Mountain View filmmaker goes back to school at Cinequest

"We had serious conversations about if we could and should proceed. After nine days, the filmmakers decided to continue the shoot and managed to wrap filming. I'm really proud of the cast and crew for holding together. Independent films are challenging under the best of circumstances. This wasn't the best of circumstances."

"Reunion follows Guy, an Asian American funeral home worker who goes to his high school reunion with the hope of jump-starting his life, only to be mistaken for the most successful alumnus of another school—a mysterious Asian billionaire who no one has seen since graduation."

"While a lot of these plotlines are played for laughs, I hope you see their humanity. There's a little bit of a message here about seeing people for who they are. I don't think it's an accident that the character is Asian American."

John Kim, a Mountain View resident and first-generation Korean American filmmaker, directed Reunion, an independent comedy that premiered at Cinequest 2026. The film began production on January 7, 2025, coinciding with the Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires that destroyed over 57,000 acres and displaced thousands, including cast and crew members. After serious deliberation, Kim and his team decided to continue filming and successfully completed the project. Reunion follows Guy, an Asian American funeral home worker who attends his high school reunion hoping to revitalize his life but is mistaken for a successful billionaire alumnus. The film explores reunion anxiety and features interconnected stories of attendees, blending humor with humanity while examining themes of identity and perception.

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