Christina July Kim
Encyclopedia
Christina July Kim is an American actress. She began her film debut working on indie films that were screened at the annual LA Shorts Fest
, Cinema City International Film Festival, and S.F. Frozen Film Festival
to name a few. After guest appearances on the television show Easy Money, her break came when she was given a Taft-Hartley for her role as Xiu in Doc West (2009) a Spaghetti Western
starring Terence Hill
and Paul Sorvino
where she gained international recognition.
and moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico
when she was 6 years old. She grew up in the Northeast Heights of Albuquerque and was the only Korean American
girl in her class all throughout school. Although CJ seemed very happy, she was very ashamed of her Korean heritage growing up. She first took a speech and drama class taught by M. Mercer in 8th grade where she landed the role of "Buttercup" in her school's production of The Princess Bride
. She escaped racial prejudices through acting and found freedom of expression through the theatre. At La Cueva High School
, she continued to study acting and with the counsel of her high school drama teachers D. Keyson and S. Hobbs, she decided to apply to the Bachelor of Fine Arts
acting
program at the University of Southern California
. Out of 500+ applicants, CJ was accepted into the prestigious BFA program. Before graduating from USC, CJ was invited to audition for Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation
. Initially, her visit went so well that she decided to take a break from USC and moved to Seoul
. Things didn't go as planned, but while she was abroad, she landed a gig at Arirang TV
as a radio
DJ.
as well as the Vancouver Asian Film Festival
and was well received by the audience. Shortly after, CJ filmed her first feature "Internal Behaviors" which was theatrically released on Halloween in 2008
The following year, she filmed "The Cheapest Man in the Room" and was back at the LA Shorts Fest
and also to the Cinema City International Film Festival for the screening where the short left audiences wondering "Am I that cheap?" The film went on to be recognized in prestigious film circles winning numerous awards and being recognized as a Merit Winner at the Accolade Competition. This film worked closely with the Screen Actors Guild
and was a foreshadowing of CJ's eventual Taft-Hartley into SAG through Doc West which she later filmed at the end of 2008.
LA Shorts Fest
Robert Arentz founded the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival AKA LA Shorts Fest in 1997. LA Shorts Fest is among the largest short film festivals in the world with more 250 film screenings per annual festival...
, Cinema City International Film Festival, and S.F. Frozen Film Festival
S.F. Frozen Film Festival
The San Francisco Frozen Film Festival was founded in 2006 to provide a forum for Bay Area Filmmakers to mingle and be exposed to Non-Bay Area Filmmakers, with the intention of creating a lasting and sustainable Bay Area Film Network that will continue to support and have a place to exhibit films...
to name a few. After guest appearances on the television show Easy Money, her break came when she was given a Taft-Hartley for her role as Xiu in Doc West (2009) a Spaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
starring Terence Hill
Terence Hill
Terence Hill is an Italian actor. He is best known for starring in multiple action and western films together with his longtime filmpartner Bud Spencer.-Biography:...
and Paul Sorvino
Paul Sorvino
Paul Anthony Sorvino is an American actor. He often portrays authority figures on both sides of the law, and is possibly best known for his roles as Paulie Cicero, a portrayal of Paul Vario in the film Goodfellas and Sgt. Phil Cerreta on the police procedural and legal drama television series Law...
where she gained international recognition.
Biography
CJ was born in Monterey Park, CaliforniaMonterey Park, California
Monterey Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. The city's motto is "Pride in the past, Faith in the future"...
and moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
when she was 6 years old. She grew up in the Northeast Heights of Albuquerque and was the only Korean American
Korean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...
girl in her class all throughout school. Although CJ seemed very happy, she was very ashamed of her Korean heritage growing up. She first took a speech and drama class taught by M. Mercer in 8th grade where she landed the role of "Buttercup" in her school's production of The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride is a 1973 fantasy novel written by William Goldman. It was originally published in the United States by Harcourt Brace, while in the UK it is/was published by Bloomsbury Publishing....
