Breck Film Filmmaker of the Month: Jeff Orlowski Yang + Sarah Keo

by

Chasing Time

Filmmaker Questions: Jeff Orlowski-Yang

  1. Tell us your backstory.  How and why did you get into filmmaking?  

I got into filmmaking through photography. My dad had a dark room in our house and gave me a Nikon FM camera when I was in elementary school. I loved getting our National Geographic magazine every month and saw photography as a great way to see the world. In college I was studying photography and one day in a photo gallery, watched a group of students zip through without stopping to read the notes or reflect on any of the photographs, no attention to the photographer’s thoughts or intent. Things around still photography were changing. A friend twisted my arm and talked me into taking a film workshop with him. Being able to stop and collaborate and change everything to get the perfect shot was fun and exciting and powerful. I fell in love with it. Film allows you to direct your viewers’ experience in ways that photography could not. 

  1. How do you know when your story’s finished, when to walk away? 

There’s a famous quip that “films are never finished, they’re just released.”  Most artists could continue going on and on making changes and tweaks, in the pursuit of perfection or at least personal satisfaction. But for me, when we do a test screening and we know the film is resonating with audiences, and evoking the reactions and emotions we’re trying to hit, that’s when I know we can say it’s ready to be shared with the world.

  1. Where do you get your inspiration from? 

Right now we are seeing a world where every major industry is failing humanity at scale. If nearly every industry has found ways to manipulate the system for its financial gains at the suffering of humanity, something is wrong. I have found my passion where these consequences reach the limit where this affects the planet and where it affects the people.

  1. What is your favorite aspect of film production? 

The collaboration. The emphasis on mentorship in Chasing Time is very personal and important to me. James Balog was one of my idols before we met. To have his guidance and mentorship, even today, has shaped who I am as a photographer, a director, and now a mentor myself. To be able to now give back to young filmmakers like Sarah Keos exciting and fulfilling and the best way to create our own impact on the future storytellers we need. 

  1. What are the hurdles you have had to overcome in order to recoup the costs of producing the film?  (If you feel comfortable discussing exact financials, you are welcome to do so.) 

Independent film does not have an easy path to profitability. There is constant pressure to find and secure funding while trying to find the space to create. This equation doesn’t always allow for the most inclusive storytelling or deepest collaboration. Exposure Labs is working entirely through philanthropy to slow down the process and work at the speed of trust and build those relationships with not only our funders but our creative team, subjects and talent. We have found this model has increased the alignment in values and vision we have with our entire team. Choosing to work outside a traditional financial model does take more time, more balancing and risk, but is outweighed by the freedom of being able to not only tell the story the way we believe it should be told, but also created. 

Jeff’s Bio

Jeff Orlowski-Yang is the Founder and Creative Director of Exposure Labs, a film and impact production studio that uses stories to change the world. Orlowski-Yang directed the Sundance-premiering, Emmy-winning documentaries The Social Dilemma (2020), Chasing Coral (2017) and Chasing Ice (2012), which were seen by hundreds of millions worldwide and screened everywhere from classrooms and local communities to Capitol Hill and the United Nations. Orlowski-Yang has traveled on tour representing the Sundance Institute, President Obama’s Committee for the Arts and Humanities, and the National Endowment of the Arts, among many other speaking and press engagements. He lives in Boulder, Colorado. 

Filmmaker Questions: Sara Keo

  1. Tell us your backstory.  How and why did you get into filmmaking? 

Filmmaking wasn’t my original path. I studied business in college because it felt like a practical and financially stable choice. But once I entered the corporate world, I quickly realized it wasn’t fulfilling, and I craved purpose and creativity. So, I pivoted into the world of film festivals and eventually worked at Sundance. It was there that I truly understood the power of storytelling to shift minds and hearts. That realization sparked something in me: I didn’t just want to support films. I wanted to help make them.

At Sundance, I crossed paths with Jeff and his longtime producing partner Larissa Rhodes while they were pitching The Social Dilemma. I had seen Chasing Coral and immediately knew they were the kind of storytellers I aspired to work with. I expressed my desire to learn filmmaking, and Larissa generously took a chance on me, bringing me on as a production coordinator in 2019. I’ve been with the team ever since and was fortunate enough to co-direct for the first time with Jeff on Chasing Time.

  1. Where do you get your inspiration from? 

I find inspiration everywhere– in everyday conversations, in art, and in the people around me. I’m continually moved by the work of independent filmmakers and artists who push creative boundaries, as well as by my colleagues, family, and friends who lead with heart and purpose.

I’m especially inspired by thought leaders, activists, and educators who are working toward a more just and compassionate world. But most of all, I find hope and energy in young people who are fearlessly using their voices to demand change. Their courage and clarity constantly remind me why storytelling matters.

  1. What is your favorite aspect of film production? 

What I love most about film production is the opportunity to collaborate with incredibly talented and thoughtful people. Filmmaking is deeply collaborative. While directors often receive the spotlight, it truly takes a village to bring a story to life.

Producers, cinematographers, editors, and both above- and below-the-line crew members are the backbone of any production. Their creativity, problem-solving, and commitment shape the film just as much as any single vision. Chasing Time would not have been possible without the passion and dedication of everyone involved. I’m immensely grateful to have worked alongside such a generous and skilled team.

  1. What are the next project or projects you are beginning work on? 

Alongside my work as an Associate Producer at Jeff and Larissa’s social impact company, Exposure Labs, I’m also developing my first feature-length narrative script. It’s a deeply personal passion project.

The story is a fictionalized account inspired by my family’s history. My parents survived the Khmer Rouge genocide in the late 1970s and eventually came to the United States as refugees. Set in the present day, the film follows a writer struggling to reconcile her relationship with her estranged, alcoholic mother. Through a blend of flashbacks and magical realism, the story explores themes of abuse, memory, and intergenerational trauma.

It’s both a creative exploration and an act of healing—an attempt to give voice to stories that often go untold.

  1. If there is one or more thing you think would make the film industry better, what would it be? 

I believe the film industry would be stronger with greater and more sustainable support for independent films and artists. Independent filmmakers are often the ones telling the most diverse, daring, and deeply human stories, elevating the voices and perspectives that are too often overlooked by mainstream media.

Especially in this moment of global uncertainty and social unrest, art plays a critical role in helping us make sense of the world. It challenges systems, deepens empathy, and invites us to see each other more fully. Investing in independent storytelling isn’t just about entertainment. In order for there to be meaningful and lasting change, there needs to be a cultural shift. Storytellers play a critical role in helping people connect the dots between individual experiences and larger systemic issues. By shifting the narrative, we can reimagine what’s possible and drive cultural transformation.

Sarah’s Bio

Sarah Keo is a Cambodian-American filmmaker from Seattle, Washington. After receiving a Bachelors of Business Administration from the University of Washington, Sarah pursued her childhood dream of telling stories and changing the world, believing that film was the perfect medium to do both. Her first venture into filmmaking was as the Production Coordinator on Jeff Orlowski-Yang’s Emmy-winning documentary, The Social Dilemma. Since then, Jeff and Sarah have co-directed a short documentary film together called Chasing Time, which is Sarah’s directorial debut. Sarah currently resides in Denver, Colorado and is a 2024 Cine Fe Fellow.

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