SHANE CHUNG is a Korean-American filmmaker who enjoys challenging mainstream narratives around Asians and Trojan-Horsing thorny emotions and complex topics into genre films.

His latest short is the martial arts comedy 'CHECK PLEASE', which is one part a tribute to '90s Hong Kong action flicks and one part a bighearted reflection on the “in-betweenness” of holding an Asian-American identity. The short has screened at Fantastic Fest 2024, Palm Springs International Shortsfest 2025, the Chicago International Film Festival 2025, and won a 'Best Director' prize at the BFI Future Film Festival 2025.

He is currently developing 'CHECK PLEASE' into a feature.

From the Filmmaker

CHECK PLEASE is heavily influenced by schlocky, zany, stunt-filled action comedy and martial arts films (Jackie Chan, Stephen Chow) because first and foremost I wanted to make a crowdpleaser. I think the best movies are like magic tricks in that you walk away after seeing them asking “how did they do that?!”

And yet I also wanted to use the "fun" of the action genre to trick the audience into sitting with a movie that talks about a theme more personal to me: the "in-betweenness" of holding a Korean-American identity. I address a few questions about belonging and representation: what is “Koreanness”? Is it innate? Can you gain or lose it? (Jay attempts to reclaim his perceived “loss in Koreanness” by attaching himself to superficial cultural Korean rituals, like picking up the bill.) And is there such thing as a “bad Korean” on screen? I wanted to portray Asian Americans in film that go beyond a tired immigrant storyline or a discrimination storyline and instead focus on the relatable internal struggle of being too Korean for America, but being too American for Korea. This is a resonant theme for many, my hope is that this film can help them feel that they aren't alone!

The film was shot in a strip mall in West Ridge with Chicago film crew members, and the many lively multicultural strip malls around the city (in Argyle, Chinatown, and even ones out in Glenview) served as inspriation for the film's setting.