Columbus may have been Kogonada’s first directorial feature film but it shows so much promise in what he’s going to offer us during the years to come.

Written and directed by Kogonada, Columbus stars John Cho, Haley Lu Richardson, Rory Culkin, Michelle Forbes, and Parker Posey.

Jin (Cho) finds himself in Columbus when his father ends up in a coma.  The city is known for its architecture given the modernist buildings.  While he’s not a fan, he starts up a friendship with Casey (Richardson), who is working at the library and avoiding college like the plague.  She gives him a tour of the city so to speak.  They both have their own issues: Jin’s relationship with his dad is estranged while Casey doesn’t want to leave her mom, who’s a former drug addict.

There’s an interesting style that Kogonada brings with the directing of this film.  I can’t quite put my finger on what it is but it’s just so enjoyable.

The distribution is unique for Columbus.  During Tuesday night’s Q&A session, Kogonada announced that the film is being distributed as part of a Sundance fellowship.  Columbus will bow in New York and Los Angeles on August 4th before expanding its run.