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Celine Song

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Celine Song
Song at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival
Born
Song Ha-Young

(1988-09-19) September 19, 1988 (age 36)
South Korea
CitizenshipCanada
Education
Occupations
  • Filmmaker
  • playwright
Spouse
​
(m. 2016)​

Celine Song (born Song Ha-Young; Korean: 송하영;[1] born September 19, 1988) is a Canadian director, playwright, and screenwriter based in the United States. Among her plays are Endlings and The Seagull on The Sims 4. Her directorial film debut Past Lives received critical acclaim, and was nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the 96th Academy Awards.

Early life and education

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Song was born in South Korea.[2] Her parents, both artists, moved the family to Markham, Ontario, Canada when she was 12.[2][3] Her father, Song Neung-han, is a filmmaker.[4] Her mother is an illustrator and graphic designer.[5] She has hinted at her Western name being a reference to the character in the 1974 film Celine and Julie Go Boating, directed by Jacques Rivette.[6]

Song wrote her first play, an adaptation of Prometheus, at a classics conference she attended (the Ontario Student Classics Conference) with the Markham District Classics Club.[7]

Song attended Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario for her undergraduate degree where she studied psychology with a minor in philosophy, before receiving her MFA in playwriting from Columbia University in New York in 2014.[8][9][7]

Career

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2019–2020: Off-Broadway works

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Song's play Endlings premiered in 2019 at the American Repertory Theater. The show's off-Broadway run opened in March 2020 at New York Theatre Workshop, but was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] The show tells the story of three older Korean women haenyeos and a Korean-Canadian writer living in New York.[10][2] In a mixed review, Alexandra Schwartz of The New Yorker described Endlings as "two works spliced roughly together: a traditional play that seeks to depict people’s lives, and a metafictional examination of the playwright’s own motivations, which flirts with honesty before traipsing down a solipsistic path of no return."[11] The play was chosen for the 2018 O'Neill Playwrights Conference and was a finalist for the 2020 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.[12]

In November 2020, Song directed a live production of Chekhov's The Seagull using The Sims 4 on Twitch for New York Theatre Workshop, called The Seagull on The Sims 4.[13][2] In a review for Vulture, Helen Shaw praised the experimental play: "I think Song’s game-play/play-game managed the trick by capturing the experience not of going to a show but of working on one. At her urging, viewers brought the quality of attention that comes with collaboration, and that felt like a churning motor under everything, trying to propel the show into being."[14]

Song's other plays include Tom and Eliza, which was named a semifinalist for the American Playwriting Foundation's 2016 Relentless Award, Family, and The Feast.[15][12] According to her biography on The Playwright's Realm, "she has been awarded residences, fellowships, and commissions from MTC/Sloan, Sundance, the Millay Colony for the Arts, the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and the Edward F. Albee Foundation."[12]

2021–present: Breakthrough with Past Lives

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Main article: Past Lives (film)

Song wrote the screenplay for Past Lives, her directorial film debut, about two childhood friends who later reunite as adults (portrayed by Greta Lee and Teo Yoo).[16] The film is partly inspired by Song's life, specifically a dinner she had with her English-speaking husband and her Korean-speaking friend visiting New York.[7] In an interview with Scott Feinberg for The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, she reflects on the experience: "at one point, I realized that I wasn't just translating between their languages and cultures, but also translating between these two parts of myself as well."[7] The film was produced by A24 and premiered at Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023.[17] Past Lives received critical acclaim and has been compared to the work of Richard Linklater, Woody Allen, and Noah Baumbach.[18][19] The Guardian's Benjamin Lee rated it 4/5 stars and praised Song's work: "as writer, Song manages to keep her dialogue believably light-footed and spare while as director, she confidently and evocatively captures both cities with a breadth that belies her inexperience. It's a beautiful, transporting film but one made with both feet firmly on the ground."[20] Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair hailed the film as "understated and yet vast in its consideration of the slow changes of life, of the past ever whispering to the present. The film is as auspicious a debut as one can hope to see at Sundance, the announcement of a filmmaker confident in her craft and generous with her heart."[17] Alissa Wilkinson of Vox said Past Lives should be "one of 2023’s most talked-about films".[21] The film received many accolades including nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the 96th Academy Awards.[22]

Song's first television screenwriting job was as a staff writer for the first season of Amazon's The Wheel of Time.[23] Her next film project, Materialists, is in production with A24 as of December 2023. Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans are in talks to star, with Sony Pictures acquiring select international distribution rights at the European Film Market in February 2024.[24][25][26] On April 11th, 2024, the music video for pop artist Laufey's song "Goddess" was released, with Celine Song directing.[27][28] This marks her music video directorial debut.

