DON’T LOOK AWAY (Full-length film)
(DIRECTOR/DP)

Don’t Look Away follows four adults, Jane, Corey, Christine, and Karen, for ten years to show how their various facial differences have impacted their friendships, romantic relationships, and careers, and shaped them to be the adults they are today.

As filmmaker Joseph Lingad comes to understand the stories of the four adults during filming, they unintentionally give him the courage to share his own struggles with living with a facial difference. 

Joseph, a Filipino-American immigrant, was born with a cleft lip and cleft palate and underwent 13 surgeries as a child. Too ashamed to deal with his facial difference for most of his life, but with the influence of the four adults and the birth of his son, the need to understand himself became urgent.

Joseph embraces his newfound community and seeks to portray a perspective that has never been seen before–one that is shared from within the community rather than being told about it. Don’t Look Away explores the nuances of individual lives and the significance of belonging in a community, urging audiences to pay attention.

Don’t Look Away (Short film)
(director/Producer)

Born with a rare condition requiring over 50 cranial reconstructive surgeries, 36-year-old Corey searches for normalcy, love, and acceptance in a swipe-left, swipe-right world. The short film follows Corey’s daily activities to show how his facial difference impacts his life, friendships, family relations, romantic relationships, and careers and how these experiences shape his personality and perspective. In essence, Don’t Look Away explores how his look affects his ability to live “a normal life” and challenges viewers to question who is really missing out–us or them–when we reject those who look different.

Don’t Look Away is a proof-of-concept short film set within a larger story, featuring three other adults and the director’s personal journey of coming to terms with his facial difference.  The feature-length film is still in production and is scheduled for completion by the summer of 2027.