Throwback comedy 'Seoul Searching' hits theaters in June

Benson Lee's coming-of-age comedy opens in New York City on June 17 and Los Angeles on June 24.



At long last, after crowd-pleasing hit festival run -- including a world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival -- the indie coming-of-age comedy Seoul Searching hits theaters in limited release next month.

Based on writer/director Benson Lee's own experiences as a teenager, Seoul Searching tells the story of a group of teens from all over the world who converge in Seoul during the summer of 1986 to participate in a government-sponsored program to help them connect with their heritage.

Starring an international all-Asian cast of fresh faces and seasoned performers, the film pays homage to the classic John Hughes dramedies of the eighties, while putting a fresh Asian American spin on the genre with nostalgia, hilarity and heart. This is the movie my generation wished we could have seen while growing up.

Here's the recently released theatrical trailer on iTunes:

Win tickets to see 'Seoul Searching' at LA Film Fest

Benson Lee's coming-of-age teen dramedy premieres June 17 in Los Angeles.



Hey, film fans! Seoul Searching, from writer/director Benson Lee, is a coming-of-age teen tale set during one crazy summer at a Korean culture camp. The film premiered earlier this year at Sundance, and will celebrate its Los Angeles premiere next week, June 17, as part of the Los Angeles Film Festival. Want to go to the red carpet gala at L.A. LIVE? I'm giving away free tickets. Scroll down for details...

Based on Benson Lee's real-life experiences, with a cast that includes Justin Chon, Jessika Van and In-Pyo Cha, Seoul Searching is an homage to John Hughes' teen dramedies of the 80s. Set in the summer of 1986, the story centers on a group of Korean high school misfits from around the world who are shipped off to attend a government-sponsored culture camp in Seoul to learn what it means to be Korean. Between the booze, fist fights, raging hormones and identity crises, it turns out to be the most memorable summer of their lives.

Here's the teaser trailer again:

Giveaway: Win tickets to CAAMFest 2015!

I'm giving away three pairs of tickets to the Opening Night Gala presentation of 'Seoul Searching.'



Bay Area! CAAMFest 2015 kicks off next week with an awesome lineup of film screenings and showcase events. It's one of my favorite events of the year, and I'll be headed to the festival to check out some of the programming, see old friends, and just be part of the CAAM community. So... who else wants to go?

I'm giving away three pairs of passes to CAAMFest's Opening Night Gala presentation of Benson Lee's coming-of-age comedy Seoul Searching, happening Thursday, March 12, 6:30pm at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. Then head over to the Asian Art Museum for the afterparty. Scroll down for details...

Here's some more information about the movie:

First look at the coming-of-age teen comedy 'Seoul Searching'

Benson Lee's latest indie feature is set in a 1980s Korean summer camp.



The upcoming indie feature film Seoul Searching is a coming-of-age teen comedy written and directed by Benson Lee. Set in the 1980s, the film is based on Benson's personal experiences in 1986 at a government-sponsored summer camp for Koreans from around the world to learn about their heritage. It turned out to be one of the craziest summers of his life. And now it's the inspiration for this film.

Seoul Searching, starring Justin Chon and Jessika Van, was shot in Korea over the summer and is currently in post-production. Here's a little preview that gives you some of the flavor of the film.

Casting Call: Korean American indie film Seoul Searching

Spreading the word about the upcoming feature film project Seoul Searching, from writer/director Benson Lee, the filmmaker behind the documentary Planet B-Boy and the soon-to-be-released Battle of the Year. His latest film is an 1980s-era Korean American teenage coming-of-age story based on his own experiences, and he's on a mission to cast actors through Facebook. Here's Benson with an introduction to the project: