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Sandra Valde-Hansen

Sandra Valde-Hansen

Cinematographer, also producer · Miami, Florida, US

Sandra Valde-Hansen is an accomplished Filipina-American cinematographer working across feature films, television, and documentary. Named one of Variety’s “Artisan Elite: Up Next,” she holds an MFA from the American Film Institute, where she now serves as a Senior Lecturer in Cinematography. Her notable credits include the series, The L Word: Generation Q (Showtime), the feature, Plan B (Hulu), and the documentary Burn Motherf**er, Burn* (Showtime). A longtime collaborator of acclaimed indie filmmaker Gregg Araki, she lensed his STARZ series Now Apocalypse and Sundance features Kaboom and White Bird in a Blizzard. Most recently, she served as cinematographer on XO, Kitty (Netflix), and Seasons 2 and 3 of The Summer I Turned Pretty (Prime Video), created by New York Times bestselling author/showrunner Jenny Han. Valde-Hansen achieved a longtime personal milestone in 2022 when she was invited to join the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC). She is also a proud member of the Philippines’ Cinematography society, Lupon ng Pilipinong Sinematograpo (LPS), the Society of Camera Operators, the International Cinematographers Guild, the Television Academy, and the American Association of University Professors.

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Biography from TMDB.

From
Miami, Florida, US
Works as
Cinematographer, also producer
Titles
24 on MovieCove · 31 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 25% in 30 days

What are Sandra Valde-Hansen's films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 31st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
34%
Bonds
32%
Society
12%
Survival
6%
Ideas
6%
Morality
6%
Power
3%
Romantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 8 · Serious 7 · Dark 2

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 12 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 6 · Charged 9 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 9 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 8 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 5

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Melancholic
9
Romantic
6
Joyful
5
Absurd
6
Other
19

How their films linger

Bittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous7

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Sandra Valde-Hansen's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 21 of their 24 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Sandra Valde-Hansen's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

31 credits, 24 with a MovieCove page.

  • XO, Kitty(2023)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • Chocolate Milk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Cinematographer

  • The Summer I Turned Pretty(2022)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • With Love(2021)

    Show 5 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • Plan B(2021)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • For the Love of Rutland(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Bad Impulse(2019)

    Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Milkshake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Cinematographer

  • Now Apocalypse(2019)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows

  • After Everything(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Desolation Center(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Social Animals(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Redneck Muslim (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Cinematographer

  • Manic(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Seattle Road(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Love Is All You Need?(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Beyond Paradise(2015)

    Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • White Bird in a Blizzard(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Girltrash: All Night Long(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Christmas in Compton(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Hello Herman(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • A Measure of Faith(2012)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Tales of Masked Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Cinematographer

  • Jewtopia(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Snuff (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Cinematographer

  • Fly Away (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Cinematographer

  • The Back-up Bride(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Kaboom(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Triple Standard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Cinematographer

  • Standing Ovation(2010)

    Steadicam Operator

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Acts of Mercy(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

Career shape

A full career of 24 titles from 2009 to 2023.

Biggest box office

Kaboom (2010)

$635K worldwide

Highest rated

Desolation Center (2018)

Midcredits 91st

Most popular right now

XO, Kitty (2023)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography22 of 24: 22 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score50thOther crew2 of 24: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

2000s1 · crew2010s17 · crew2020s6 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Sandra Valde-Hansen's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 48th percentile, the median of all 20; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 46th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

37thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 24 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th7

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 24 titles are Mixed.

  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Divisive5
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed9

Most divisive · cinematographer

Manic (2017)

97th percentile spread · 27% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Desolation Center (2018)

Midcredits 91st · 76% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 59/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 71, detractors 55. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Sandra Valde-Hansen's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 37 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles38–75 · median 60 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 64 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 54 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 33 · mildMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Sandra Valde-Hansen work with?

People who share at least 2 of Sandra Valde-Hansen's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Pavlina Hatoupis shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Composers

Producers