Michael Kang

Michael Kang is a Korean American filmmaker based in New York. He was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island but has been in New York since attending New York University Tisch School of the Arts' Dramatic Writing Program where he was a Founder's Day Honors Scholar. His feature film directorial debut The Motel (2005) which was produced by Indie veteran director Miguel Arteta premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2005. "The Motel" is the recipient of the Humanitas Prize as well as Best Narrative Feature from the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival 2005 and The Best Dramatic Narrative Feature Award from the San Diego Asian Film Festival 2005. The film was also awarded the 2003 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award. In addition, Michael was a fellow at the Sundance Filmmakers Lab in 2002. He also received the 2002 Geri Ashur Award in screen writing through the New York Foundation for the Arts. In 2001, he won the 24th Annual Asian American International Film Festival screenplay competition. His short film A Waiter Tomorrow (1998) received both the FilmCore Post-Production Grant 1998 and the Freaky Film Festival Audience Choice Award 1999. His film _Japanese Cowboy (2000 short)_ was a co-recipient of the Manhattan Community Arts Fund Grant 1999 and the Special Jury Prize at Film Fest New Haven 2000. Michael worked as second unit director for Wayne Wang on the film, Because of Winn-Dixie (2005) (where he got to direct a live bear).