Personal life

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Song resides in New York City with her husband, writer Justin Kuritzkes, whom she met at an artist residency hosted by the Edward F. Albee Foundation.[29][30][7] Song says that he is always the first person to read her scripts.[31]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Director Writer Notes Ref.
2023 Past Lives Yes Yes [17]
TBA Materialists Yes Yes Post-production [24]

Television

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Year Title Notes Ref.
2021 The Wheel of Time Staff writer; 8 episodes [2]

Theatre

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2020 Endlings Playwright NYTW; February–March, 2020 [32]
2020 The Seagull on The Sims 4. Playwright NYTW; October 27–28, 2020 [33]

Accolades

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Year Association Category Project Result Ref
2023 Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Director Past Lives Nominated [34]
Best Original Screenplay Nominated
Best Woman Director Nominated
Best Woman Screenwriter Won
Asia Pacific Screen Awards Best Director Won
Berlin International Film Festival Golden Bear Nominated
Boston Society of Film Critics Best New Filmmaker Won
British Independent Film Awards Best International Independent Film Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Best Original Screenplay Nominated
Milos Stehlik Award for Breakthrough Filmmaker Won
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Director 5th place [35]
Dublin Film Critics' Circle Best Director Won
Florida Film Critics Circle Best Director Nominated
Best First Film Won
Best Original Screenplay Won
Pauline Kael Breakout Award Runner-up
Gotham Awards Best Feature Won [36]
Breakthrough Director Nominated
Los Angeles Film Critics Association New Generation Award Won
National Board of Review Best Directorial Debut Won
New York Film Critics Online Best Debut Director Won
San Diego Film Critics Society Best First Feature Runner-up
Best Original Screenplay Nominated
St. Louis Film Critics Association Best Director Nominated [37]
Best Original Screenplay Nominated
Sydney Film Festival Best Film Nominated
Toronto Film Critics Association Best Original Screenplay Nominated
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Best Director Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Won
2024 Academy Awards Best Original Screenplay Nominated
Astra Film Awards Best Director Nominated [38]
Best First Feature Won
Best Original Screenplay Nominated
Austin Film Critics Association Best Director Nominated [39]
Best First Film Won
Best Original Screenplay Won
The Robert R. "Bobby" McCurdy Memorial Breakthrough Artist Award Nominated
British Academy Film Awards Best Original Screenplay Nominated
Best Film Not in the English Language Nominated
Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Original Screenplay Nominated [40]
Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directing – First-Time Feature Film Won
Independent Spirit Awards Best Director Won [41]
Best Screenplay Nominated
Georgia Film Critics Association Best Director Nominated [42]
Best Original Screenplay Runner-up
Breakthrough Award Nominated
Golden Globe Awards Best Motion Picture - Drama Nominated [43]
Best Director Nominated
Best Screenplay Nominated
International Cinephile Society Best Debut Film Nominated
London Film Critics' Circle Screenwriter of the Year Nominated [44]
National Society of Film Critics Best Screenplay Runner-up
Online Film Critics Society Best Director Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Nominated
Best Feature Debut Won
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Best Director Nominated [45]
Best Original Screenplay Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Original Screenplay Nominated [46]
Seattle Film Critics Society Best Director Nominated [47]
Best Screenplay Nominated
Sundance Film Festival Vanguard Award Celine Song Won
Writers Guild of America Awards Best Original Screenplay Past Lives Nominated [48]

