Haneol (John) Lee or 이한얼 (b.2002, South Korea) is an Writer/Director/Editor/Actor who is an immigrant from South Korea. Lee is currently a student at Vanderbilt University studying Cinema and Media Arts. Lee's work dives deep into the Korean-American identity and explores themes such as generational trauma, language code switching, and forgiveness through a contemplative lens. His films are bold experimentations of the visual medium.

His short film First Night has screened at places such as Palm Springs ShortFest and had its world premiere at the British Film institute. His upcoming film, Eighth Dimension, was extensively developed with Jim Cummings (Thunder Road, Sundance) and incorporates generative AI tools, blending cutting-edge technology with deeply human narratives.

Haneol has been personally mentored by Sean Wang (DiDi), Danny Madden (Beast Beast), and Lloyd Lee Choi (Same Old), learning from some of the most exciting voices in independent cinema. In addition to his filmmaking, he serves as an Associate Programmer at the Ouray International Film Festival.

A Short to Feature Lab Fellow (2024) and a TedX Speaker (2020), Haneol is a filmmaker excited for the future of this industry and to break the boundaries of narrative and the visual format. Haneol is currently based in Nashville, TN and is in development for his next short and his first feature film.