K-Arts short 'Tropic' stuns North America festival circuit, wins top cinematography at Fantasia

Korea National University of Arts (hereafter, K-Arts) has proved its strength in convergence arts at North America’s biggest genre film festival, drawing overwhelming attention. The short film 'Tropic', produced by the K-Arts Convergence Arts Center Arc & Technology Lab (AT Lab), made headlines at the 30th Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, Canada.

A victory for art that breaks boundaries, captivating North America with 'A Stunning Mise-en-Scène'

According to K-Arts on the 27th, 'Tropic' pulled off a remarkable feat at this year’s festival by winning the international short film category’s 'Best Cinematography'. Running from the festival’s opening on the 16th (local time) through next month’s 2nd, the 'Fantasia International Film Festival' is widely regarded as a breeding ground for original and unconventional genre filmmaking that represents North America. The fact that a Korean student director captured top honors in the cinematography category here underscores that the excellence of 'visual storytelling' has been recognized on a global stage.

The winning work, 'Tropic', is a thriller that closely tracks the inner world of 'Seon', a protagonist who becomes consumed by nightmares after the tragic suicide of her older sister. By depicting the space within a labyrinth where the line between reality and memory collapses—through outstanding lighting and composition—the film won praise from local critics. In particular, this work is the winning entry from a contest jointly hosted in 2023 by 'K-Arts AT Lab', which leads the fusion of art and advanced technology, and 'VA Corporation', a leading company in virtual production. It is a standout piece born from a clear vision from the planning stage of 'the convergence of science and art'.

Director 'Park Jeong-yoon' (a student at the Multimedia Video Department, K-Arts School of Video) said, “I’m honored to receive a meaningful award at a prestigious film festival,” adding, “It was an even more meaningful journey thanks to the enthusiastic response from local audiences.” With the heavyweight title of 'Best Cinematography' earned on a global stage while still a student, the next move of his is drawing attention from the film industry.