Jackie Bao is a filmmaker who sees storytelling as visual poetry—using unconscious visual associations to propel narrative and emotional impact. Her work lives in the space between intimacy and scale, often exploring large themes in brief, powerful moments.
She first gained wide attention with The Myth, a short film made with Wieden+Kennedy in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate. Deeply personal and visually lyrical, the film explores cultural identity, belonging, and memory. It went on to win a Cannes Silver Film Lion, AdColor’s Ad of the Year, a Webby, and other major awards.
Bao’s narrative films have screened at Tribeca, Austin Film Festival, and the Hammer Museum, among others. Her latest, Just Kids, follows a young Asian-American man shaped by his father’s immigrant past and the quiet moments that redefine him. Her most recent commercial work with Tommy’s was shortlisted at 1.4 in the On the Cusp category. Other commercial work includes Nike, Ritual, Ralph Lauren, La Mer, and Gillette Venus (Olympics).
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Bao studied Photography and Human Rights at Bard College before attending Carnegie Mellon and AFI for Cinematography. She began her career as a DP and still shoots—carrying forward a visual sensibility shaped by time studying under Stephen Shore and Gilles Peress, and working closely with Susan Meiselas during her time at Magnum Photos.
Her interest in human-centered storytelling is inseparable from her lived experience as the daughter of first-generation immigrants Bao’s storytelling reflects a lived understanding of cultural duality and the quiet resilience behind everyday lives.
At its core, Bao’s work is about the full range of being human—joy, grief, silence, resilience—and how images can help us feel before we fully understand.
Representation & Bookings
Directing Representation
Biscuit USA & UK
Laura Regan laura@biscuitfilmworks.com (USA)
Katie Keith katiek@biscuitfilmworks.com (UK)
Cinematography Representation
WPA
Kristen Tolle Billings kristen@wp-a.com (commercial)
Daniel Starikov daniel@wp-a.com (narrative)