Filmmaker Kevin Jin Kwan Kim shares personal stories about the immigrant experience

Still image from The Korean-Canadian director’s one-minute film, What Did They Say?
Image source: Kevin Jin Kwan Kim.


The art of storytelling is almost as old as humanity itself. Thousands of years before we learned to read and write, our ancestors used sounds, gestures, and drawings to educate and entertain each other. The way we communicate has come a long way since then, but people’s love for stories is as strong as ever, especially when they touch us on a personal level.

Just ask Kevin Jin Kwan Kim. The Korean-Canadian director’s one-minute film, “What Did They Say?”, tells the story of a young Korean girl who grows up having to translate for her mother after the pair immigrated to North America. Created with the help of Adobe Creative Cloud apps, “What Did They Say?” takes viewers on a journey through the highs and lows of being responsible for a parent’s vitality and well-being as they grow older. The girl in the film is the same age Kim was when he and his mother moved to Canada, forcing Kim to step in as her translator, which makes the story both poignant and personal for him.

“What Did They Say?” also struck an emotional chord with the judges of the first Adobe MAX Creativity Awards, which recognize excellence, innovation, and leadership across Adobe’s creative community. Kim received the 2024 Adobe MAX Creativity Award for Storytelling, the latest in a growing list of accolades the young director has received for his work.

“As a child, translating is fun. You get to play adult and help your parents in ways other kids can’t. But eventually, you reach the point when you have to become the adult. That transition is especially challenging for the children of immigrants.”

- Kevin Jin Kwan Kim

“What Did They Say?” takes audiences on an emotional journey. Source: Kevin Jin Kwan Kim.

Changemaking films powered by Adobe

What Did They Say? went viral overnight and garnered more than 30 million views online, but it was not the first time Kim’s films gained international acclaim. Kim graduated from college in 2023, but his work has already been recognized by the Young Director Awards (YDA) in Cannes, Webby Awards, shots awards, and Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC), among others.

A true changemaker, Kim doesn’t just want to entertain his audience. He believes in using art to flip the script on challenging issues affecting his community and society at large, whether it’s by raising the voices of people in the Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities or drawing attention to shortcomings in the Canadian healthcare system.

Still image from The Korean-Canadian director’s one-minute film, What Did They Say?
Still image from The Korean-Canadian director’s one-minute film, What Did They Say?
Capturing the emotional highs and lows of life as an immigrant child in “What Did They Say?.” Source: Kevin Jin Kwan Kim.

Kim’s primary editing tool for every film is Adobe Premiere Pro. The application is ideally suited to “pancake editing,” which is Kim’s preferred technique as it allows him to stack his timelines and edit entire films from start to finish with unparalleled flexibility and control.

Meanwhile, Kim uses Frame.io to seamlessly collaborate with his team. Whether working with frequent collaborators or new partners, Kim can easily share and receive feedback on cuts in a single environment that integrates directly with Premiere Pro, accelerating his entire creative and review process.

“The integration between Premiere Pro and Frame.io makes editing so quick and intuitive. The solutions have completely transformed the way my team collaborates, and I couldn’t imagine working without them.”

- Kevin Jin Kwan Kim

A passion for human connection

Kim discovered his passion for human storytelling at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver when he began to dig into the rich world of East Asian cinema. He was particularly drawn to the work of Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, known for award-winning films like “Shoplifters” and “Nobody Knows” that explore the beauty and pain of family dynamics.

“I grew up watching over-the-top action movies like ‘The Avengers’, and I love those films, but seeing the real and authentic way that Hirokazu presented family life made me want to tell personal stories about my own friends and family,” Kim says.

That creative vision is on full display in Kim’s latest release, “Goose”. The one-minute film gives audiences glimpses into the lives of “Goose Parents,” a Korean term used to describe parents who stay in their home country to provide support for their partners and children living abroad. The story resonates deeply for Kim, whose own father is a Goose Parent supporting him and his mother in Canada.

https://vimeo.com/1022986023

“Goose:” a one-minute window into the experience of “Goose Parents.” Source: Kevin Jin Kwan Kim.

“I just want to tell stories”

It was Kim’s father who introduced him to the world of art and media as child. A member of Korea’s early commercial scene, his father recognized that digital art and design would be his son’s future and gave Kim a tablet with Photoshop installed on it so he could familiarize himself with the technology.

Kim jumped into creativity head-first from there, experimenting with photo editing, animation, motion graphics, and, eventually, film. As a shy teenager who nonetheless had a great deal to say, Kim found that filmmaking was the ideal platform to share his stories with the world while staying out of the spotlight.

That humility has stayed with Kim to this day. Even after gaining global recognition for his work, he was still shocked to be named one of the first Adobe MAX Creativity Award honorees. Reflecting on the positive response to his films, Kim attributes his success to two factors. First, his stories are relatable, even when they touch on heavy subject matter. And second, they inspire audiences to slow down and internalize his message, even when consuming his content on social media.

“I just want to tell stories that people care about, and the short films I create for social media are a great way to do that while reaching a large audience,” Kim says. “That’s not to say I wouldn’t love to make a film that plays in theaters too, but I’m in no rush. For now, I’m still honing my craft and enjoying the journey.”

For more on Kevin Jin Kwan Kim’s universe and to see more of his award-winning work, visit his website.

For the full list of 2024 Adobe MAX Creativity Awards honorees, visit the Awards webpage.