Director & Storyteller
Skye Gildner
Exploring film & identity from the inside out.
Hong Kong · Secondary School Student
Bio
I love watching films. Sitting in a darkened theater and experiencing a well-crafted scene, where the images, sounds, and rhythms align, creates such a visceral emotional response that I leave the theater a different person than when I walked in.
These experiences sparked my fascination with how identity is constructed. While busying myself with academic studies, I realized identity isn't just a theme film, psychology, and even biology happen to share; it is a phenomenon they are all trying to explain from different perspectives. Biology provides the hardware; the physical systems that generate raw perception. Psychology is the software and explains how we interpret those inputs into a sense of identity. Film, or story, is the interface that allows us to organize, share, and reconstruct that identity with others.
For me, film is the best medium for this exploration because it mimics human sensory perception. By combining image, sound, and perspective, cinema allows an audience to experience another person's subjective reality in ways literature or theater cannot. By better understanding the underlying biological and psychological mechanics, I hope to create films that don't just show what a character feels, but allows the audience to experience it from the inside out.
Academic Focus
My studies in Biology (hardware), Psychology (software), and Film (story) serve as an interdisciplinary toolkit to investigate how human identity is constructed.
I view identity not as a fixed or linear, but as a continuous loop: biological systems enable perception, psychological processes structure it into a sense of self, and film translates that experience into narrative—which, in turn, rewires how we perceive who we are.
Areas of Inquiry:
- & : How cinematic techniques directly stimulate neural and sensory processing.
- & : The psychological mechanisms that allow audiences to inhabit another person's subjective reality.
In the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, HL stands for Higher Level, representing more rigorous, in-depth university-preparatory coursework than Standard Level (SL).
There is a growing trend of film practitioners conducting experiments to explore the cognitive processes involved in filmmaking, challenging the myth of gut intuition or creative genius and fostering a deeper understanding of how artistic processes operate.
Neuroaesthetics reveals that judgments of human appearance are rooted in our evolutionary biology, with cultural overlays that create systems of social meaning.
Narrative identification — feeling connected to story characters — is the primary mechanism by which stories shift attitudes and behaviors.
Collective experiences, such as shared stories, are environmental scaffolds for aligning human cortical architecture, proving that social environments physically restructure brain networks.
Technical Expertise
- End-to-End Production
- Proficient across full-pipeline filmmaking, including Sony FX camera operation, multi-source location sound, studio lighting, and post-production (DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere Pro).
- This Website Build
- Claude Code with , , and
Production Leadership & Directing Style
Production
- Seven screenplays written, five of which I've directed.
- Directed and wrote multiple films in Mandarin Chinese; worked on a Mandarin-speaking film set.
- Led a week long end-to-end production with a 15-person professional crew at the China Movie Metropolis in Qingdao.
- Assisted an international team during the week long media coverage for the Aotearoa International Film Festival in Hong Kong.
Directing & Project Management Style
- Collaborative Culture: Foster an equal on-set culture where crew members are encouraged to work outside their roles and all ideas are valued while establishing a light-hearted environment where actors feel safe taking risks.
- Clear Communication: Detailed shot lists and pre-vis meetings help ensure an aligned vision across all crew members. Location scouting with the cinematographer, walking through expectations and scenes before production.
- Time & Resource Management: I've learned to build in lots of buffer time for production slow downs or when new ideas pop up. Mandatory 15-minute breaks very couple hours to put down the camera and blow off steam.
Behind the Scenes
Awards & Recognition
- "Do You Want to Be a Millionaire" – Winner, Best 48-Hour Film, (2026)
- "To Learn To Sow" – Best Short Film, Rising Phoenix (2026)
- "To Learn To Sow" – Best Actor (Nominee), (2026)
- "To Learn To Sow" – Best Short Film (Nominee), (2026)
- "Parade" – Best Actor (Nominee), (2025)
- "Bloodline" – Best Picture, Qingdao (Summer 2026)
- "Pump Fake" – Best Short Film (Nominee), Rising Phoenix (2025)
- "Paper Cranes" – Best Short Film (Nominee), Rising Phoenix (2026)
- "Paper Cranes" – Best Cinematography (Nominee), Rising Phoenix (2026)
Babel Film Awards celebrates the best of student filmmaking in Hong Kong and the rest of Asia. It offers a chance for filmmakers aged 8-18 to gain recognition for their creative work in the film arts through various competitions.
Babel Film Awards celebrates the best of student filmmaking in Hong Kong and the rest of Asia. It offers a chance for filmmakers aged 8-18 to gain recognition for their creative work in the film arts through various competitions.
Babel Film Awards celebrates the best of student filmmaking in Hong Kong and the rest of Asia. It offers a chance for filmmakers aged 8-18 to gain recognition for their creative work in the film arts through various competitions.
Babel Film Awards celebrates the best of student filmmaking in Hong Kong and the rest of Asia. It offers a chance for filmmakers aged 8-18 to gain recognition for their creative work in the film arts through various competitions.
The China Movie Metropolis (also known as Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis) is a massive, world-class film and television production complex located in the Qingdao West Coast New Area of Shandong Province, China. Completed and opened in April 2018, it spans approximately 1.7 million square meters (408 acres) and serves as a major hub for both domestic blockbusters and international projects.
Let's Chat
Life is moving fast, but I'm always eager to connect on creative collaborations, set opportunities, or academic research.