Idols Never Die

Jerome Yoo is an independent writer and director who comes from an acting background. Often telling stories of youth, Jerome aims to inject unconventional style and energy to bring his stories to life. Jerome recently made his directing debut in 2018 with his Storyhive short, Gong Ju, and has previously co-written award winning Crazy 8s hip-hop short, Cypher. Jerome can also be found in front of the camera on shows such as Charmed, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, iZombie and Man in the High Castle.

Andrea Bang is a writer/actor based in Vancouver, B.C. Several of her short scripts have been made into films, including Lucy Dies which was nominated for Best Original Script at the Asians on Film festival. As an actor she is most well known for her role as Janet on CBC’s Kim’s Convenience. And next she’ll be working with some of the members from team Parabola to bring her short script “In Loving Memory” to life, with the help of HGF and BC Creative. She’s super excited to be working with Jerome and the rest of the Idols Never Die crew.

Mike Johnston is an award-winning director and producer based out of Vancouver, British Columbia.  He is also the co-owner of the film production collective, Studio 104 Entertainment.  Mike’s most recent credits include producing Andy Alvarez’s Our Home – the follow up to La Mariposa which won the Leo Award for the Best Student Production in June 2018 as well as directing the short film Line of Fire, which won the Award of Recognition at the Best Shorts Competition in Los Angeles in January 2019.  Line of Fire also won the Silver Award for Best Sound Design and the Bronze Award of Best Thriller at the Independent Short Awards in Los Angeles.

Derek Kwan is a filmmaker and actor based out of Vancouver, Canada. With a passion for food and culture, his films showcase the human condition and provide a lens into the Canadian experience not widely told through film. Derek’s short, Taste of Identity, was an Official Selection at the 19th Annual Vancouver Asian Film Festival where it was also nominated for Best Canadian Short. Derek has produced content with CBC Arts, CBC Canada 150, CBC Comedy, and CBC Vancouver. His latest film Mẹ, is a documentary short funded by Telus Storyhive and is currently screening worldwide throughout the film festival circuit.

Thomas is the youngest of the Affolter brothers, though he compensates for this fact by also being the tallest. He’s been writing, producing, and directing award-winning films since he was a teenager, and has directed over 50 short films, TV episodes, commercials, music videos, web series, and pieces of original branded content. Also an accomplished editor and cinematographer, Thomas strives to challenge both the mind and the heart with the power of storytelling. Collaboration is at the core of his creative process, and he enjoys working with his three brothers not only because they make him a better filmmaker, but because Thomas likes to talk a lot – and his brothers know when to tell him to shut up. Along with everyone at Foreshadow Films, the production company run by the four Affolter brothers, Thomas is dedicated to creating unique, compelling stories that challenge our perception of the world, and of ourselves… while also having a few laughs along the way!

Lawrence Le Lam is an award-winning filmmaker from Richmond, BC, Canada who loves exploring underground worlds and subcultures. His short film, The Blue Jet, about a rebellious radio DJ broadcasting banned rock & roll in 1970s Taiwan premiered at Festival Du Nouveau Cinéma 2015, and has screened at festivals all around the world. It’s won many awards including Best Student Production (Whistler Film Festival / Leo Awards 2016), and Best in Canada at the Toronto Shorts International Film Festival. His last short, Cypher, explores the conflict between the Korean and Black communities in LA during the 90s through the underground hip hop scene. Lawrence was a part of the TIFF Talent Lab program in 2017. He has also directed and co-wrote a feature documentary about the social enterprise movement, Not Business As Usual which premiered at the Chicago Social Change Film Festival, and continues to spread online and in classrooms for free, accumulating more than 100,000 views. Lawrence is currently working as an editor and co-writer on Ying Wang’s conspiracy thriller feature docudrama, The World Is Bright. His next project, and first narrative feature, currently titled Hongcouver will explore the world of shady real estate and ultra rich Chinese kids.