Damian Bao is a casting director, producer, filmmaker, and photographer based in New York City. He has cast global advertising campaigns, editorials, runway shows, branded content, commercials, music videos, and feature films since 2011. His work bridges the worlds of fashion, film, and music, as he looks beyond just traditional models in order to cast dynamic campaigns, tapping into actors, artists, influencers and real people. His innovative and creative casting approach has also made him a pioneer in successfully casting multi-talented fashion models in leading roles in feature films. Damian Bao street scouted and cast model Slick Woods in 2019’s “Goldie,” which premiered at Berlinale and Tribeca Film Festival to positive reviews. He also helped make history at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival by casting trans model Leyna Bloom in “Port Authority.” Leyna is the first trans actor of color to lead a film that played at the prestigious festival.