Designer
Storyteller
Filmmaker
Educator
Kangmin Kim is a filmmaker and designer who holds both a BFA and MFA from CalArts’ Experimental Animation program.
He has a depth of experience in both stop motion and motion graphics; his work often combines handcrafted characters with digitally designed backgrounds. Kangmin has been sharing his unique approach to animation as an instructor at CalArts since 2021, serving as a thesis advisor for MFA students, teaching stop motion classes, and pioneering a structure map method.
Kangmin's recently completed trio of animated shorts inspired by his memories (DEER FLOWER, JEOM, and KKUM) have made him one of today's most highly awarded contemporary animators. His films have screened at the four major animated film festivals (Annecy, Ottawa, Hiroshima, Zagreb) and at some of the film industry's most prominent festivals, including Sundance, AFI, and SXSW.
His most recent film, KKUM, won the Grand Prize for Short Animation as well as the Public Prize (voted on by all festival attendees) at the 2020 Ottawa International Animation Festival, marking just the third time OIAF's nearly 50-year history that the same film has won both prizes.
EDUCATION
2006 Communication Design at Samsung Art and Design Institute
2011 BFA and MFA in Experimental Animation at California Institute of the Arts
AWARDS
animated short film: KKUM
Best Animated Film / Ann Arbor Film Festival 2021( OSCAR qualifying )
Grand Prize / Ottawa International Animation Festival 2020( OSCAR qualifying )
Public Prize / Ottawa International Animation Festival 2020
Special Mention / international animation festival fest ANCA / 2021
Grand Prix / GLAS 2021
Mikeldi for Best Animation / ZINEBI 62 2020
Best Independent Film / Stop Motion Montreal 2020
Juror Honorable Mention / sweaty eyeballs animation 2020
Sound / Music Prize / Korea Independent Animation Festival 2020
Grand Prize / Korea Independent Animation Festival 2020
​
animated short film: JEOM
Special Jury Recognition / SXSW Film Festival 2018
CINECUBE award / Asiana International Short Film Festival 2018
BEST OF THE MONTH / Vimeo staff pick
​
animated short film: Deer Flower
Special Jury mention / Animafest Zagreb 2016
Best animated film / Aspen Shorfest 2016 ( OSCAR qualifying )
Best Animation Short / Melbourne International Film Festival 2016 ( OSCAR qualifying )
Special Jury Mention / AFI FEST 2016
Grand prix / Busan International Short Film Festival 2016
Grand prix / Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival 2016
Special Jury Prize / Jeonju International Film Festival 2016
Prize for independent walk / Indie-AniFest 2016
Honorific Mention / SHORTS MEXICO 2016
Grand Prix / China Independent Animation Film Forum 2016
Honorable Mention / Philadelphia Film Festival 2016
​
animated short film: 38-39Ëšc
Grand Prix Experimental / CINE COURT ANIME 2013
Best Animated Short / Ashland Independent Film Festival 2012
Best Short Animation / San Diego Asian Film Festival 2012
Animation Semifinalist / Adobe Design Achievement Awards 2012
KOREA ANIMATION AWARD / KOREA CONTENT AWARDS 2013
NOMINATION
Best Animated Short Subject / The 48th Annie Awards
Best Animated Short Subject / The 44th Annie Awards
Best of the Year / Vimeo 2018
LECTURE, WORKSHOP
2010 mar
2012 mar
2013 apr
2015 mar
2015 apr
2016 nov
2016 nov
2016 nov
2016 nov
2018 Sep
2018 Feb
2019 Mar
2019 Apr
2020 Jan
2022 July
2022 Oct
2023 Oct
2024 Mar
2024 Apr
CalArts - Experimental Animation Class
CalArts - Experimental Animation Class
FZ FIFTEEN animation & story gallery
California State University - Experimental Animation Class
Asia University - Visual Communication Design
Kookmin University - Entertainment Design Dept
sadi - communication design
KONKUK University - animation
Seoul Institute of the Arts - Digital Arts
Rhode Island School of Design
CalArts - Experimental Animation Class
California State University - Experimentl Animation Class
R & D - paper in motion
CalArts + Hongik University workshop
Masterclass at Fantasia Film Festival
Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design
San Jose State University(Lecture, Retrospective)
Korean Academy of Film Arts
EXHIBITION
The Postmodern Child at Museum of Contemporary Art Busan KOREA 2022-2023
Grimdosi at Culture Station Seoul 284. KOREA 2019
Experimental Stop Motion Exhibition at animation & story gallery TAIWAN 2013
Motion Factory Exhibition at La Gaîté lyrique FRANCE 2014
RED Exhibition at ANDLAB USA 2016