FOUNDER
• Sophoan Sorn Productions
• San Joaquin Fi
• San Joaquin Film Festival

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
• Sister Cities Int. NorCal
• Stockton Arts Center Alliance

MEMBER
• Film Arts Foundation
• Seventh-day Adventist Church
• Stockton Sister Cities Assc.

Radio Interview with 97.7 KWIN's Amanda King and Double J. in the Morning, June 3, 2008

b i o

Sophoan Sorn, is a multi-faceted, Cambodian-American artist and cultural entrepreneur in festival programming, documentary filmmaking, the visual arts, and contemporary piano performance. He is the Founder and Director of San Joaquin Cross-Cultural Media (SJCCM), an orgranization that celebrates cultural appreciation and media through productions of documentary films, community festivals, and cultural arts. He is the Creator of the International San Joaquin Film Festival (which opened June 4th, 2008), a project of SJCCM.

THE EARLY YEARS

Born in January 1985 during the time of refuge on the border of Cambodia and Thailand, his birth was a miracle, considering that his mother’s (Sovanna) water broke two weeks earlier. During the time of expectancy, his mother, father, and older sister (who was two years old then), were in a hospital in Rithysen (Nong Samit) Refugee Camp. Due to the heavy shelling by the Vietnamese soldiers and chaos of refugees seeking shelter, he was not born that night of Christmas Eve in 1984. They fled that evening. After several days, they reached an area referred to as “Red Hill.” As soon as his mother spotted the Red Cross, she realized that she could not go any further. She was carried to a temporary shelter. Several days later, on a mat laid directly on dirt, under a tent, Sophoan was born.

During the next six years, the Sorn family lived in a settlement called Site 2. His father, Sophat became a Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) in 1984 and became the first Cambodian ordained minister of the Gospel of the SDA Church in 1989. Sophoan was exposed to many people. Missionaries and foreigners from Australia and USA would come into the camp, and visit the family on their property. He was always curious about the world around him, even at such a young age of three, and was fascinated by cars. Rarely would a car come through the camp, but when it did, he would rush up to the wooden gate to see it go past him. This fascination also began his love of art. After the monsoon rain, the soil around the creeks would thicken. With a piece of mud, he molded a car. His passion for the arts, began.

Performing a unique duet and arrangement of a Cambodian traditional song with Grandpa at The Haggin Museum on April 1, 2006.

AMERICA

In 1990, through his father’s devoted work for the Military Attaché’s “Stony Beach” Team, a humanitarian project that searched for American soldiers “Missing-in-Action,” the family was sponsored to come to America. They were welcomed by the Stockton Central Seventh-day Adventist Church, which provided necessities of life for them, until they became self-sufficient. Sophoan and his older sister began school in Stockton, California. Through ESL and determination, he learned English in six months. When third grade came, he was honored with the Hazelton Award - the school's highest honor.

YOUNG MUSICIAN

Sophoan believes that his musical genes were inherited from his grandfather, Sonn Moeng, a proficient player of the Cambodian zitar and the tror. Music entered his life at the age 10 when he began teaching himself piano with primary-level training books. Two months later, he taught himself most of Beethoven’s “Fur Elise.” Fellow church members - the Curtises - and friends, sponsored his musical and educational endeavors, up to his high school graduation. He wrote his first original composition for piano - “Gethsemane” - at age 14. At age 15, he volunteered to teach piano lessons for children of low-income families at Park Village Apartments, through a program with APSARA organization. After one year, each student who previously had no knowledge of music, were able to memorize and perform music for APSARA’s 10th Anniversary celebration.

A candid interview on TV Show "Sacramento and Company"

BEGINNINGS OF A VISUAL ARTIST

During his high school years, Sophoan began self-training in graphic design, webpage development, and videography. Through the attendance of workshops and intense studies of the works of master artists, he was able to hone skills and knowledge in the visual arts. During his high school years, he was actively involved in activities of creative arts, publication, leadership and volunteerism.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Fresh out of high school, in August of 2003, he jumped into the world of business by venturing with his family to open Sorn Studios, a photography business. Two months later, he was selected to be the official photographer for a oral history project on “coming-of-age” stories called “Stockton Speaks”, led by Dr. Robert Benedetti of University of the Pacific's (Pacific) The Jacoby Center. For the years to come as a photographer, Sophoan exposed himself to the various specialties of photography. Photographs from “Stockton Speaks” were displayed in a small exhibition at the Haggin Museum in early 2005.

