Jess Van is a documentary filmmaker and photographer creating visual stories about climate justice, migration, and community resilience. Originally from Cambodia, she came to the United States in 2022 to study at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School, where she's now a senior majoring in Photography with a focus on photojournalism and documentary film, and a minor in geography.
Her work explores how climate disasters disproportionately impact vulnerable communities—particularly working-class immigrants and small business owners who fall through systemic recovery gaps. She's drawn to the stories that don't make headlines: the hidden casualties of disasters, the people who survive physically but lose everything economically, the communities left behind by recovery systems designed for others.
Her debut film, I Belong Here, won first place in BeStillMedia's international competition. Her recent documentary After the Ashes (2026) follows a Vietnamese nail salon owner whose business survived the Palisades Fire physically but died economically, revealing what recovery looks like when the building stands but the livelihood can't.
When she's not behind the camera, you'll find her on the badminton court. She seeks opportunities in documentary production, visual communications, or content strategy for mission-driven organizations creating impact through storytelling.
Welcome, I hope you enjoy my work. Let's connect.
