ABOUT ME

Thomas Cristofoletti is an award-winning documentary director, cinematographer, and photographer based in Bangkok, Thailand. Originally from the Italian Alps, he has worked across Southeast Asia since 2012 and in more than 30 countries worldwide, directing and shooting medium- and long-form documentaries and visual stories for international broadcasters, media outlets, and development organisations.

His work focuses on human-centred stories at the intersection of climate change, development, and human rights, with a particular interest in investigative and environmental storytelling. He has a long-standing connection to the Mekong region, where much of his work has explored the social and environmental consequences of rapid development.

Thomas has directed and shot documentaries for international broadcasters and media organisations including the BBC, Bloomberg, Deutsche Welle, Channel 4, Channel News Asia, and Mongabay. His photography and visual journalism have been published by The New York Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, and other international outlets, while his films and photography have supported projects and campaigns by organisations including USAID, WWF, UNEP, UNICEF, and the Obama Foundation.

His documentary work on Cambodia’s microfinance crisis includes Strangled, which follows three Cambodian families trapped in over-indebtedness and examines the human cost of a financial system promoted as a tool for poverty reduction. The investigation continues in Debt Inc., which turns its attention to the international investors and financial institutions behind Cambodia’s microfinance industry.

Thomas is also the co-founder of RUOM, a multimedia collective specialising in documentary film, photography, and investigative visual journalism.

He speaks English, Italian, and Spanish fluently.