If we consider who some of the great modern Aussie cinematographers are, we immediately think of names like Michael Latham, Stefan Duscio, Jaclyn Paterson, or the man behind the camera of such films as Of an Age, You Won't Be Alone, Hafekasi, Howl, Blue Bayou, My First Summer, and Sophie Hyde's upcoming film, Jimpa.

I'm of course talking about Matthew Chaung.

Across his filmography, Matthew has lensed films with a level of empathy, compassion, and understanding that imbues the work with a warmth and tenderness that ensures that the stories linger in your mind long after the credits. When I think of Matthew's work, I think of the golden hour shots in Katie Found's My First Summer, or the discovery of queer identities in Goran Stolevski's intimate Of an Age, or the child level perspective of the world in Annelise Hickey's stunning Hafekasi. With Jimpa, he becomes part of Sophie Hyde's family, shooting the film with inspiration from Nan Goldin's work.

In the following interview, recorded at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025, Matthew talks through his work and creative process, while also exploring the notion of what makes his cinematography unique. For Australian audiences, you can see Matthew's work in Domini Marshall's stunning new short film Howl, which is making the festival rounds. Matthew also talks about Dario Russo's new film, The Fox, which is on the horizon and stars Jai Courtney, Damon Herriman, and Emily Browning.

If you're keen on finding out more about Matthew's work, visit MatthewChuang.com.

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