DIMF
NYMF – DIMF PRODUCTION EXCHANGE
NYMF is thrilled to announce a new partnership with South Korea’s Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF), the only theatre event of its kind in Asia.
NYMF and DIMF share a dedication to ensuring that musical theater stays vibrant as both an art form and an industry while celebrating the important role musical theater plays in their respective communities. As a joint initiative to support and promote the next generation of musical theater writers, the partnership will consist of a production exchange between the two festivals. This provides NYMF and DIMF with the exciting ability to introduce fresh American talent to Korea’s passionate theater fan base and burgeoning musical theater industry, as well as the tremendous opportunity to introduce Korea’s best new musicals to New York audiences.
For its first phase, Isaac Robert Hurwitz and DIMF Executive Chairman Bae Sung Hyuck selected My Scary Girl for a New York presentation during the first week of NYMF’s 2009 fall festival. Based on a 2006 hit Korean film, My Scary Girl is by Korean bookwriter/lyricist Kyoung-Ae Kang and American composer Will Aronson; as the product of a Korean-American artistic collaboration, it was the ideal show to launch the NYMF-DIMF partnership.
My Scary Girl was originally presented at DIMF in 2008 as part of DIMF’s Homegrown Musical series; its subsequent commercial run at the Chungmu Art Hall in Seoul won Best Original Musical at the 2009 Korea Musical Awards. The Seoul production was presented by Michael Yong Ho Park, who also produced the wildly popular Korean production of NYMF’s 2004 show Altar Boyz. The NYMF presentation of My Scary Girl featured the Seoul cast and was performed in Korean with English supertitles.
The second phase of the partnership began in November 2009 at NYMF’s annual gala, where NYMF and DIMF awarded Academy, one of the 2009 NYMF musicals with a full production at DIMF’s 4th annual festival on July 1-4, 2010. All production costs will be included in this award, as well as an additional cash prize for the winning musical’s creators. (Watch a videoblog about Academy's road to Daegu here!)
By collaborating on an international level, NYMF has an extraordinary chance to build on the significant impact of the festival’s first six years. As a leading showcase for new musicals and new musical theater artists, NYMF is committed to presenting diverse voices, both from the United States and around the world. Past festivals have included productions from England (Three Sides, 2006), Canada (Giant Killer Shark, 2008), and Australia (The Hatpin, 2008; Joe Starts Again, 2004), just to name a few. For 2009, in addition to My Scary Girl, other NYMF international participants hailed from Scotland (Marrying Meg), Mexico (Anjou), and Kenya (Mo Faya).
THE DAEGU INTERNATIONAL MUSICAL FESTIVAL
The Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF) is the only exclusive international musical festival in Korea. Established in 2007, DIMF’s mission is to share the beauty and joy of musicals with international theatre-lovers, as well as local residents. Packed with top-notch productions and exciting events, DIMF has firmly established itself as a showcase for gifted artists, an amusement ground for audiences, and a diverse market for the musical theatre industry.
DIMF’s programming is divided into several categories, including:
Official Invitational Musicals – Full productions spotlighting the best of Korean and international musical theatre talent. Past Invitational Musicals have included Edinburgh Fringe hit Eurobeat, epic Chinese drama Butterflies, and the Australian production of Metro Street, starring legendary actress Debra Byrne.
Homegrown Musicals – World premieres of Korean musicals, supported by DIMF to nurture a new generation of artists and audiences and to encourage to Korea’s booming musical theatre industry. The Homegrown Musicals are chosen by a jury for their creativity and skill in theatrical techniques and receive subsidized productions during the festival run.
College Students’ Musical Festival – A showcase of popular musicals and new works performed by Korean and international college teams. Designed to boost opportunities for talented young actors, singers and dancers, these presentations are juried and free to the public. 
DIMFringe Festival – An alternative arts festival inspired by the Edinburgh Fringe, featuring dance and music, as well as performance highlights from DIMF productions.
Other events include an open-air gala concert to kick off the start of the festival season, performance workshops, musical memorabilia exhibitions, academic forums, backstage tours, and the popular Unforgettable Date celebrity Q&A series, which features intimate interviews and mini-concerts by Korea’s biggest musical theatre stars.
Over the past 4 years, DIMF has grown to be a major hub in Asian performing arts with the help and support of Daegu citizens and musical-loving audiences.
For more information about DIMF, please visit their website: www.dimf.or.kr
