Yang Zimik

Yang Zimik is a filmmaker living in Los Angeles, California.

Yang Zimik is a Directing Fellow from the AFI Conservatory in Los Angeles and one of the first filmmakers from the Naga community, an Indigenous group from the Indo–Burmese borderlands.

Before AFI, Yang spent five years working in Bollywood before becoming the Head Writer and Director at the WWI Jio VR Lab in 2018, then India’s largest virtual reality lab, where he led pioneering experiments in immersive storytelling. He also designed and taught Writing & Directing for VR, the first academic curriculum of its kind in India.

In 2021, Yang joined Studio Sirah as Lead Narrative Designer, where he wrote and designed the story for Kurukshetra: Ascension, an award-winning collectible card game rooted in Indian mythology.

His latest short film, The Apple Picker’s Son, has screened at major festivals including AFI FEST, Dances With Films, LA Shorts International Film Festival, and the Jaipur International Film Festival, among 32 official selections worldwide, earning seven awards.

As one of the first filmmakers from his tribal community, Yang is interested in telling stories of disenfranchisement and isolation. His life-long struggle with identity has gravitated him towards making films about people who lie on or beyond the periphery of society’s consciousness.