A few years ago, a friend and I were discussing the fundamental struggle of language to communicate fully. It felt like a tragedy, being rendered in rough strokes, and I kept thinking about the asymptotic nature of so many of our pursuits. This raised the question: what would it even be like to communicate perfectly, and would that even be desirable?
Much of my work as a storyteller is an attempt to circumvent the walls that audiences erect, to navigate language, image, sound, and emotion toward more effective exchange. It can feel circuitous and nebulous, but that’s where the art lies — in the striving for subjective authenticity and vulnerability in hopes of deeper connection and shared meaning. I think many of us began this way, wanting to affect others the way we were once affected. It's a flawed, human grasp at the asymptote.
As a self-taught filmmaker, editor, and photographer, I began in pursuit of aesthetics that resonated with me — those of films from East Asia and the diverse cultures here in NYC. Cutting my teeth professionally meant trying to center the human element in the scope of the work. As I continue, I'd like to move beyond aesthetics into stories centered on displacement, identity, and class, and take bigger risks to that end.
CO-DIRECTORS / CO-EDITORS
Edwin Chen, Donavon Bryan
FEATURING
DONOVAN
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY / COLORIST
Edwin Chen
ASSISTANT CAMERA
4evr Michael
MIX AND MASTER
Jorge Arenas
Concert photos and clips for Raveena.
A full circle moment for me, from discovering her music 7 years ago on a trip out west to reconnecting with Don, what a blessing to have met @raveena_aurora, the team, and family. Cheering for you all <3 Siri play "Nani's Interlude"
Concert photos and clips of @renaomusic
opening for Raveena. My first photo pass and I bring a VHS camera and my Sigma DP3M. Utterly impractical. I figured there would be plenty of coverage so I wanted to bring some experimentation and an audience perspective to my work.
Testing the Panasonic Omnimovie PV-605SD, recorded using ImmersionRC PowxserPLAYz
CLIENT
Flaws of Youth
DIRECTOR / EDITOR
Max Barlow
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Edwin Chen
MODELS
Isabella Enrico, Tirzah Athena
CLIENT
Uber Eats
TALENT
Jamiersen Green
VIDEOGRAPHER / EDITOR
Edwin Chen
COMPOSERS
Fritz Sterling, Felix Cumbe
DIRECTOR / DP
Benjamin de Menil
CAMERA OPERATORS
Eli Ben-Yaacov, Sonia Dolz
EDITORS
Edwin Chen, Eli Ben Javov
COLORIST
Edwin Chen
CLIENT
Damin Lee
VIDEOGRAPHER / EDITOR
Edwin Chen
DIRECTOR / SCREENWRITER
Greg Swong
CAST
Ciaran Walsh, Dan Kuan Peeples
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Edwin Chen
EDITORS
Edwin Chen, Greg Swong
PRODUCER
Jackson Knapp
OFFICIAL SELECTION
Lift-Off Global Network's First-Time Filmmaker Sessions
DIRECTOR / SCREENWRITER
Artel Great
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Edwin Chen
CAST
Nia Fairweather, Alys Dickerson, Artel Great
OFFICIAL SELECTION
Black Harvest Film Festival
San Francisco Black Film Festival
Baltimore International Black Film Festival
Pan African Film Festival
Seattle Black Film Festival
Toronto Black Film Festival
DIRECTOR / EDITOR
Max Barlow
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Edwin Chen
CAST
Yonas Saunders, Yani Frais
MTA Away, James Beard Foundation
FEATURING
JJ Johnson, Fieldtrip NYC
PRODUCER
Matt Waller
VIDEOGRAPHERS
Edwin Chen, Lillian Li
EDITORS
Edwin Chen, Lillian Li
MTA Department of Diversity and Civil Rights
PRODUCER / EDITOR
Edwin Chen
VIDEOGRAPHERS
Edwin Chen, Jessie Mislavsky
New York City Transit
PRODUCER
Matt Waller
VIDEOGRAPHER
Edwin Chen
EDITOR
Edwin Chen
Overtime
FEATURING
JAXSON HAYES
PRODUCER
Spencer Oshman
EDITOR
Edwin Chen
Overtime
FEATURING
Scottie Lewis
VIDEOGRAPHER
Jeffrey Matos
EDITOR
Edwin Chen
FEATURING
Hadassah
MIX AND MASTER
Wizard Lee - Feet 1st Studios
VIDEOGRAPHER
Andrew Charles Green
EDITORS
Andrew Charles Green, Edwin Chen
FEATURING
6ix9ine, Zillakami
MIX AND MASTER
Wizard Lee - Feet 1st Studios
PRODUCER
CamGotHits
VIDEOGRAPHERS:
ShotByCisco, Edwin Chen
EDITOR:
Edwin ChenBefore I slammed into Dunning-Krueger, we were trying things, executing without hard expectations, and most importantly having fun. I got to experience a part of the city I was isolated from and I’m richer for it.