Presenting documentary at 2006 Stockton Arts Awards

STOCKTON CROSSING
CULTURAL BRIDGES

In 2005, he joined the Stockton Sister Cities Association (SSCA). In March 2005, he founded the Stockton Crossing Cultural Bridges project with the support of Stockton's mayor, Edward Chavez and various organizations and leaders across the city. The Stockton Arts Commission (S.A.C.) saw his vision. On June 28, 2005, at a City Council meeting, he and five organizations received the 2005 S.A.C. City Endowment for the Arts Award. During November of 2005, he joined a delegation of over two dozen members of the SSCA to Asia to film the documentary "To: Iloilo and Battambang."

2006: THE LAUNCH OF AN ARTIST

In 2006, Sophoan turned 21. 0n January 14th, he inspired young children through a photography workshop at The Haggin Museum called “Click It Like Ansel,” dedicated to one of his heroes - Ansel Adams. On March 2nd, his first documentary "To: Iloilo & Battambang" successfully premiered at the Stockton Civic Auditorium. On April 1st, in a partnership with The Haggin Museum and friends, the documentary was brought “to life” in a successful, family event called "Celebrate! Cambodia and The Philippines." Sophoan and his siblings' Christian quartet called "The Sorn's," had their concert tour - The Aspire Tour - launch at their home church on April 22nd. On October 20th, he made a guest appearance at the 2006 Stockton Arts Awards at the Bob Hope (Fox) Theatre, where he presented segments from "To: Iloilo and Battambang" and premiered two biographical short films honoring the recipients.

Ribbon-Cutting of the Inaugural International San Joaquin Film Festival at the Historic Bob Hope Fox California Theatre, June 4, 2008 (click on image to enlarge)

TODAY AND TOMORROW
• San Joaquin Cross-Cultural Media
• San Joaquin Film Festival

As of August 2007, SCCB became San Joaquin Cross-Cultural Media. During this Second Season, Sophoan leads the organization into a major project: the creation of The First International San Joaquin Film Festival - the region's first global film festival. The festival, with its theme "Making History," opened from June 4 to 8, 2008, featuring 54 films from 18 nations, with 35 events across the city of Stockton. Opening Night was held at the historic Bob Hope Fox California Theatre and Hotel Stockton, in Stockton, California. For this project, he was awarded the 2007-08 S.A.C. Endowment for the Arts Grant.

He is a member of the Stockton Arts Center Alliance - a new organization with a mission "to promote and support arts organizations and cultural activities in our City through the development of a cultural, visual, and performing arts center" - in which SJCCM Is one of six pioneer, member organizations.

Sophoan Sorn Productions, a diverse business servicing a broad clientele with visual arts; fine arts; multimedia creations; and marketing consulting and solutions - is celebrating its fifth year.

Through SJCCM's Youth Video Vision (YVV) program, he instructs and mentors young, aspiring filmmakers. Two projects from YVV will premiere at the 2008 San Joaquin Film Festival. He is a community advocate, a public speaker, and is active in the music ministries of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Sister Cities International Northern California Chapter.

Sophoan is currently in the pre-production stages of the 2nd International San Joaquin Film Festival, set to take place in two cities from May 12 to 17, 2009.

EDUCATIONAL
and CAREER ENDEAVORS

An honor graduate of Lodi Academy, he has attended San Joaquin Delta College. He is currently studying Motion Picture Television at Academy of Art University in San Francisco. In the future, he hopes to achieve a PhD in Film, Television and Media, and become an active, professional director and director of photography in film and television.

As part of his interests, he enjoys traveling, fashion, cuisine, and getting to know people of diverse backgrounds.

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