GIRAF 22 Signal Film Artist: Jiwoo Kim

After her wonderful premiere of COWMAN at GIRAF 21 we are beyond excited to have her create this years festival identity. Jiwoo brings surrealism, humour, weirdness, and technical craft through her artwork and storytelling. We cannot wait to see what she creates this year!!

Hi! My name is Jiwoo Kim, and I am a Korean animator based in Calgary, Alberta. My animation work is surreal, playful, and a little unhinged. My artistic practice focuses on retelling everyday experiences and struggles in surreal and comical ways. For example, my debut film, COWMAN, tells the story of a farmer and his cow and their bizarre and dramatic transformation on an otherwise peaceful farm. Through my work, I aim to bring smiles to people's faces and tell stories that make difficult situations feel a little more bearable. Above all, I hope my films make people laugh, have fun, and feel seen.

For GIRAF's 22nd Signal Film, I will be creating something inspired by a relatable daily struggle of mine: allergies. Apparently, I sneeze really loudly, and my friends point it out all the time. I thought it would be fun to create something funny and relatable for the festival.

For the visual style, I am aiming for a mixed media approach. I love adding lots of texture to my films. As I did in COWMAN, I will animate in a 3D claymation-inspired style, but I also plan to incorporate different animation techniques and mediums. By combining these styles, I hope to create something visually exciting and unique for GIRAF's 22nd Signal Film.