Quyen Tran ( )As pronounced by Tran in "Between the Sheets: Quyen Tran". is an American director and cinematographer based in Los Angeles. She has worked on multiple Sundance films such as Palm Springs, The Little Hours and Deidra & Laney Rob a Train.
Education
After witnessing the 9/11 attacks in New York City, Tran applied to film school and was accepted to UCLA. Roger Deakins was a cinematographer-in-residence at the time of her attendance and became one of her mentors.
Photography
Tran began her artistic career as a still photographer. Her photos have appeared in the New York Times, LA Times, USA Today, New York Post, New York Daily News, Dateline NBC, HBO's In Memoriam, BBC, CNN International News, PBS, Sacramento Bee, The Age (Australia), Scientific American, Variety, TV Guide, and more. She was nominated for the World Press Photo Award.
Film and television Tran has worked as a director and cinematographer on short films, television, and full-length films. In 2021, Tran became a member of the American Society of Cinematographers.
Awards and honors Best Cinematography UCLA Spotlight: 2008, 2007, 2006 Best Feature Cinematography – Wild Rose Film Festival Federico de Laurentiis Memorial Scholarship National Theater Goers Alliance Scholarship
Personal life Tran's parents were refugees from South Vietnam. She is bilingual, fluent in English and Vietnamese. Tran is Catholic. She is married to voice actor Sam Riegel and they have two children.
Filmography Source: Year Title Director Notes 2008Vietnam OverturesStephane Gauger200916 to LifeBecky SmithThe People I've Slept WithQuentin Lee2010TroublemakerGeeta MalikGirlfriendJustin Lerner2011A Bag of HammersBrian CranoMulberry ChildSusan Morgan Cooper2013Free RideShana SosinAmerican Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee BoggsGrace Lee2014 Peabody Award2015Off the Menu: Asian AmericaGrace LeePali RoadJonathan LimThe Automatic HateJustin Lerner2016The Night StalkerMegan GriffithsTo The Moon & BackSusan Morgan Cooper2017Deidra & Laney Rob A TrainSydney FreelandThe Little HoursJeff Baena2018Dark Was the Night (formerly Behold My Heart)Joshua Leonard2020 Life in a Year Mitja Okorn Palm Springs Max Barbakow 2024 Brothers Max Barbakow Kingship Julien Favre +TV series and TV mini series Year Title Episodes Notes 2008Imaginary Bitches13Season 1, Episodes 1–13Emmy Nomination2009Atom TV1Episode 2.12012Dark Wall2 "Whispers" "Home: A Ghost Story"2015Dr. Mona Vand: The Modern Pharmacist1"Is There a Difference Between Physical Dependence and Addiction?"2018Camping8[All 8 episodes]Here and Now5 "It's Coming" "If a Deer Sh*ts in the Woods" "Fight, Death" "Wake" "Dream Logic"2019Unbelievable3Episodes 1.1, 1.2, and 1.32020A Teacher10[All 10 episodes]2021Maid4 as Cinematographer 1 as DirectorAs Cinematographer "Dollar Store" "Ponies" "Sky Blue" "Snaps"
As Director
"Bear Hunt"2022Minx1"Not like a shvantz right in the race"2022Roar2 as Cinematographer 1 as DirectorAs Cinematographer "The Woman Who Found Bite Marks on Her Skin" "The Woman Who Solved Her Own Murder"
As Director
"The Woman Who Returned Her Husband"2023Ahsoka2 "Part Two: Toil And Trouble" "Part Three: Time To Fly"2024The Emperor of Ocean Park2 as directorAs Director "Chapter Seven" "Chapter Eight"2024The Madness2 as directorAs Director "Icarus" "No More Madness"2025The Pitt2 as directorAs Director "3:00 P.M." "5:00 P.M."2025Sirens2 as DirectorAs Director "Monster" "Persephone"2025The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox2 as DirectorAs Director "U were there" "Libertà"2026The Testaments2 as DirectorAs Director "Green Tea" "Ball" + Shorts Year Title Director Notes 2005EchostopJustin Lerner2006Chinese DumplingsMichelle HungHurricane PartyAP GonzalezMaggie's Not HereJustin Lerner2007A Watermelon Seed (Gua zi)Miqi HuangBeastGeeta MalikJoburgThabo Wolfaardt2009The FenceMatt SilasWaiting RoomKatharine O'BrienThe Empty Space in BetweenMaria Tornberg2013NoelJoe Holt2014The Learning CurvePhil McCarty2015SMILFFrankie ShawWinner, Jury Award for Sundance Shorts2019StuccoJanina Gavankar Russo Schelling Keystone Brandon Fayette Monkey Yoshie Suzuki Swallow Emily Taylor-Mortorff
+ Appearance in documentariesYearTitleRoleCrew role, notes2011 "Sam Riegel and Quyen Tran on 9/11" Herself Documentary footage on 9/11 attack, used in 102 Minutes That Changed America and other documentaries
Further reading
Between the Sheets: Quyen Tran, Critical Role interview with Brian W. Foster #belowthelinesowhite? Hollywood's Rank & File Leaders Tackle Diversity Four Asian-American Women Share Their Experiences Working in Hollywood, by Peter Caranicas How 'The Little Hours' DP Used 'Crazy Rigs' to Recreate Film School on an Unpredictable Set, by Hawkins DuBois “How to Sell the Outrageous Premise of the Film”: DP Quyen Tran on Deidra & Laney Rob a Train, by Filmmaker Staff International Women’s Day: 17 female cinematographers to celebrate, by Nikki Baughman Interview: Cinematographer Quyen Tran on the Minute Details of Filming “The Little Hours," by Stephen Saito Motion picture academy invites largest class ever in continued push for diversity, by Josh Rottenberg Sundance 2017 Q+A — Cinematographer Quyen Tran, by David Alexander Willis Quyen Tran on Shooting Frankie Shaw’s Sundance-Winning SMILF, by Scott Macaulay
References
External links