Graduating from Yale University with an M.A. in English in 1993, Quentin Lee headed to Los Angeles, where—while a graduate film production student at UCLA—he founded Margin Films to launch his debut feature, "Shopping for Fangs." Lee and Margin Films are commemorating three decades of independent, bold, and boundary-pushing storytelling that has amplified diverse communities and cultures—including LGBTQ+, Asian, LatinX, Black, Indigenous, and more—with the release of a coffee table book and film/television Los Angeles screening series titled "Cinemasianamerica," showcasing their trailblazing journey in filmmaking.
In our latest Q&A, Quentin shares how his time at Yale helped shape his career as a filmmaker and how he stays connected to the Yale community.
Why Yale?
Graduating from Berkeley, I was thrilled to have a chance to come to Yale to study more literature, philosophy and literary theory before embarking on my journey to be an artist.
What is your most enduring memory of your time at Yale?
I have to say, it was during an independent film shoot in the fall that I crewed on with a few Yale students. I remember a break on set in a house somewhere in Connecticut—Hugo Perez and I were chatting, watching the sunset. It was a beautiful moment, one I can still recall vividly.
What is the biggest lesson you learned during your time at Yale and how does that shape who you are today?
Never take no for an answer. When I was trying to screen a short film I’d made, a college dean kept giving me the runaround for reasons I never fully understood. I stayed persistent—following up, checking in, and refusing to let the opportunity slip away—until finally, they said yes. That one “yes” allowed me to screen my first film, and it opened the door to many more screenings afterward. Looking back, as I’m about to celebrate 30 years of Margin Films with "Cinemasianamerica" in LA, I can say that Yale is where I truly learned the perseverance required to be a filmmaker.
How did your time at Yale shape your identity?
Most importantly, my time at Yale University gave me the confidence to pursue filmmaking. Being part of the Yale community affirmed that my point of view—and my work—truly matter at the highest level. As Jodie Foster told us in her commencement speech, it was time to go out there and “kick ass.” I’ve been doing my best to live up to that ever since.
What does belonging mean to you and how did you find a sense of belonging at Yale and after?
As a graduate student, I stayed close to my English MA and first-year PhD cohort. We would eat together daily at “The English Table,” an experience I’ve long wanted to turn into a TV series. I also formed friendships during my undergraduate years that have truly lasted a lifetime.
How have you stayed engaged with the Yale community since graduating?
I founded and have been running Yale in Hollywood Fest since 2020. We will be running the seventh edition this year. It's amazing that, as the festival director, I get to watch all these Yale-affiliated films and become prouder each year to showcase them and to continue growing a community of Yale filmmakers through the festival.
What advice do you wish you heard during your time at Yale?
I would say it’s because no one I knew well at the time had actually worked in Hollywood. I only wish I had been told how complicated—sometimes nearly impossible—it can be to survive here.
What were your favorite spaces at Yale or in New Haven? Why?
It had to be Durfee's Sweet Shoppe where I would get frozen yogurt during study breaks. I believed I also did quite a bit of writing there.
What aspects of Yale do you feel like you talk about most often to people who didn’t go to school here? Why?
I would tell them that Yale University has been the best institution I’ve attended because it empowers its students to carry the university's light forward. Once you’re a Yalie, you’re a Yalie for life—you carry that passion for creativity and excellence with you always. I often share this with my pre-teen son, hoping to inspire him to follow that path.
If you happen to be in Los Angeles May 1-7, 2026, I hope you join me at one of the "Cinemasianamerica" screenings at Laemmle Royal or on AAM.tv.
How would you answer? Share your responses with the YAA and they might be featured in an upcoming edition of "Getting to Know You."
And be sure to check out all the Q&As in the series by visiting our Getting to Know You page.
