“Kicking Toward Tomorrow!” is a South Korean short film combining drama, comedy and coming-of-age elements through the universal language of football. Directed by Yunbin An and produced as the winning project of the Grand Prize del Busan International Short Film Festival (BISFF) Short Project 2025, the film explores the dynamics of a small amateur team, David and Goliath FC, run by a neighbourhood Christian church.
At the centre of the story is Dongchan, the team's best player, for whom football is not merely a pastime but a reason for living. Driven by passion and an irrepressible desire to win, Dongchan launches into hard tackles and risky plays, often causing fouls and tension on the pitch. His actions throw the team itself into crisis, forcing captain Jeonghwan to intervene to restore balance and redefine the meaning of teamwork.
Through these relationships, the film addresses personal growth and emotional self-control, showing how sport becomes a place of tension between competition and cooperation, faith and discipline. In this context, football is more than a game: it is a means of reflecting on oneself and the community to which one belongs.
Starring Hanjung Lee, Woojin Yang, Jungyull Lee and Chanyong Park, “Kicking Toward Tomorrow!” stands out for its focus on sport's educational and formative values, expressed through lively storytelling and a youthful tone. The film was made as a student project at Seoil University – Department of Film, Television and Performing Arts, with a budget of $7,000 and a crew of emerging young Korean film professionals.
Completed on 6 April 2025, the short film was shot entirely in South Korea in digital 2.39:1 colour format.
Film Details
Title: Kicking Toward Tomorrow!
Original title: 내일을 향해 차라!
Director: Yunbin An
Production: Kanghwan Shin, Seoil University – Department of Film, Television and Performing Arts
Country: South Korea
Language: Korean
Running time: 29 minutes
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Coming-of-age, Sports
Sport featured: Football
Protagonists: Hanjung Lee (Gu Dongchan), Woojin Yang (Kim Jeonghwan), Jungyull Lee (Hwang Yeongbae), Chanyong Park (Yang Yunbin)
Completion date: 6 April 2025
Premiere: Busan International Short Film Festival, South Korea, 2025
Distributor: [Not specified]
Shooting format: Digital, 2.39:1, colour
Director's first film: No
Student project: Yes