. She escaped racial prejudices through acting and found freedom of expression through the theatre. At La Cueva High School
La Cueva High School
La Cueva High School is a public high school located in northeast Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is part of the Albuquerque Public Schools District. Their mascot is a bear. The La Cueva Cluster has several middle and elementary schools that feed into it, of which include Desert Ridge, Madison, and...
, she continued to study acting and with the counsel of her high school drama teachers D. Keyson and S. Hobbs, she decided to apply to the Bachelor of Fine Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
acting
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
program at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. Out of 500+ applicants, CJ was accepted into the prestigious BFA program. Before graduating from USC, CJ was invited to audition for Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
. Initially, her visit went so well that she decided to take a break from USC and moved to Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. Things didn't go as planned, but while she was abroad, she landed a gig at Arirang TV
Arirang TV
Arirang TV is an international, English-language network based in Seoul, South Korea, operated by The Korea International Broadcasting Foundation...
as a radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
DJ.
2007–2008: Early work
She began her work in indie films, with her very first being the independent short "Remember the Days". The film was accepted into multiple well known film festivals such as the LA Shorts FestLA Shorts Fest
Robert Arentz founded the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival AKA LA Shorts Fest in 1997. LA Shorts Fest is among the largest short film festivals in the world with more 250 film screenings per annual festival...
as well as the Vancouver Asian Film Festival
Vancouver Asian Film Festival
The Vancouver Asian Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia for about 4–5 days in November. Launching in 1996 , it is Canada’s oldest Asian film festival, exhibiting films and videos by North American artists of Asian heritage. Awards include a juried award...
and was well received by the audience. Shortly after, CJ filmed her first feature "Internal Behaviors" which was theatrically released on Halloween in 2008
The following year, she filmed "The Cheapest Man in the Room" and was back at the LA Shorts Fest
LA Shorts Fest
Robert Arentz founded the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival AKA LA Shorts Fest in 1997. LA Shorts Fest is among the largest short film festivals in the world with more 250 film screenings per annual festival...
and also to the Cinema City International Film Festival for the screening where the short left audiences wondering "Am I that cheap?" The film went on to be recognized in prestigious film circles winning numerous awards and being recognized as a Merit Winner at the Accolade Competition. This film worked closely with the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
and was a foreshadowing of CJ's eventual Taft-Hartley into SAG through Doc West which she later filmed at the end of 2008.
Body of Work
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Internal Behaviors | Jessica | Independent feature |
| 2007 | Remember the Days | Nancy | Independent short |
| 2008 | Jenny | Independent short | |
| 2009 | Freudian Eyebrow | Flip-flop | Independent feature |
| 2009 | Office of the Dead | Liz – Project Manager | Independent feature |
| 2009 | Baby Amy | Evelyn | Independent feature |
| 2010 | In the Minds of Men | Kim Park | Independent feature |
| 2010 | Placebo | Melody | Independent feature |
| 2010 | 2012 Seeking Closure | Kim Vaughn | Independent feature |
| 2010 | Ricky | Brigette | Independent feature |
| 2010 | Casting Shadows | Shannon | Independent short |
| 2010 | To the Brink | Svetlana | Independent short |
| 2010 | Doc West's Conscience: Part 1 | Xiu Shintai | Independent feature |
| 2011 | Caos and Consequences | Evelyn | Independent feature |
| 2011 | Strange Hearts | Claire | Independent short |
| 2011 | Internal Behaviors 2 | Jessica | Independent feature |
| 2012 | Friends of the Bride | Meredith | Independent feature |
Television appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Easy Money | Sang Hee | Episodes: "Bags, Bangles and Booty" and "BassMaster" |
| 2009 | Doc West | Xiu | Spaghetti Western Spaghetti Western Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and... for "Italian TV" |
| 2009 | Triggerman | Xiu | Spaghetti Western Spaghetti Western Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and... for "Italian TV" |