This is a sponsored interview in partnership with Tecovas.
Filmmaker Ivy Chiu has been working as a cinematographer on films, commercials, and documentaries in Austin since 2010. They produce and direct independent films, too. We caught up with Chiu to learn about their work.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
How did you get into this line of work and what attracted you to it?
“You know, I never anticipated being a filmmaker. I always wanted to be a musician, but at the end of the day, it was always about storytelling and maintaining connection to the people around me, and also being an artist, and trying to understand the world through music.
I ended up going to film school at (the University of Texas at Austin), and I think that journey sort of progressed naturally.
It just became a way of life and I figured out how to make it work.”
Why does your work matter to you?
“I need it to survive and thrive in this world. A lot of times we just go through so much – our current political climate and the wars going on, (and) the genocide going on in the world. I think art is a way to process all of the challenges and difficulties in life.
It's a way of being.”
Why does your work matter to Austin?
“I think in order to affect change, you have to start in your own life. And it can be so hard to wrap your mind around, ‘How do I create change in the world?’ And I believe that when we start with ourselves and we start with the communities around us, it ripples out. And so I think it matters, because everyone's lives matter.”
