Lee Kyoung-mi

Directing

Lee Kyoung-mi (Korean: 이경미 born December 1973) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. She was born in Seoul, and graduated with a Russian degree from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. After working at a company for three years, she entered the School of Film, TV & Multimedia of the Korea National University of Arts, graduating with a major in Filmmaking in 2004. Her short film Feel Good Story, about an employee given the task of figuring out how her company can evade paying taxes, garnered several awards in the film festival circuit in 2004. Lee made her feature directorial debut with Crush and Blush (2008), a black comedy about an obsessive teacher and an outcast student who bond over their shared misanthropy; a critic called it "one of those rare films from an up-and-coming auteur that shows both guts and playfulness." It was the first film to be produced by Park Chan-wook; Lee had previously worked as a scripter/assistant director on Park's 2005 film Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. Crush and Blush premiered at the 13th Busan International Film Festival, and was released in theaters on October 16, 2008. Lee won Best New Director and Best Screenplay at the Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2008.