Sonthar Gyal (b. 1974) is a Tibetan director from Tongde County, Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai. Gyal studied at the Tsolho Nationalities Teacher Training College in Hainan Prefecture and taught in the nomadic community for four years. Afterwards, he received a scholarship to study fine arts at the Qinghai Normal University in Xining. After graduating in 2003 with a B.A. in Fine Arts, he worked as an art teacher and a curator at the Tongde Cultural Museum.

Encouraged by his friend, Pema Tseden, who also hails from Hainan Prefecture, Gyal followed him to the prestigious Beijing Film Academy, where he studied cinematography for 2 years with the support of Trace Foundation. Upon graduation, Gyal worked as a cinematographer and artistic director for a series of films and documentaries, many directed by Tseden. He made his directorial debut in 2011 with "The Sun Beaten Path." — Wikipedia