Join a special screening of dramatic short films for the DC Independent Film Festival (DCIFF) 2026 including Back Then, a moving work by emerging Korean filmmaker Junhyeok Kim about a young man whose taxi ride in New York evokes a powerful memory.

Register through the KCCDC below for complimentary admission to this ticketed DCIFF event! Quantities are limited.

This curated DCIFF program brings together six powerful short films exploring memory, family, identity, and emotional turning points. Stick around after the films for a discussion and meeting with Director Junhyeok Kim!

For full event information including other featured films and general public ticket sales, please visit the official DCIFF event page.

DCIFF Personal & Drama Short Films Collection featuring "Back Then"

Date: Saturday, February 14, 2026

Time: 2:10 PM – 4:30 PM

Location: Regal Gallery Place (701 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20001)

Tickets offered through this page are part of a community ticket sponsorship and are free of charge, with limited availability.

REGISTER FOR COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS!

About the Film 

Title: Back Then

Director: Junhyeok Kim

Runtime: 13 minutes

Country: United States, 2025

Synopsis: As Haneul leaves home for college, a quiet taxi ride to New York stirs a fading childhood memory—sparked by an old, crumpled Leche Frita wrapper. Back Then is a tender reflection on family, memory, and growing up between cultures.

About the Director

Junhyeok [Eric] Kim is a South Korean filmmaker at New York University Tisch School of the Arts majoring in Film & TV. His first short film "Well-dying," has won over 20 awards and nominations including Audience Award at the Oscar®-qualifying Indy Shorts Film Festival, Special Presentation at the Oscar®-qualifying 32nd Heartland International Film Festival, Oscar®-qualifying deadCenter Festival, Remi Winner at the 56th WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, and many more. 

• ●2024 Oscar® winner Ben Proudfoot's Breakwater Studios quoted Well-dying, "A beautiful piece...sending our big congratulations."

• ●RogerEbert.com wrote "Wrenching and exquisite. The work of a born filmmaker. It feels like the work of a filmmaker three times his age."