Filmmaker Jae Shim strives to tell the truth no matter how challenging, uncomfortable, or unpopular it is to do so. He is a Warner Bros. Emerging Film Directors Workshop finalist for his short story, HAPPY DEATH CO., based on a fake funeral service in South Korea. Jae credits his first encounter with the groundbreaking work of David Cope, who famously pioneered artificial intelligence and music, to a Radiolab episode called MUSICAL DNA. Jae immediately resonated with Cope’s defiant spirit, challenging long standing conventions of what classical music should look or sound like. Convinced there was more to the story, he made repeated trips with his camera to the Santa Cruz-based composer, ultimately releasing his findings in the award-winning feature film, OPUS COPE: AN ALGORITHMIC OPERA. The documentary takes viewers on a musical exploration of creativity according to Cope, drawing from a lifetime at the intersection of art and technology. OPUS COPE is scheduled for a nationwide PBS release in 2026.

During his Experiments in Digital Storytelling fellowship, Jae and sound designer Mike James Gallagher co-created The Asylum, an immersive installation that recreates David Cope’s studio, a space filled with more than 200 wind chimes. The work combines multi-screen projection, surround sound, and physical chimes to create a meditative audio visual environment.

Jae's work outside of directing extends into camera and editing departments for sports documentaries and feature films such as THIS TIME directed by Sebastian Tobler, and PAPER MARRIAGE directed by Jeff Man and executive produced by the Duplass Brothers.