From Kuala Lumpur to Los Angeles: A Journey of Passion, Persistence, and Producing

Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Desmond Qi Hong Loh did not come from a film background. His father worked in motorcycle manufacturing, and his mother was an accountant — filmmaking was not remotely on the radar. While studying ADTP (Psychology) at Sunway University, Desmond stumbled into a film production class during Malaysia’s lockdown period, simply to fulfill general elective requirements. That decision changed the course of his life.

During one group assignment, he was appointed director — mostly because no one else wanted to do it. Though the film never saw the light of day (and still makes him cringe), it lit a creative spark that would guide his next steps.

Desmond originally intended to build his career back home with fellow Malaysian creatives but took a leap of faith and transferred to California State University, Northridge (CSUN). After applying and being accepted into the competitive Film Production program, he chose Producing as his emphasis and dove headfirst into as many projects as possible.

One of his first formative experiences came when he joined the crew of a senior thesis film and unexpectedly ended up producing key elements behind the scenes. "Shoutout to Patrick Ng, who gave me my first opportunity on a film set," Desmond says. “I didn’t even realize what I did was producing until he pointed it out.”

At CSUN, Desmond quickly built a strong portfolio. His producing credits include Your Promise and Glodok 98, which both earned selections at prestigious film festivals in the U.S. and internationally. Additional projects such as Something Good Going On, Moksha, and Are We Still Friends? continue to reflect his passion for emotional storytelling and creative risk-taking.

Now based in Los Angeles, Desmond works at the vertical drama studio ReelShort as an operations coordinator and is transitioning into a producer role. He recently voiced background characters for Marvel Studios’ upcoming film Thunderbolts*, and was invited to join SAG-AFTRA, marking a significant milestone in his growing career.

His work has been recognized at LA Shorts International Film Festival, HollyShorts, the Student Academy Awards, Stage 32 Short Film Contest, and many others. His industry experience is backed by internships with 13 Films, mentorships with Netflix’s Anna Luna (Associate Manager, Original Film), and CBS Studios’ Marissa Brooks (VP of Drama Development).

Desmond is also active in the digital and convention space — having participated in OTK’s Top Streamer competition, attended Anime Expo, Animé Los Angeles, and L.A. Comic Con, and contributed as a journalist for CSUN’s Daily Sundial.

Ultimately, his long-term ambition is to produce cinematic adaptations of video games, combining narrative depth with fan-favorite franchises to bring new kinds of stories to the big screen. He aims to elevate minority voices in entertainment and bridge Asian and global audiences. “Only when you hit rock bottom, you can build yourself back up,” he says.