Leyi Huang

Documentary Filmmaker & Video Journalist

Leyi (Laurie) Huang is a Chicago-based documentary filmmaker and video journalist. Born and raised in China, she moved to the U.S. in 2022. In 2023, Huang got her Master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. She embarked on documentary filmmaking in 2020. Her first project, Purple Ballroom, features the LGBTQ ballroom scene in Guangzhou, China, and follows the journey of its founder, a queer activist. As Huang dove deeper into this project, she found her passion for telling impact-driven stories, and has since started producing more stories on underreported communities.

Participating Sessions

Crossing Borders

Crossing Borders brings together experienced professionals in film and journalism to give feedback on select projects in front of a live audience. Newsrooms moving print projects into film and filmmakers venturing into investigative territory show excerpts of their work and receive feedback from across the aisle. The goal for each side is to raise impact through input from colleagues drawing on unaccustomed expertise. This workshop is possible thanks to the...