# Um Tae-hwa

Um Tae-hwa (born 1980) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Um's directorial feature debut Ingtoogi: The Battle of Internet Trolls (2013)—a graduation project for the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA)—was nominated for Best Film, Best Director and Best New Director at the 1st Wildflower Film Awards and Best New Director (Film) at the 50th Baeksang Arts Awards in 2014.
In 2023 his film Concrete Utopia was selected as South Korean entry in the Best International Feature Film category for the 96th Academy Awards to be held in March 2024.

## Personal life

His younger brother Uhm Tae-goo, is a South Korean actor known for his roles in many critically acclaimed films, such as Coin Locker Girl (2015), The Age of Shadows (2016) and for his main roles in popular Korean dramas, such as Save Me 2 (2019), Hometown (2021) and Dr. Brain (2021).
Um married a non-celebrity girlfriend on April 29, 2023 in Gangnam, Seoul. Um's wife is known to have worked as an interior designer and the head of a design studio.

## Filmography
### Short film

Short film credits :
| Year | Title | Title | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Ref. |
| Year | English | Korean | Director | Screenplay | Producer | Ref. |
| 2002 | The Story About Sun-hee | 선희야 노올자 | director | | | |
| 2003 | Cactus | 선인장 | director | screenwriter | producer | editor, storyboard |
| 2010 | Common Story | 신봉리 우리집: 흔한이야기 | director | | | |
| 2011 | Nice Shorts! 2011 (segment: "Home Sweet Home") | 유숙자 | director | | | |
| 2012 | Forest | 숲 | director | | | |
| 2012 | Heart Vibrator | 하트바이브레이터 | director | screenwriter | | |

### Feature film

Feature film credits :
| Year | Title | Title | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Ref. |
| Year | English | Korean | Director | Screenplay | Storyboard | Other | Ref. |
| 2004 | Three... Extremes | 쓰리, 몬스터 | directing department | — | — | — | |
| 2005 | Sympathy for Lady Vengeance | 친절한 금자씨 | assistant director | — | — | — | |
| 2006 | The Faces | 얼굴들 | — | — | — | actor | |
| 2007 | Epitaph | 기담 | assistant director | — | — | | |
| 2011 | Night Fishing | 파란만장 | assistant director | — | storyboard | | |
| 2013 | Ingtoogi: The Battle of Internet Trolls | 잉투기 | director | screenwriter | — | Editor | |
| 2014 | Manshin: Ten Thousand Spirits | 파란만장 | — | scripter | storyboard | | |
| 2014 | Tinker Ticker | 들개 | — | | | actor | |
| 2014 | The Wicked | 마녀 | — | | storyboard | | |
| 2015 | Socialphobia | 소셜포비아 | — | | | Cinematography department | |
| 2016 | Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned | 가려진 시간 | director | | | | |
| 2023 | Concrete Utopia | 콘크리트 유토피아 | director | | | | |

### Music videos
## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2017 | 54th Grand Bell Awards | Best New Director | Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned | Won |
| 2017 | 54th Grand Bell Awards | Best Screenplay | Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned | Nominated |
| 2017 | 12th Festival du Film Coréen à Paris | Audience Award | Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned | Won |
| 2023 | 32nd Buil Film Awards | Best Director | Concrete Utopia | Nominated |
| 2023 | 44th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Director | Concrete Utopia | Won |
| 2023 | 59th Grand Bell Awards | Best Director | Concrete Utopia | Nominated |
| 2024 | 60th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Film | Concrete Utopia | Nominated |
| 2024 | 60th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Director | Concrete Utopia | Nominated |