RICKY QI

FILMMAKER | PHOTOGRAPHER

I’m Ricky Qi, an award-winning writer, director, and National Geographic photographer. I’m passionate about our collective history and heritage, and the underlying currents that move and shape human tradition.

Over the last decade, I’ve explored some of the most remote corners of the world, documenting traditional cultures as they adapt to the pressures of our increasingly interconnected society. My documentary work has been featured on publications such as National Geographic, NPR, as well as in galleries such as the Forbidden Palace Museum in Beijing. 

In addition to my documentary work, I am also a narrative writer and director. Drawing from both my Chinese heritage and my upbringing in the United States, my aim is to tell entertaining, thought-provoking stories that bridge the cultural distance between my ancestry in China and my home in the States. My screenplays have garnered attention at the Austin Film Festival’s Screenwriting Competition, and my latest film, Year of the Rat, premiered at the 2022 Hawai’i International Film Festival and received a Golden Angel Award at the 2022 Chinese American Film Festival. 

Whether immersing myself in remote locale or exploring with an actor the subtext behind a line of dialogue, these diverse experiences have helped define my journey as an artist and storyteller, and continue to inspire me to tell stories that chronicle the human condition in its unending depth, passion, and complexity.

When not working, I enjoy fly fishing in the Eastern Sierras, as well as exploring new surf breaks along the California coast.

Are you an expert in AR/VR, virtual production, or Unreal? I’d love to connect with you.

While directing my most recent film, I came to realize the potential of AR/VR and virtual production technology to elevate my capacity for cinematic storytelling. By (re)creating immersive environments, I’m exploring the possibilities of bringing my audience into hard-to-reach physical places; spaces that otherwise would have been impossible to experience through conventional filmmaking and photography. Through this technology, I hope to help my audience journey beyond the image and to get closer to the feeling of actually “being there.” If you’re an expert in AR/VR or Unreal, I’d love to talk to you.