI (we love you, MUBI) https://mubi.com/en/us/showing JEONJU International Film Festival (https://eng.jeonjufest.kr/) Support the Podcast Through Membership (https://app.redcircle.com/shows/9ddc691d-2273-47d5-a1b9-5a4acb0670f5/exclusive-content) Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content