BY Aria Moore

The recent success of the horror short Resonance at the Marina Del Rey Film Festival, where it won Best Horror Film, represents more than just another award for editor Xinhui Wang. It exemplifies the precision, technical mastery, and narrative intelligence that have established her as one of the most accomplished editors working in independent cinema today. With additional official selections at the Atlanta Horror Film Festival, Cindependent Film Festival, and Picture's Up Film Festival, Resonance has drawn international attention to Wang's distinctive ability to build tension, emotion, and compelling stories—often without relying on conventional narrative tools.

Resonance presented a unique editorial challenge: the film contains almost no dialogue, requiring the edit to function not merely as a structural framework, but as the primary vehicle for both plot and emotional subtext. Wang, serving as co-editor, approached this constraint as an opportunity. "When words are absent, every cut, every extension of silence, and every ambient sound must carry meaning," she explains. Working closely with director Curt Sova, Wang developed a visual and auditory language that built suspense through deliberate pacing, carefully timed reveals, and the strategic layering of environmental sounds. Her editorial choices transformed raw footage into a chilling, immersive experience—one where the rhythm of the edit itself becomes the protagonist's inner voice. This meticulous work not only earned the film critical acclaim but demonstrated Wang's capacity to tell complex stories through purely cinematic means.

The recognition received by Resonance is no isolated achievement. It forms part of a consistent pattern of excellence across Wang's filmography, which includes a range of genres and formats. Her work on the narrative short Goodbye Stranger—which earned a nomination at the Micheaux Film Festival—showcased her skill in restructuring timelines to deepen emotional impact. Faced with a linearly edited version that failed to deliver the story's full dramatic potential, Wang reconceived the film's chronology, using non-linear sequencing to amplify the tragic relationship between a conman father and his daughter. The result was a more nuanced and emotionally resonant film, underscoring her ability to identify and strengthen a story's core through structural innovation.

Similarly, in the fantasy drama Can You Hear Me?—a project she co-edited—Wang exhibited the decisive judgment that defines her professional practice. The film, which explores cultural and generational divides in a Chinese immigrant family, contained a powerfully performed scene that nevertheless disrupted the narrative flow. Despite her personal attachment to the scene's emotional quality, Wang advocated for its removal. This difficult editorial decision—known in the industry as "killing your darlings"—ensured a tighter, more impactful story. The film went on to win Best Fantasy Short at the Independent Shorts Awards and was officially selected by the LA Shorts International Film Festival, validating her clear-eyed commitment to the project as a whole.



Beyond the festival circuit, Wang has repeatedly proven her versatility in the professional realm. As the lead editor for a series of high-profile promotional films for the Chinese National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, she translated complex scientific concepts into accessible and engaging visual narratives. These films, distributed across the Center's official platforms, were widely praised for their clarity and compelling pacing, generating significant audience engagement and contributing to public understanding of nanoscience. This ability to move seamlessly from artistic shorts to science communication highlights a rare adaptability—a willingness to let the story dictate the approach, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all technique.

Concurrently, Wang has served as a key member of the editorial team at DramaBox, web series company whose app boasts millions of global downloads. In this fast-paced environment, she applied her nuanced understanding of pacing and emotional rhythm to series that garnered tens of millions of views. Her contributions helped shape narratives that resonated with a massive, international audience, further demonstrating her ability to ensure editorial excellence regardless of format, genre, or runtime.

What unites these diverse projects—from atmospheric horror and intimate drama to scientific outreach and serialized content—is Wang's unwavering focus on the emotional throughline. "My responsibility is to find and strengthen the heartbeat of each story," she says. "That heartbeat might be the slow, ominous tension in Resonance, the fractured guilt in Goodbye Stranger, or the hopeful connection in a scientific explainer. The tools change, but the goal remains the same: to make the audience feel the story, not just watch it."

This philosophy is rooted in a deeply collaborative process. Directors and producers who have worked with Wang frequently re-engage her for new projects, citing her ability to solve complex narrative challenges while remaining faithful to the project's core intentions. "Xinhui doesn't just assemble scenes; she helps discover what the film wants to be," noted one director. "She brings clarity and emotional precision, often revealing layers we didn't know were there."

Now, Wang is developing several feature-length projects and remains committed to expanding the recognition of editing as a vital creative discipline. In an industry increasingly focused on technological advancements, she maintains a clear perspective. "Technology will continue to evolve, but what remains constant is the need for an editor who understands subtext, performance, and rhythm. That kind of storytelling requires human intuition, empathy, and a deep understanding of why stories move us. These are qualities that cannot be automated."

Xinhui Wang's editorial practice represents something fundamental about cinema itself: that the spaces between images—the pauses, the transitions, the rhythms we feel but seldom notice—are where meaning truly takes shape. Her career demonstrates that editing is not merely a technical craft, but a profound act of interpretation. It's in these deliberate silences and precisely measured moments that stories find their truth, characters their depth, and audiences their connection to the human experience. As Wang continues to shape stories across genres and formats, she does more than edit films—she reveals the essence of how we understand ourselves through the stories we tell.