We recently connected with Jingkun Huang and have shared our conversation below.

Jingkun, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

A particularly significant project for me was the feature-length documentary Heaven Can Wait, which I directed between 2018 and 2019. The film tells the story of a mother’s journey seeking justice and coming to terms with herself after her daughter was tragically raped and murdered. At the time, I was just a sophomore in college.

The process of completing this documentary allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of societal realities and how film, as a medium, can play a powerful role in raising awareness about social issues. It profoundly influenced how I approach visual storytelling, encouraging me to incorporate social relevance into my work. Even today, the experience of creating this film continues to inspire me to explore more layered and meaningful forms of creative expression.

I am currently preparing my next short film, Snow Dharma, in which I serve as both the director and cinematographer. The story is set in a world where human society has fractured, and culture and language have evolved separately. At its heart is a single ape that has mastered a long-lost written language, becoming the last bridge for unification. Yet, this ape chooses to remain silent.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a cinematographer, and my story began with studying documentary in China. During my undergraduate years, I filmed documentaries in real environments, capturing many unguarded moments that earned me some awards. At that time, I focused on expressing emotions in real life. Documentary filmmaking trained me to find stories within authentic settings and honed my adaptability and observational sensitivity. This experience still influences my visual language and understanding of storytelling today.

In 2021, I came to the United States to pursue a graduate degree in film production, and I am currently studying cinematography at Chapman University. This journey has led me to gradually shift from documentary filmmaking to narrative films, expanding my vision and technique. In narrative filmmaking, I can use camera work and lighting to delicately express the inner world of characters; in music videos, I have the opportunity to explore bolder visual styles. This variety of experiences allows me to stay creative and adaptable across different types of projects.

For me, what makes cinematography so special is its power to connect audiences to characters’ emotions—it’s a form of art that transcends language. I am particularly passionate about using light and composition to capture the subtle emotional nuances of characters and to guide the audience’s feelings through visual storytelling. Whether in documentaries or narrative films, my core focus is always to capture genuine emotional moments and tell stories in the most sincere way possible.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I have always aimed to create a film that I am truly satisfied with. Initially, I hoped to tell a deeply personal story, one rooted in my private experiences. However, I later realized that societal influences often transcend the boundaries of personal experiences. The relationship between individuals and the collective is one of mutual impact and progression.

Gradually, I shifted my focus toward exploring themes within a broader context, seeking stories that resonate beyond the personal to address larger social narratives.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I believe that whether as a cinematographer or a director, this is a profession worth dedicating a lifetime to. As your life experience deepens and film technologies evolve, there are always new perspectives and approaches to tell the same or entirely different stories. At the same time, fresh insights and realizations from your life continuously feed back into your creative work.

As long as you stay committed to understanding the world, you’ll always find new passion and inspiration for creation. This two-way relationship, in my opinion, is a very positive and dynamic process. As long as you keep creating, the process and your works will continue to push and inspire you to evolve further.

Whenever I find myself immersed in these moments, I feel profoundly grateful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jamisonhuang.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamison_huang_?igsh=NGVhN2U2NjQ0Yg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Other: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13849670/

Image Credits

Still Frames from recent works.