Brandon Soun

He/They

Brandon is 2nd generation Cambodian American born and raised in Long Beach, CA. A graduate of UCLA in Asian American Studies, Brandon’s work focuses on telling authentic and impactful stories of the Southeast Asian diaspora, delving into themes of intergenerational trauma, displacement, and resiliency. In 2020, he was selected as a fellow for the Armed-With-A-Camera Fellowship with Visual Communications, a program that supports emerging Asian Pacific American filmmakers. His recent short film, “Conversations at the Register” (2022), was a standout at the 2023 Seattle Asian American Film Festival, earning a nomination for the Grand Jury Award and winning the Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary Short.

Before coming to Power California, Brandon worked as the Digital Organizer for Khmer Girls in Action, a Long Beach-based community organization serving Southeast Asian women and youth. During his tenure, he led narrative and content development for the organization and helped teach youth members how to create media to tell their own stories. Furthermore, he worked alongside the LB Invest in Youth Coalition to oversee communications for Long Beach’s first city-wide youth participatory budgeting process, Youth Power PB Long Beach, where young people can vote how to spend part of the city’s annual budget for summer programs that foster their development. 

As an elder Gen Z’er, Brandon hopes to to build more power among youth of color and center their stories. He also continues to pursue his passion in film, having recently worked as a Producer on “Home Court,” a feature documentary on Asian American basketball which will broadcast nationwide on PBS Independent Lens in March 2025.