Today we’d like to introduce you to Linh Tran.
Hi Linh, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I was born and raised in Vietnam, came to the US for college in 2013. Before college, I wasn’t that exposed to film and other kinds of art form. When I was in college, I sort of stumbled into theater and from there, realized that I love storytelling. I got a BA in Film Studies before getting an MFA in film & TV from DePaul University in Chicago. I have made several shorts and a feature film while also working as a freelance film and commercial editor.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I feel like I have been pretty lucky with my filmmaking; always supported and given a lot of opportunities. Nonetheless, with filmmaking, finances have always been a huge challenge; how to get my films funded, how to reach the audience within the means that we have. I also face a lot of expectations as a woman of color working on set. These challenges definitely contributed in shaping the stories I tell, how I visually tell them, and how I work with people.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I mostly see myself as a writer-director, although I edit a lot and also work on film sets in various capacities. I have made short films and a feature film that have been selected by festivals like Dublin International Film Festival, Indy Shorts, Pittsburgh Shorts International Film Festival, Cordillera International Film Festival, Heartland International Film Festival, among others.
I just recently finished a short film called Video Funeral, which tells a Vietnamese immigrant’s story – it’s my own story. I am excited to start sending the film out in the world.
The stories I tell are very intimate and personal, almost autobiographical. A goal to me is to tell these stories honestly and with care and consideration for the community and the audience.
Contact Info:
- Website: mlinhltran.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lnhtrnn/
