Chris Ungco on Positioning Yourself, Finding Your Secret Sauce & Reclaiming His Filipinoness
In this episode of Soul Supremacy, Edrian Pangilinan sits down with director of photography and creative producer Chris Ungco of Ube Films for a conversation about identity, artistry, community, and the realities of building a sustainable career in film.
Chris shares his journey from New York to Los Angeles and reflects on how his Filipino American heritage shaped his sense of self, creative voice, and approach to storytelling. The conversation explores the changing landscape of filmmaking and media, non linear career paths, positioning yourself in the industry, and the importance of finding an authentic voice.
Edrian and Chris also discuss code switching, otherness, imposter syndrome, representation, community, collaboration, and the tension between need and want in modern media.
Chris shares his philosophy on cinematography and intentional storytelling, including the psychological space that images create for an audience. They also explore what it means to stay rooted in cultural truth while navigating an industry that continues to evolve.
A conversation about finding your voice, discovering your secret sauce, building community, and reclaiming the parts of yourself that make your work uniquely yours.
ABOUT SOUL SUPREMACY
Soul Supremacy is an independent podcast created and hosted by filmmaker and storyteller Edrian Pangilinan.
Since 2021, the show has explored creativity, identity, purpose, resilience, and the stories that shape who we become through honest conversations with artists, filmmakers, musicians, entrepreneurs, and changemakers.
More than interviews, Soul Supremacy is an editorial archive of people in the middle of becoming.
In conversation since 2021.
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ABOUT CHRIS UNGCO
Chris Ungco is an award-winning Director of Photography and Creative Producer whose visual language is rooted in mood, texture, and emotional resonance. Born and raised in New York and now operating across NYC and Los Angeles, his career spans narrative features, high-end commercials, and intimate documentaries — with projects recognized by an Academy Award, Emmy Awards, and multiple Imagen Awards.
Working under his production banner Ube Films — a nod to his Filipino heritage — Chris has shot commercial films across a dozen countries and most of the United States. His background spans photochemical film and digital cinema, bridging classic technique with modern technology.
For Chris, cinematography is never just about capturing what's in front of the lens — it's about shaping the psychological space the audience inhabits. That philosophy, refined across decades of documentary work on the road, is what he calls The Wonder and the Context — and it's the foundation of every frame he builds.
Ube Films: https://ubefilms.com
Instagram: @chrisungcodp