References

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  1. ^ "'패스트 라이브즈' 셀린 송 감독, 제2의 봉준호 될까" (in Korean). Hankyoreh. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Wong, Curtis M. (May 5, 2021). "With 'Endlings,' Celine Song Dove Deep Into Asian Identity. She Won't Be Stopping There". Huffington Post.
  3. ^ Hertz, Barry (2023-06-08). "Canada, Korea, and America walk into a bar: The international roots of Celine Song's beguiling Past Lives". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
  4. ^ Kim, Ji-hye (2023). "장률·셀린 송, 베를린영화제 빛낼 반가운 이름…한국계 활약 주목". SBS Entertainment News (in Korean).
  5. ^ Ford, Rebecca (2023-12-08). "Celine Song's Past, Present, and Future". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  6. ^ Aguilar, Carlos (2023-06-02). "How a first-time director's own 'Past Lives' inspired one of the year's best films". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  7. ^ a b c d e Feinberg, Scott (2024-02-24). "'Awards Chatter' Podcast: Celine Song on True Story Behind 'Past Lives,' Final Draft's Subtitles Problem and the 'In-Yun' in Her Life" The Hollywood Reporter (Podcast). Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  8. ^ Rao, Mallika (2023-05-25). "Celine Song Is the One That Got Away". Vulture. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  9. ^ "'Endlings' by Alumna Celine Song '14 Playing at New York Theatre Workshop | School of the Arts". arts.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  10. ^ Green, Jesse (2020-03-10). "Review: In 'Endlings,' the Pain of Swimming Between Worlds". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  11. ^ Schwartz, Alexandra (2020-03-11). ""Endlings" Questions the Legitimacy of Storytelling". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  12. ^ a b c "Celine Song". The Playwrights Realm. 2017-01-01. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  13. ^ Vanasco, Jennifer (2020-10-27). "Is It Theater? Chekhov's 'The Seagull' Adaptation For The Sims 4 To Stream On Twitch". NPR.
  14. ^ Shaw, Helen (2020-11-15). "The Best Online Staging of Chekhov's The Seagull Is in The Sims. Really". Vulture. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  15. ^ "Celine Song | New Play Exchange". newplayexchange.org. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  16. ^ Kroll, Justin (2021-08-02). "Greta Lee & Teo Yoo Set To Star In A24's 'Past Lives'". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  17. ^ a b c Lawson, Richard (2023-01-21). "'Past Lives' Is a Note-Perfect Directorial Debut". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  18. ^ "Past Lives: this astonishing debut luminously captures a world-spanning, decades-long love story". British Film Institute. March 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  19. ^ "'Past Lives': Celine Song's Sundance breakout". Yahoo News. 22 February 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  20. ^ "Past Lives review – delicately sad romantic drama is a real achievement". the Guardian. 2023-01-22. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  21. ^ "Past Lives is already one of the year's best films". Vox. 25 January 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  22. ^ Nordyke, Kimberly; Lewis, Hilary (2024-01-23). "Oscars: Full List of Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  23. ^ "Celine Song and Julia Cho on Asian American Storytelling". Department of Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on 2023-01-22. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  24. ^ a b Ang, Raymond (2023-12-04). "The Awesome Arrival of 'Past Lives' Director Celine Song". GQ. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  25. ^ "Past Lives' Director Celine Song's Rom-Com 'Materialists' Set at A24 With Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans in Talks to Star". variety. 7 February 2024.
  26. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (18 February 2024). "Celine Song's 'Past Lives' Follow-Up 'Materialists' Sells To Sony For International In Another Big EFM Deal; Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal & Chris Evans In Talks To Star". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  27. ^ Willman, Chris (2024-04-11). "Laufey as Screen 'Goddess': How Working With 'Past Lives' Director Celine Song and Co-Star Will Gao on Music Video Gave the Singer Her First Real Acting Gig". Variety. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  28. ^ Laufey - Goddess (Official Music Video). Retrieved 2024-04-18 – via www.youtube.com.
  29. ^ Dalton, Ben (February 19, 2023). "Celine Song talks debut feature 'Past Lives': "It's the script that convinced people I can do this"". Screen. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  30. ^ Rao, Mallika (May 25, 2023). "Celine Song on Past Lives, Her Debut Movie". Vulture. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  31. ^ "Celine Song's New Love". Vanity Fair. 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  32. ^ "NYTW / ENDLINGS". NYTW. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  33. ^ "NYTW / THE SEAGULL ON THE SIMS 4". NYTW. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  34. ^ Merin, Jennifer (December 22, 2023). "2023 EDA Awards Nominees". Alliance of Women Film Journalists. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  35. ^ Jorgenson, Todd (December 18, 2023). "DFW Film Critics Name 'The Holdovers' Best Picture of 2023". Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  36. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (October 24, 2023). "Gotham Awards Nominations: 'All of Us Strangers' Tops Movie List; Ryan Gosling Gets 'Barbie' Nom With Budget Caps Removed". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  37. ^ "The 2023 St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) Nominations". Next Best Picture. December 10, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  38. ^ Anderson, Erik (December 7, 2023). "'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' Lead Hollywood Creative Alliance (HCA) Astra Awards Nominations". AwardsWatch. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  39. ^ Neglia, Matt (January 10, 2024). "The 2023 Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) Winners". Next Best Picture.
  40. ^ Davis, Clayton (December 13, 2023). "Critics Choice 2024 Nominations: 'Barbie' Breaks All-Time Record With 18 Noms". Variety. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  41. ^ McArdle, Tommy (December 5, 2023). "'May December', Anne Hathaway, Teyana Taylor, and More Score 2024 Independent Spirit Awards Nominations". People. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  42. ^ Neglia, Matt (January 5, 2024). "The 2023 Georgia Film Critics Association (GAFCA) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  43. ^ "The 2024 Nominations". goldenglobes.com. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  44. ^ Cline, Rich (20 December 2023). "'All of Us Strangers' and 'Oppenheimer' lead CC Film Awards Nominations". London Film Critics' Circle. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  45. ^ Neglia, Matt (January 9, 2024). "The 2023 San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  46. ^ Neglia, Matt (18 December 2023). "The 2023 Satellite Award (IPA) Nominations". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  47. ^ Neglia, Matt (January 8, 2024). "The 2023 Seattle Film Critics Society (SFCS) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  48. ^ n.a. "2024 Writers Guild Awards Nominees". Writers Guild of America. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
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