Christina Sun Kim has been named as the 10th annual recipient of the Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship (KSFEF), created in honor of Karen Schmeer, the editor of “The Fog of War,” “Fast, Cheap and Out of Control,” and “Bobby Fischer Against the World.” Schmeer was killed in a hit-and-run accident in 2010.
A press release announced that Kim, who most recently served as an editor on the documentary “Land of My Father,” will be recognized as this year’s fellow on October 1 during the opening events of the 2020 Camden International Film Festival.
“We’re very excited to announce Christina Sun Kim as our newest Schmeer Fellow,” said Maya Mumma, Karen Schmeer Fellowship Board Interim President. “Our screening committee recognized her innate talent as a storyteller and was impressed with her ability to weave together the personal and political with empathy and sensitivity in her most recent feature documentary, ‘Land of My Father.’ As director Matthew Koshmrl raved, ‘Christina is the single most significant person I have collaborated with in film.’”
Mumma continued, “Her intelligence, thoughtfulness, and respect for the craft of documentary editing shines both in her work and in how she talks about it. She has a strong drive to grow her craft and engage with the documentary community. We are so pleased to support her as she grows throughout her fellowship year and beyond.”
Kim’s work has screened at SXSW, the Documentary Channel, and PBS. She is currently working on “Liquor Store Dreams,” So Yun Um’s feature doc about “racial reconciliation in the face of a fading generation of Korean-owned liquor stores in Los Angeles.”
“I am living my dream right now through the Karen Schmeer Emerging Editor Fellowship,” said Kim. “The opportunity comes to me after a time of soul searching and recommitting to my dream of being a documentary editor. To be welcomed into such a uniquely supportive community comprised of amazingly talented yet generous filmmakers is a tremendous honor and encouragement to me. In the coming year, I look forward to furthering my craft as an artist as I learn from my mentors. Particularly in light of the challenges of 2020, I also feel compelled and inspired to do more in proactively building an inclusive community, both on a personal level and as a member of the film industry,” she explained. “As the fellowship was established ten years ago to honor Karen Schmeer’s giving spirit, I, too, hope to reflect her kindness and compassion for all people, in my work, as well as in uplifting other editors who need the opportunity for access and exposure to achieve their dreams.”
Launched to “support an inclusive group of documentary film editors through programs that help them grow as artists and build their community,” the fellowship experience includes mentorship with veteran documentary editors, passes to film festivals and screening series, a $1000 cash award, a DVD collection of Karen’s films, and more. Her mentors for the year will be Kimberley Hassett (“Shirkers”), Karen K.H. Sim (“Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt and Anderson Cooper”), and Miranda Yousef, ACE (“Inequality For All”).
