BIO
​
R.J. Ong is a director of photography based in London with an affinity for films with elements of social and magical realism, drama and surrealism. He is an alumni of the National Film and Television School.
In 2024, R.J. was nominated at the UKMVA for Best Cinematography in a Video (Newcomer) and recently shortlisted for Best Cinematography at the Young Arrows 2025. His cinematography includes "See It, Say it", a short film directed Nez Khammal (Pulse Films), which which premiered at the Oscar & BAFTA Qualifying SXSW Film and TV Festival 2024, competed at the 2024 BFI London Film Festival and is now part of Vimeo’s Staff Pick.
As part of Ed Sheeran’s “PLAY” album release in 2025, R.J. collaborated with director Emil Nava, one of the world's most prolific music video directors, to create the intimate “CAMERA” music video. Since then, he collaborated with Emil on a few other projects including the Nature Talk Series and another soon-to-be-released Ed Sheeran project.
His other work includes “Watamula”, which was nominated for the prestigious Golden Calves Award in the Netherlands and “Do Not Feed the Pigeons” which won the BAFTA for Best British Short Animation. In addition, ”Launch Fever”, a film R.J. photographed has also been selected at the LA Shorts International Film Festival, Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival and won the Gold Telly Awards in People's Telly, Directing, and Narrative & Scripted.
Recently, he was invited to participate as a Jury for the Videoclip Italia Awards 2025 and has also collaborated with brands such as Arsenal, Emirates, Mastercard, Mclaren, Vogue, Adidas, GQ, BULGARI, Universal Music, Columbia Records, Valentino, Manchester United and artists such as Calvin Harris, Jorja Smith and Ed Sheeran.
​
​PRESS​
​​
PROMONEWS.TV
​​
​
AWARDS
​
​​
​
JORJA SMITH "SWIMMING IN PITY" MV
UKMVA 2025 - Nomination - Best Dance/Electronice (Newcomer)
​
​
​​
​
​
AMI BLUU "SWIMMING IN PITY" MV
UKMVA 2025 - Nomination - Best Live Video
​
​​
​
​
​
KONYIKEH "LIE TO ME" MV
UKMVA 2024- Nomination/Shortlist - Best Cinematography in a Video (Newcomer)
UKMVA 2024 - Nomination/Shortlist - Best Colour Grading in a Video (Newcomer)
UKMVA 2024 - Nomination/Shortlist - Best Pop/R&B/Soul Video (Newcomer)
Young Arrows 2025 - Shortlist - Best Cinematography
​​​​
​
ORIGINAL SKIN
***ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
​
Official Selection - Tribeca Film Festival 2024
​
​
​​
​
SEE IT, SAY IT
​
Official Selection & Best Short Film Award Nomination - BFI London Film Festival 2024 (London Premiere)
Official Selection - Narrative Short - SXSW Film & TV Festival 2024 (International Premiere)
Nomination -Best British Film - Norwich Film Festival 2024​​
Official Selection - Shanghai International Film Festival 2025
​
​​
LAUNCH FEVER
​
Official Selection - Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival 2024 (Oscar & BAFTA - Qualifying)​​
Official Selection - LA SHORTS International Film Festival 2024 (Oscar, BAFTA, CSA, Goya - Qualifying)​​
45th Annual Telly Awards 2024 - Gold - Non-Broadcast - People's Telly
45th Annual Telly Awards 2024 - Gold - Non-Broadcast - Directing
45th Annual Telly Awards 2024 - Gold - Non-Broadcast - Narrative & Scripted
45th Annual Telly Awards 2024 - Silver - Non-Broadcast - History
​​
​
THE SMART DIVER
​
Official Selection -Indy Shorts (Heartland) International Film Festival 2024 (Oscar - Qualifying)​​
Official Selection -Florida International Film Festival 2024
​​​
FROM THE TOP
ASIFA Annie Awards 2023 - Nominee (Best Student Film)
Animadeba 2023 - Special Mention of the Jury
China International Student Animation Festival 2023 (ANIWOW) - Best Performance in an Animated Short
Piccolo Festival dell’Animazione 2023 - Awarded Special Mention
Ottawa International Animation Festival 2023 - Official Selection
Turku Animated Film Festival 2023 - Official Selection
Tacoma Film Festival 2023 - Official Selection
Animae Caribe International Animation & Digital Media Festival 2023 - Official Selection
Cinanima 2023 - Official Selection
London International Animation Festival 2023 - Official Selection
Sunderland Shorts Film Festival - Official Selection
International Film Festival Etiuda & Anima 2023 - Official Selection
Animateka International Animated Film Festival 2023 - Official Selection
Mieres Under-60’ Film Festival 2023 - Official Selection
Bilbao International Animation Community Festival (Animakom Fest) - Official Selection
17th Berlin British Shorts Film Festival 2023 - Official Selection
Animation Festival of Roanne 2023 - Official Selection
Animac 2023 - Official Selection
Mind The Indie Film Festival- Official Selection
Shortlist - Animation - BAFTA Student Awards 2023
​
DO NOT FEED THE PIGEONS
Winner - "Best British Short Animation" - BAFTA Film Awards 2022
Official Selection - Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2022
Winner - "Silver Screen Award" - Young Director Award (YDA) 2022
Official Selection - LA Shorts International Film Festival 2022
Official Selection - Palm Springs International Shorts Fest 2022
Official Selection - Nuits En Or César 2022
Official Selection - Animafest Zagreb 2022
Official Selection - 19th In the Palace International Short Film Festival 2022
International Competition Selection - Tampere Film Festival 2022
Official Selection - London Short Film Festival
Official Selection - 19th Bogotá Short Film Festival
​
WATAMULA
Finalist - Golden Calves Awards (Netherland's Oscar) - Nederlands Film Festival 2020
Official Selection - Go Short 2021 - Oscar & Bafta Qualifying
​
PATROON
Official Selection - Nederlands Film Festival 2020
Young Directors Award - Shortlist 2020
Longlist "In the Making" - 1.4 Awards 2020
​
​​
​​​​​​​*** PLEASE CLICK TO VIEW
​
​