Andrew Ahn (born March 10, 1986) is an American film director and screenwriter who has directed the feature films Spa Night (2016), Driveways (2019), Fire Island (2022), and The Wedding Banquet (2025).
Early life Andrew Ahn was born and raised in Los Angeles. He is the son of Korean immigrants. He graduated from Brown University with a degree in English and received a master's degree in fine arts (MFA) in Film Directing from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).
Career In 2011, Ahn wrote, directed, edited and produced a short film entitled Andy, which won the Best Narrative Short award at the 2011 San Diego Asian Film Festival. The film has also screened at film festivals including the Boston Asian American Film Festival, the Slamdance Film Festival, the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Outfest, the Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, the DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon and the Vancouver Asian Film Festival.
In 2012, Ahn wrote, directed, edited and produced a short film entitled Dol (First Birthday), which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. It won awards including the Grand Jury Award Outstanding Narrative Short Film at Outfest: Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival 2012, and a Jury Award for Best Narrative Short Film at the Polari: Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival 2012. Ahn has stated that he made the film to come out to his parents as gay.
Ahn has also served as an editor on the documentary I Am Divine (2013) (directed by Jeffrey Schwarz) and was a post-production assistant on the documentaries Vito (2011) and Tab Hunter Confidential (2015), both of which were also directed by Jeffrey Schwarz. He went on to direct two episodes of the third season of the hit Netflix series Bridgerton.
Ahn raised funds via Kickstarter for his feature film, entitled Spa Night, about a closeted gay Korean-American teenager who follows his desires and finds more than he bargains for at the Korean spa in the Koreatown of Los Angeles. He developed the screenplay for the film at the 2013 Sundance Screenwriters Lab, which it was selected for, and participated in the Film Independent Screenwriting Lab and the Film Independent Directing Lab with the feature screenplay for the project. For developing the film, he also received a Sundance Institute Cinereach Feature Film Fellow grant.
Filmography Short film YearTitleDirectorWriterProducer 2010 Andy 2011 Dol (First Birthday) 2019 30/30 Vision: 3 Decades of Strand Releasing (segment "Going Out to Sea")
Feature film YearTitleDirectorWriter 2016 Spa Night 2019 Driveways 2022 Fire Island 2025 The Wedding Banquet
Television YearTitleDirectorExecutiveproducer 2017 Lost L.A. (1) 2018–19 This Close (7) 2020 Gentefied (2) 2021 MacGyver (1) Pride (1) Generation (2) 2024 Bridgerton (2) 2025 Deli Boys (1) 2026 Sterling Point (2)
Accolades + Organizations Year Category Work Result AGLIFF Awards 2012 Jury Award for Best Narrative Short Dol (First Birthday) Berlin International Film Festival 2019 Teddy Award for Best Feature Film Driveways Crystal Bear for The Best Film (Kplus) Boston LGBT Film Festival 2016 Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature Spa Night Gimli Film Festival 2020 Best of Fest Audience Choice Award Driveways Independent Spirit Awards 2017 John Cassavetes Award Spa Night Someone to Watch Award Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival 2016 Best First Feature Nashville Film Festival 2016 New Directors Competition Outfest Los Angeles Film Festival 2012 Jury Award Outstanding Narrative Short Film Dol (First Birthday) Philadelphia Film Festival 2016 Best First Feature Spa Night Remi Awards 2020 Features - Dramatic / Original Driveways San Diego Asian Film Festival 2011 Best Narrative Short Andy 2016 George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award Spa Night 2019 Best Narrative Feature Driveways Seattle International Film Festival 2019 New American Cinema Competition Sundance Film Festival 2012 Grand Jury Prize Short Films Dol (First Birthday) 2016 Grand Jury Prize Dramatic Spa Night
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References
External links
Andrew Ahn's Official Website 2012 Sundance Filmmakers: Andrew Ahn