Kang vang

Qhia Dab Neeg Spotlight Filmmaker

Kang Vang is a Hmong American filmmaker, writer, director, editor, and media educator who began making movies as a child after his father brought home a camcorder in 1989. He developed his filmmaking practice through coursework in film, theater, directing, and screenwriting, as well as training and mentorship through organizations including In Progress and Asian Media Access. His films explore Hmong American experiences from within the community while connecting those experiences to universal themes of family, migration, conflict, resilience, and belonging. His works include Tou and Mai, which examined relationships between established Hmong Americans and newly arrived Hmong refugees, and 1985, a deeply personal exploration of the first decade of Hmong life in the United States. As both a filmmaker and educator, Vang views storytelling as a means of preserving Hmong history, contributing to the community’s cultural legacy, and creating a foundation for future generations of storytellers.