We were lucky to catch up with Lydia recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lydia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Telling stories that matter—especially ones that empower women—has always been close to my heart. It’s what fuels my creativity and keeps me focused on projects that actually make a difference.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Independent filmmaker Lydia Isnanto is an Indonesian American and has worked in Singapore and the U.S. for the past twenty years as a filmmaker, cinematographer, and entrepreneur. Lydia’s work is always looking into impact and awareness, addressing the themes of women empowerment, transformation, and healing. Evy’s Wish is her fifth short film project as director/producer.
Lydia believes stories change the world and loves collaboration behind the camera producing and directing.
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Her film This Is Me (2019), filmed in Austin, Texas and where she wrote, directed, co-produced, photographed and edited the work.
This story was created for and dedicated to mental illness survivors and warriors. To date, the film has been screened in San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles, Texas, with more than 20 accolades and has won nine awards, including a special Mental Health Community Award from the Los Angeles Silicon Beach Film Festival.

She also wrote, directed, co-produced, photographed and edited THE CALLING (2018), filmed in San Francisco Bay area. The film tells the story of transformation and healing, based on a true story of a writer, a pastor and a filmmaker, Tony Gapastione. This short film was made entirely with iPhone celebrating the creative movement of smartphone filmmaking. THE CALLING has been screened in San Francisco and New York. It has won five awards, including the Best Phone Made Film award from Olympus Film Festival Los Angeles.

Beside films, her storytelling passion also shown in music video works. She wrote the screenplay, directed, photographed and edited Guardian Angel MV (2021). And she also photographed and edited Summer Love MV (2019). While back in Singapore, she wrote the screenplay, directed and photographed the BFF MV (2017). The video portrays a fictional story about two best friends with inspiration about true friendship. To date, BFF music video has won three awards and screened at the Long Beach Indie International Film Festival and Fort Worth Indie Film Showcase.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Whether it’s hope, anger, joy, or motivation, there’s nothing like watching someone react emotionally to something I’ve created. And telling stories that might otherwise go unheard—especially those of women, marginalized communities, or underrepresented perspectives—can be incredibly powerful. Every project teaches something new—not just about my craft, but about myself, the world, and what I care about. Stories last. Film work can continue to inspire and impact long after it’s released.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

With a background in design & architecture, I made the bold leap from a stable office job to pursue storytelling and filmmaking full-time. It was a risk—one fueled by the deep need to create art that speaks from the soul. There have been times where survival came before passion, but I’ve never regretted the pivot. Every project, even in struggle, brings me closer to the purpose I believe in: creating work that empowers, uplifts, and truly matters.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lydiaisnanto.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/lydiaisnanto
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/lydiaisnantochannel
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydiaisnanto
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lydiaisnanto
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dreampreneursfilm
• Other: Film business instagram : https://instagram.com/dreampreneursfilm

  IMDb : https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4282512/

Image Credits

Photographers :
1.) Christopher De La Rosa
2.) Zachary Salas
3.) Gina Park