NYWIFT Blog

By Nicolette Page

Welcome to NYWIFT, Helen Huang!

Helen Huang (Haitong Huang) is a New York–based creative director, filmmaker, and curator working across film, moving image, and immersive media. She has served as Creative Director for the SOHO International Film Festival and is a core member of Vermilions Theater.

Her work explores how cinematic storytelling evolves across new formats, bridging traditional film language with emerging technologies. A fellow at the Harvard Innovation Lab, she has received multiple international awards, with her work featured in Forbes, ELLE, and Harvard Gazette.

Welcome to NYWIFT! Could you give our readers a brief introduction to yourself?

I’m Helen Huang, a New York–based creative director, filmmaker, and curator working across film, moving image, and emerging media. My work focuses on how storytelling evolves across formats—from traditional cinema to new forms of visual narrative shaped by technology.

I’ve served as Creative Director for the SOHO International Film Festival and have been a core member of Vermilions Theater, where I developed a strong foundation in narrative structure, visual language, and audience experience.

What brings you to NYWIFT?

NYWIFT brings together a community of women working across film, television, and media, and I’m excited to be part of that dialogue. My background spans film programming, theater, and emerging visual formats, and I’m particularly interested in how storytelling is expanding beyond traditional screens. I’m looking forward to connecting with filmmakers and creators who are pushing narrative in new directions while staying rooted in cinematic language.

Your career started in Earth Science—what drew you from that into tech, and how did you navigate that pivot?

My background in Earth Science shaped how I think about systems and time—how things evolve and unfold. When I moved into film and theater, I became interested in how narrative also operates over time, through rhythm, structure, and perception. That eventually led me into technology, not as a separate field, but as a tool to extend cinematic storytelling. The transition felt natural because I was always interested in how experiences are constructed and perceived.

Looking back, what early experiences shaped your approach to product strategy and innovation?

Working in theater and film festivals had a lasting impact. Theater taught me how to think about presence, timing, and audience engagement in real time, while film festivals shaped how I think about curation—how individual works come together to create a larger narrative context. Those experiences continue to influence how I approach creative direction, especially when working across different formats and platforms.

How did you design the platform to foster both learning and confidence simultaneously?

I approached the platform in a way that’s similar to storytelling in film. Learning isn’t just about information—it’s about progression, pacing, and engagement. I designed the experience so that users feel a sense of movement and development, rather than static consumption. That sense of progression naturally builds confidence, much like how an audience becomes more invested as a story unfolds.

Having concluded your “adult gap year,” what qualities or projects are you most excited to pursue next?

I’m particularly interested in developing new forms of cinematic storytelling that exist between film, installation, and digital media. I want to explore how narrative can move beyond a fixed timeline into something more adaptive and responsive. At the same time, I’m continuing to build work that remains grounded in strong visual language and storytelling principles drawn from film and theater.

What advice would you give to someone trying to combine technical expertise, creativity, and strategic thinking in their career?

Stay grounded in storytelling. Technology and strategy are important, but narrative is what connects everything. Whether you’re working in film, television, or emerging media, understanding how to structure a story, build tension, and guide an audience’s attention is essential. From there, technical and strategic skills become tools to expand what’s possible.

Connect with Helen Huang on Instagram at @Helenheyheyhey.

(All images courtesy of Helen Huang)