PHAT T. NGUYEN

“Cinematography shaped by cross-cultural perspective, emotional depth, and visual restraint.”

I’m a Vietnamese-American Director of Photography whose work is shaped by duality — growing up between two cultures taught me to see nuance in everything. That perspective lives in my images: stillness and movement, sadness and softness, distance and intimacy.

I’ve worked across the U.S. and Vietnam, and my time in both countries has deeply informed how I approach light, space, and emotion. I gravitate toward quiet, composed frames that hold feeling without needing to explain it. Whether I’m working with natural light or crafting something more polished, I strive for visuals that are honest, romantic, and emotionally textured — grounded in reality but elevated by intention.

My cinematography is often described as intimate and melancholic, yet full of hope. I find beauty in restraint, and I believe every frame should feel lived-in — like a memory, not just a moment.

In all my work, I carry the emotional sensitivity and resilience of someone who has always had to observe closely — and turn that quiet observation into something cinematic.