Kiubon Kokko
Alumnus
Kiubon Kokko is a documentary filmmaker from Columbus, Ohio. While studying abroad in Nantes, France, Kiubon created “If I Could Put into Words”—a short film about connection and belonging that won the Grand Prize at the 2020 IES Abroad Film Festival. Since then, the Claremont McKenna College alum has continued to explore themes of identity, family, and home through his work, which has been recognized by the Drama International Short Film Festival and the Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival. In 2024, he was a finalist for Kartemquin’s Diverse Voices in Docs Fellowship and received a $100,000 grant from O’Shaughnessy Ventures to support his first feature documentary, “Holding on to Water.”
“Study abroad is formative because it may be a student’s first time in their life they’ll feel like the ‘other.’ This is such a valuable trait that unlocks whole new levels of empathy, leadership, and adaptability. If I was a hiring manager, I’d look for students who learned these traits outside of their home country.”Kiubon Kokko