Huntington Film Alumni Shares His Story

Jonny Stern is a 2015 Huntington High School graduate. He has gone to become a documentary filmmaker and commercial director, cinematographer and editor.

Mr. Stern studied visual media arts at Emerson College, with a focus on directing, cinematography, and media ethics. “I’ve also taken online documentary courses with The Art of Documentary, which had a major influence on my approach to storytelling and my development as a filmmaker,” he said.

The Huntington alum is interested in sharing his story with any student interested in filmmaking. “In my documentary work, I take on roles such as director, producer, and cinematographer, focusing on character-driven, vérité-style stories that explore intimate human experiences,” Mr. Stern said. “On the commercial side, I collaborate with production companies as a director, DP, and editor, creating campaigns and branded content for clients like Disney, Rolex, Amazon, Lexus, Google, Adobe, Walmart, Vans, and The North Face.”

Mr. Stern took his first filmmaking class near the end of his sophomore year at Huntington.

“I originally came in wanting to act, but within a few weeks I fell in love with the broader process of filmmaking,” he said. “I was lucky to have teacher Heather Swan, who recognized my interest early and really helped nurture it. She allowed me to come in during off hours to keep editing and developing my work and encouraged me to submit my short films to festivals. That class ended up being a huge turning point and the first real step in my filmmaking journey.”

Mr. Stern studied abroad in London as a junior. “I started pursuing travel filmmaking, capturing cultures and landscapes across Europe,” he said. “Those early passion projects led to opportunities with organizations like G Adventures and the Kenya Tourism Board, which helped launch my career. After graduating, I spent about four years working across more than 40 countries with travel operators and retreat companies, while also starting to develop my documentary work.”

Two years ago, Mr. Stern decided to establish a base in Los Angeles, signed with a talent agency and began focusing more on commercial directing while continuing to build his documentary projects.

“I am currently building a commercial production company of my own and directing, producing, and shooting a feature documentary titled Besela (The Scar), a deeply intimate portrait of survivors living in the aftermath of a genocide in Tigray, Ethiopia,” Mr. Stern said. “The film explores themes of resilience, trauma, and recovery. Filmmaking is my greatest passion, and uncovering and sharing untold stories around the world is what drives me.”

You can check out some of the Huntington grad’s work at www.jonnystern.com or IG: jonny_stern