The University of Utah Asia Campus (UAC), led by Senior Vice President Gregory Hill, successfully hosted the “F&MAD Film Festival Asia 2026” on April 22. The event, held at the Megabox Songdo "Salon 1" theater, served as a premier platform for Film & Media Arts students to debut their creative visions to the public.
Celebrating its fifth anniversary, the festival featured 14 short films characterized by bold storytelling and innovative perspectives. The screening was open to the Incheon community for free, allowing local citizens to engage directly with student directors and vote for the "Audience Choice" award.
A Global Academic Bridge
The 2026 edition was marked by a significant visit from the University of Utah’s home campus in the United States. Tim Palmer, the newly appointed Chair of the Department of Film & Media Arts, traveled to Songdo alongside faculty members to mentor students and personally present awards.
"This festival is the culmination of our students’ creative experimentation and hard work," said Professor Yi Sien Ng, the event’s lead organizer. "It is a meaningful time where students from diverse backgrounds share their unique stories and connect through the universal language of film."
Award Winners and Artistic Highlights
Among the 14 films showcased, two students emerged as the night’s big winners:
Anand Enkhbat: Swept three categories including Jury Prize, Best Director, and Best Cinematography for the film Due.
Hyung-seo Yoon: Received the Best Screenplay award and the Audience Choice Award for the film Hidden Persona, following a live vote from the attendees.
A Legacy of Excellence
The UAC Film & Media Arts department has a storied history of excellence. It is famously known as the former academic home of Lee Isaac Chung, the Oscar-winning director of Minari, who taught at the campus from 2018 to 2020. During his tenure, he collaborated with UAC students to translate the Minari screenplay into Korean.
Located within the Incheon Global Campus, the University of Utah Asia Campus provides the same curriculum and degrees as its U.S. counterpart. In 2024, the Wall Street Journal ranked the University of Utah as the #1 public university in the West and #43 overall in the United States, underscoring the prestige of the education provided to its global students in Songdo.
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