My name is Iliya Gegov, I am a cinematographer and filmmaker.
I was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. I grew up watching action movies, riding bicycles, listening to loud electronic music, and dreaming of driving the garbage truck. I went to college in the cornfields of the Midwest, learned the craft from old cameramen in Europe, and developed my career in Los Angeles. I currently reside in Chicago and work on projects around the country and internationally.
I have a steady hand behind the camera and I can light everything from the interior of a matchbox to the ocean in the middle of the night. I mildly obsess over the details that matter and my mind is always open to wild ideas. I believe that each crew member is important, budget limitations inspire creativity, and collaboration will save the world. I always put the director’s vision on top of the podium and aim to build a solid bridge between technology and storytelling. I pay attention to people, I treat them with respect, and I lock my ego in a little drawer by my bed every morning.
