Hi everyone

My name is Marie. I’m a filmmaker from Vienna, and I moved to Korea two years ago, searching for a new environment, a new language, a new culture… and honestly, a bit of distance from the film industry I had been part of for over 10 years.

Back home, I founded Black Filmmakers, a collective supporting Black creatives in the German-speaking film industry. We created safe spaces, workshops, and conversations, pushing for more representation in an industry that still struggles with diversity and stereotypical storytelling.

But somewhere along the way, I realized I had lost touch with my own creative voice. So I took a step back. I chose to just live, to explore, to reconnect with joy.

A few months ago, a friend encouraged me to submit to a small film festival here in Korea… and something unexpected happened.

The joy came back.

The creativity came back.

It never really left.

So now, I’m creating a short film called Switch Up.

It’s a body-swap dramedy about two coworkers : Min-Jae, a Korean man, and Mia, a Black woman, who wake up in each other’s bodies after a chaotic company dinner. What starts as comedy becomes a story about perspective, identity, and what it really means to “walk in someone else’s shoes.”

We have an incredible cast and crew, all coming together out of passion. No one is getting paid. Everyone is here because they believe in the story.

The festival provides a small budget, which helps cover location costs. But to truly bring this story to life, we still need support, mainly for food for the team and essential equipment.

So I’m asking, not just to support me, but to support this story, this vision, this moment of creative rebirth.

If you feel connected to this journey, I would be incredibly grateful for any support, big or small.

Thank you for being part of this with me.

Marie