Christopher Radcliff is a mixed Chinese American filmmaker based in New York City. His work has screened worldwide including at the Sundance, SXSW, Clermont-Ferrand, and Rotterdam film festivals, at The Shed in New York City and Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai, and online via Criterion Channel, Short of the Week, Vimeo Staff Picks, and Lé Cinema Club. His first feature film THE STRANGE ONES was released theatrically in 2018, and was named by John Waters as one of the top ten films of the year. His documentary short film WE WERE THE SCENERY premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the Short Film Jury Award for Nonfiction, and went on to be shortlisted for the 98th Academy Awards.
He is a member of the WGAE and a recipient of fellowships from Oxbelly and Almanack Screenwriters, as well as a member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild. His editing and postproduction credits include Palm Trees and Power Lines (2022), After Yang (2021), Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020), Minor Premise (2019), Mafak (2018), and Easy Living (2017). He received his MFA from Columbia University and currently teaches in the Film/Video Department at Pratt Institute.

Representation:
Meredith Rothman - Brillstein Entertainment Partners
James Feldman - Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Feldman, Rogal, Shikora & Clark, Inc.

Awards + Distinctions (selected)

We Were the Scenery

Shortlist, 98th Academy Awards, 2026 (Short Documentary)

Winner, Short Film Jury Prize: Nonfiction, Sundance Film Festival, 2025

Vimeo Staff Picks Best of the Year, 2025

Special Mention, SIMA Awards, 2026

Short List, DOC NYC, 2025

Nominee, Cinema Eye Honors, 2026

Winner, Best International Short Documentary Film, Galway Film Fleadh, 2025

Winner, Best International Short Dox, DokuFest, 2025

Winner, Special Jury Prize for Documentary Short, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, 2025

Winner, Excellence in Short Filmmaking Documentary and Audience Award, Asian American International Film Festival, 2025

Winner, Grand Jury Special Mention, International Section, Kaohsiung Film Festival, 2025

Winner, Air Canada Best Short Film or Video Award, ReelAsian Film Festival, 2025

Winner, Best Short Documentary, San Diego Asian Film Festival, 2025

The Strange Ones (2017)

SXSW Film Festival 2017 - Special Jury Award

Greenwich Film Festival 2017 - Best Narrative Feature

Champs Élysées Film Festival 2017 - Grand Jury Prize

Tulsa American Film Festival 2017- Best Cinematography

Annonay International First Feature Film Festival 2017- Prix du Jury Lycéen

Jonathan’s Chest

Sundance Film Festival 2014

SXSW Film Festival 2014

Festival De Vannes, Rencontres du Cinéma Européen - Winner, Prix de l’Hermine, 2014

Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2015

Tokyo Short Shorts & Asia FF 2015

The Strange Ones (2011)

Sundance Film Festival 2011

Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2011

SXSW Film Festival 2011

Hamptons International Film Festival 2011 - Best Narrative Short

Atlanta Film Festival 2011 - Best Narrative Short

IFF Boston 2011 - Special Jury Prize

Kino Knock Out Film Festival 2011 - Special Jury Mention

Festival de Courts Métrages de la Côte Bleue 2011 - Jury Award

Festival du Courts Métrages Fenêtres Sur Courts 2011 - Best European Film

24fps International Short Film Festival (US) - Grand Jury Prize Best Film, Best Director, 2011

FILMETS Badalona Film Festival- Special Jury Award, 2011

Brest European Short Film Festival - Prix Revelation, 2011

Exground Film Fest (Germany) - Best Film, 2011

International Short Film Festival Ciudad de Soria (Spain) - Special Jury Award, 2011

Festival du Film Court de Villeurbanne (France) - Grand Jury Prize, 2011

Festival du Cinéma du Grain à Démoudre (France) - Best Short Film & Best
Screenplay, 2011

Images In Cabestany (France) - Grand Prize, 2011

FEC European Short Film Festival (Spain) - Jury Award, 2011

Victoria TX Independent Film Festival (US) - Best Short Film, 2011

Medina del Campo Film Festival (Spain) - Best International Short Film, 2011

Visionaria International Film Festival (Italy) - Jury Prize for Best Film, 2011

ELEGETEBEFEST (Spain) - Best Actor Award, 2011

Press (Selected)

Letterboxd: Vimeo Staff Picks - Best of 2025

Criterion: The Other Side of the Apocalypse: A Conversation on We Were the Scenery

Film Comment: The Best Shorts of 2025

Talking Shorts: Listed: Top 3 of 2025: Filmmakers, Programmers and Critics Pick This Year’s Most Remarkable Short Films

Short of the Week: We Were the Scenery; Surveying the Oscar Contenders: Documentary Short Film

Business Doc Europe: Awards FYC: We Were the Scenery by Christopher Radcliff

diaCRITICS: Viet Film Fest 2025: Select Shorts

ABC Action News: 14th annual BlackStar Film Fest. brings close to 100 films to Philadelphia

San Francisco Chronicle: CAAMfest Shows the Vietnam War Is Still in Our DNA a Half a Century Later

The Verge: Behind the Scenes; The Extras of Apocalypse Now

cinéSPEAK: Two Philly Filmmakers Take Home Awards at Sundance 2025

Variety: DOC NYC Unveils Full Lineup

Hollywood Reporter: DOC NYC

Announces Full Lineup; Sundance Short Film Award Winners

KQED: Must-See Screenings at the 2025 SFFilm Festival

Sundance: 2025 Award Winners Announced;
Stories of Finding Home;
Short Film Program 4 Show Audiences the Importance of Belonging

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