Meet Jay Liu | Film Director, Editor, & Festival Programmer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jay Liu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jay, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
I hope my business can help the Hong Konger community moving forward. Even though I moved to the US in 2017, I was born and raised in Hong Kong, and Hong Kong remains a very big part of my identity. As many people may know, Hong Kong has faced a lot of tumultuous challenges in recent years. For the rest of my career, I would like to carry the torch of Hong Kongers and continue fighting for us, in my field of cultural preservation and promotion. I’m not purporting that my work will solve the many problems of my city and people, but at this point, any arena is worth fighting in. I hope my films and work can show Hong Kongers succeeding on the global stage and preserve our identity going forward.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
So for what sets me apart, the older I get, the more I’ve realized what makes me stand out is my intersectionality. My work will only really soar if I tap into something personal and specific, and in my case, that’s my upbringing, my ethnicity, and my sexuality. My thesis film “Anywhere the Wind Blows” is precisely about that – a Hongkonger activist-in-exile’s reunion with his ex-boyfriend. But even in works that are less related, I can apply my globalized point-of-view and wealth of knowledge. This summer, I’ve been editing a film about Negro league baseball, which is the farthest thing from contemporary Hong Kong, but my engagement with politics has informed my editorial choices. I’ve also been programming and directing a film festival in LA called the Hong Kong On Screen Film Festival, and all my knowledge about Hong Kong cinema that I’ve accumulated over the years has come in very handy.

Regarding the challenges, it definitely has not been an easy ride, especially in recent years. Like any other indie filmmaker can tell you, I’ve faced an onslaught of rejections from film festivals, grants, fellowships, etc. I also graduated from school during the double industry strikes, which has significantly hampered my job search. The environment is simply extremely competitive right now, and statistically, every single opportunity in film is more difficult than getting into Harvard. But I also understand that I have been very privileged to get the opportunities that I have. I don’t think it’s productive to make excuses for myself. The only way to overcome these challenges is to equip myself mentally – to bolster my mental health and be kind to myself. It’s not always easy, but with no mental health, there will be no success at all.

Finally, I’d like people to know that I’m a very versatile film person and I almost know every single aspect in film, from production to distribution, criticism to festivals. I edit, write, and direct, I write about films and program film festivals. I have a lot of ideas about film, but I’m also very open to new perspectives and subjects. I can bring my knowledge to the table, but I am also eager to learn.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One of my favorite restaurants in LA is Holbox, near USC where I used to live and attend school. It’s an affordable, delicious Mexican restaurant that exemplifies the LA food scene, and after years of recommendations, they finally got a Michelin star this year!

As you can probably tell, I’m a big fan of movies and I attend a lot of repertory cinema screenings. LA has a very active scene and every weekend you can check out rare opportunities to see movies on the big screen. For first-timers, I’d recommend the New Beverly Cinema which is a pretty unique retro experience, with all the films and even the preshows and trailers projected on film. The American Cinematheque and Academy Museum screenings are great as well. And then, of course, LA is one of the very few places in the world where you can catch movies on IMAX 70mm, let alone in two venues – the AMC at Universal CityWalk and the TCL Chinese Theatre.

I also really enjoy the row of world-class cultural venues in DTLA – the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the LA Opera, and the Ahmanson Theatre. This is a very odd take but the LADWP headquarters there is my favorite building in LA – stunning modernist architecture when it’s all lit up at night!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shout out the cast and crew I’ve worked with so far, especially on my recent projects. To this day, it seems so ludicrous to me that so many people believed in my vision and willingly worked on my films, often for free during my student phase. And for some of them, such as my producers Dalton and Allegro, they didn’t just “work for me” – they went to bat for me and took care of a lot of tedious logistical work. Or my post-production crew such as my sound designers, colorist (Dalton again), and editors who tolerated the countless hours of my fine-tuning. Little do they know that their collaboration has provided me with mental support as well. I really owe everything to them, so I want to thank them for going on these crazy adventures with me.

Website: https://www.jliufilms.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.liu_

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-l-938372165/

Twitter: https://x.com/jay_liu_

Image Credits
Ging Chen Sow
Kyle Brundige
Jerry X. Lee
Sthanlee B. Mirador/VC Film Fest