ABOUT
Soon King Yaw is a Malaysia-born filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist based in San Francisco. His work spans animation, documentary, with a practice that extends into painting and music often exploring memory, migration, and family history.
His films have won awards and screened internationally at Academy-qualifying film festivals, and have been broadcast in the United States on KQED Film School Shorts and in Japan via Pacific Voice Inc.
Alongside his filmmaking practice, he works as a video editor at Electronic Arts, contributing to trailers for The Sims 4 and EA Sports FC, reaching millions of viewers online.
PRESS & MENTIONS
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, Japan
Kodansha Cinema Creators’ Lab Top 10 Finalist — 2024 (official announcement)
Lampa Film Festival, Russia
World Refugee Day Film Program — 2023 (film featured)
MovieMaker Magazine, USA
“Nòt Film Fest’s 2022 Lineup…” — 2022 (film featured)
Madame Figaro Magazine, Japan
"The handcrafted feel of CG animation..." — 2021 (honorable Mention by Tomoe Shinohara)
KQED, USA
“All I Did Was Smile and Say Hello” — May 2020 (feature; premiere film)
Men's Folio Magazine, Malaysia
"4 Malaysian video creators you should follow" — 2020 (feature article)
Mashable South East Asia
"This Malaysian's short animated film about racism..." — 2020 (feature article)
AFS-USA
"Where it all started: A Malaysian filmmaker's refelection on ten years" — 2020 (invited essay)
The Daily Californian, USA
"Multitalented San Francisco filmmaker King Yaw Soon..." — 2020 (feature article)
New Straits Times, Malaysia
"Malaysian-born filmmaker makes a name in US" — 2020 (feature article)
Rojak Daily, Malaysia
“Malaysian Filmmaker’s Animated Short Doc…” — June 2020 (interview feature)
Sparrow Publishing House, Malaysia
"All I did was smile and say hello" — 2020 (feature article)
The Rakyat Post, Malaysia
"Sabahan's Animated Film About Covid-19..." — 2020 (feature article)
Thoughts on Films Podcast, Malaysia
"Superficial Made Real - All I Did Was Smile and Say Hello" — 2020 (in-depth review)
The Star News, Malaysia
"Malaysian animated documentary picked as opening film..." — 2020 (feature article)
SAYS, Malaysia
"Sabahan Director's Short Documentary About Racism..." — 2020 (feature article)
DingDing TV, USA
Silicon Valley Story: 1st Place, “In Time of COVID-19” Video Contest — 2020 (interview)