Xiaolong Chen is a Los Angeles–based filmmaker and animation artist exploring dreams, the unconscious, and the shifting nature of identity. For him, filmmaking is a way of navigating the unknown—a process of holding a candle in the dark to search for meaning within confusion, fear, and beauty.
Blending live action, 2D animation, and AI-generated imagery, Xiaolong creates hybrid worlds where dimensional boundaries dissolve, and conflicting desires take form as characters. His films often follow figures in search of reconciliation and a more complete sense of self.
Xiaolong is pursuing an MFA in Expanded Animation Research and Practice at the University of Southern California. He creates independent animated films and collaborates as a writer on feature projects.