Don't miss our special screening of the Oscar®-winning film Minari, starring Steven Yeun. Stay after for an exclusive pre-recorded discussion with writer/director Lee Isaac Chung and Rachel Olsen, Director of Education and Engagement at the National Willa Cather Center in celebration of Willa Cather's 150th birthday anniversary.

About the Film: A Korean American family moves to an Arkansas farm in search of its own American dream. Amidst the challenges of new life in Arkansas, they discover the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home.

Lee Isaac Chung, Writer & Director

A son of Korean immigrants, Isaac Chung grew up on a small farm in rural Arkansas and then attended Yale University before abandoning plans for medical school to earn his MFA in film studies at the University of Utah. Chung’s latest film Twisters, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and Anthony Ramos, follows the group as they find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives. Distributed by Universal Pictures domestically, and Warner Bros. Pictures internationally, the film opened on July 19th, 2024.

His breakout film Minari, from Plan B and A24, won the Grand Jury and Audience Awards at Sundance in 2020 and garnered Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice wins, along with multiple Academy Award, Independent Spirit, BAFTA and SAG nominations. The film was named one of the ten best films of 2020 by the American Film Institute and by the National Board of Review, which also awarded Isaac “Best Original Screenplay.” Chung’s other films include Munyurangabo, which premiered in 2007 at the Cannes Film Festival to critical acclaim, Lucky Life and Abigail Harm. Chung currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter.

Rachel Olsen, Director of Education and Engagement, National Willa Cather Center

Rachel Olsen joined the Willa Cather Foundation as a tour guide in October 2017 and has since worked in a variety of educational roles before becoming the Director of Education and Engagement in 2022. A former college English teacher, she enjoys developing activities and content designed to preserve Cather’s rich literary history. In addition to supervising a team of programming and visitor services staff, Rachel organizes the Teacher Institute and Author Series programs, oversees Opera House seasons of events, plans conferences and seminars, and fosters relationships with educators from area schools, colleges, and universities.

Community Collaborations sponsored by Mutual of Omaha.