Andrew Ahn
American film director
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Andrew Ahn (born March 10, 1986)[1][2] is an American film director and screenwriter who has directed the feature films Spa Night (2016), Driveways (2019), Fire Island (2022), and The Wedding Banquet (2025).
- Film director
- screenwriter
Andrew Ahn | |
|---|---|
Ahn in 2016 | |
| Born | March 10, 1986 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Education | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Website | andrewahnfilms |
Early life
Andrew Ahn was born and raised in Los Angeles. He is the son of Korean immigrants.[3] He graduated from Brown University with a degree in English and received a Masters in Fine Arts (MFA) in Film Directing from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).[4]
Career
In 2011, Ahn wrote, directed, edited and produced a short film entitled Andy, which won the Best Narrative Short award at the 2011 San Diego Asian Film Festival.[5] The film has also screened at film festivals including the Boston Asian American Film Festival, the Slamdance Film Festival, the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Outfest, the Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, the DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon and the Vancouver Asian Film Festival.[6]
In 2012, Ahn wrote, directed, edited and produced a short film entitled Dol (First Birthday), which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.[3] It won awards including the Grand Jury Award Outstanding Narrative Short Film at Outfest: Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival 2012, and a Jury Award for Best Narrative Short Film at the Polari: Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival 2012. Ahn has stated that he made the film to come out to his parents as gay.[7]
Ahn has also served as an editor on the documentary I Am Divine (2013) (directed by Jeffrey Schwarz) and was a post-production assistant on the documentaries Vito (2011) and Tab Hunter Confidential (2015), both of which were also directed by Jeffrey Schwarz. He went on to direct two episodes of the third season of the hit Netflix series Bridgerton.
Ahn raised funds via Kickstarter for his feature film, entitled Spa Night, about a closeted gay Korean-American teenager who follows his desires and finds more than he bargains for at the Korean spa in the Koreatown of Los Angeles.[8] He developed the screenplay for the film at the 2013 Sundance Screenwriters Lab, which it was selected for, and participated in the Film Independent Screenwriting Lab and the Film Independent Directing Lab with the feature screenplay for the project. For developing the film, he also received a Sundance Institute Cinereach Feature Film Fellow grant.[8]
Filmography
Short film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Andy | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2011 | Dol (First Birthday) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2019 | 30/30 Vision: 3 Decades of Strand Releasing (segment "Going Out to Sea") | Yes | Yes | TBD |
Feature film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Spa Night | Yes | Yes |
| 2019 | Driveways | Yes | No |
| 2022 | Fire Island | Yes | No |
| 2025 | The Wedding Banquet | Yes | Yes |
Accolades
| Organizations | Year[a] | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGLIFF Awards | 2012 | Jury Award for Best Narrative Short | Dol (First Birthday) | Won | [9] |
| Berlin International Film Festival | 2019 | Teddy Award for Best Feature Film | Driveways | Nominated | [10] |
| Crystal Bear for The Best Film (Kplus) | Nominated | [11] | |||
| Boston LGBT Film Festival | 2016 | Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature | Spa Night | Won | [12] |
| Gimli Film Festival | 2020 | Best of Fest Audience Choice Award | Driveways | Won | [13] |
| Independent Spirit Awards | 2017 | John Cassavetes Award | Spa Night | Won | [14] |
| Someone to Watch Award | Nominated | ||||
| Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival | 2016 | Best First Feature | Won | [15] | |
| Nashville Film Festival | 2016 | New Directors Competition | Nominated | [16] | |
| Outfest Los Angeles Film Festival | 2012 | Jury Award Outstanding Narrative Short Film | Dol (First Birthday) | Won | [17] |
| Philadelphia Film Festival | 2016 | Best First Feature | Spa Night | Nominated | [18] |
| Remi Awards | 2020 | Features - Dramatic / Original | Driveways | Won | [19] |
| San Diego Asian Film Festival | 2011 | Best Narrative Short | Andy | Won | [5] |
| 2016 | George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award | Spa Night | Won | [5] | |
| 2019 | Best Narrative Feature | Driveways | Won | [20] | |
| Seattle International Film Festival | 2019 | New American Cinema Competition | Nominated | [21] | |
| Sundance Film Festival | 2012 | Grand Jury Prize Short Films | Dol (First Birthday) | Nominated | [22] |
| 2016 | Grand Jury Prize Dramatic | Spa Night | Nominated | [23] | |
Notes
- Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.
