Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Andrew Ahn, the Filmmaker Behind The Wedding Banquet

By Bailey Pennick

One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. While we can learn a lot about the filmmakers from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival through the art that these storytellers share with us, there's always more we can learn about them as people. We decided to get to the bottom of those artistic wells with our ongoing series: Give Me the Backstory!

Its title might seem familiar, but Andrew Ahn's The Wedding Banquet is more than just a fresh take on Ang Lee's 1993 film, it's a deeply personal reimagining of the romantic comedy. I remember when my brother got married, I wondered if I would ever have that experience, says the director and co-writer of the film, which is debuting as part of the Premieres section of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. I saw how the wedding brought him closer to his wife, to my parents, to his Korean culture. As a gay man, I wasn't sure I could have this, so making this film was my way of throwing myself a Korean wedding.

This desire for close family and cultural ties is a strong thread throughout Ahn's own life and career, spanning all the way back to his short film Dol (First Birthday), which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Dol follows the story of a gay Korean American man yearn[ing] for a family life that is just out of reach, and Ahn's Wedding Banquet builds on that concept by affirming the need to create your own family and community, while also struggling with the realities of familial expectations and cultural traditions.

This universal push-and-pull comes to life in the complicated web of The Wedding Banquet's plot: With his green card expiring and his grandmother (Youn Yuh-Jung) looking to bring him home, Min (Han Gi-chan) proposes to his long-term boyfriend Chris (Bowen Yang) and is brushed off because he's not ready to make that commitment. To stall for time while he and Chris figure their lives and priorities out, a plan for fake marriage to his friend Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) for immigration is hatched. In exchange, Min will help pay the cost for IVF for Angela's partner Lee (Lily Gladstone). When Min tries to alleviate his grandmother's concerns about his life in the U.S. with this news, she calls his bluff and comes to America to help seal the deal.

Stacked with charismatic and nuanced performances, this tale of half-baked deception for the greater good of a foursome of friends reinforces the true power and sacrifice of love. When asked about who he wants The Wedding Banquet to reach, Ahn doubles down on the importance of those who you build a life with. Yes, of course I want everyone to see it! I hope audiences flock to the theaters! But, ultimately, I made this for my partner and I'm excited for him to see it.

Below learn about what influenced Ahn's decision to make The Wedding Banquet, why this story needs to be told now, and who he called first when he found out he got into the 2025 Festival.

LINK:	https://www.sundance.org/blogs/give-me-the-backstory-get-to-know-andre...
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