Lee Isaac Chung, MFA alumnus of the University of Utah Department of Film & Media Arts, has made history this morning with six Oscar nominations for his film Minari, including Best Picture. The film, which Chung wrote and directed, follows David, a 7-year-old Korean American boy in the 1980’s who is faced with new surroundings when his family moves to rural Arkansas and his Korean grandmother joins them in the United States. The film draws on Chung’s own background and childhood memories. You can read more about Chung and his journey to making Minari here.
In addition to Chung’s nominations for Writing and Directing, Minari’s nominations mark a long-overdue landmark for Asian and Asian-American representation in the Oscars. Steven Yeun, nominated for Actor in a Leading Role, is the first Asian-American ever nominated for the award, and Yuh-Jung Youn, nominated for Actress in a Supporting Role, is the first Korean nominated in her respective category.
Minari is currently in theaters and streaming on demand. See the full list of nominations below:
Best Picture - Christina Oh, Producer
Directing - Lee Isaac Chung
Writing (Original Screenplay) - Lee Isaac Chung
Actor in a Leading Role - Steven Yeun
Actress in a Supporting Role - Yuh-Jung Youn
Music (Original Score) - Emile Mosseri