Chloé Zhao
Filmmaker
MARVEL
“Don’t listen to the naysayers who say you’re a woman, you can’t do it.”
Milestones
My road in life has taken me all over.
In 2010, my short film "Daughters" premiered at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and won Best Student Live Action Short at the 2010 Palm Springs International ShortFest.
In 2015, I directed my first feature film, "Songs My Brothers Taught Me."
My debut feature film, "Songs My Brothers Taught Me" (2015), premiered at Sundance Film Festival.
In 2017, I directed "The Rider," a contemporary western drama which follows a young cowboy's journey to discover himself after a near-fatal accident ends his professional riding career.
In April 2018, it was announced that Amazon Studios greenlit my upcoming untitled Bass Reeves biopic, a historical Western about the first Black U. S. Deputy Marshal. I am set to direct the film.
The film was released on April 13, 2018 by Sony Pictures Classics and was critically acclaimed.
2021 - I am the second woman ever and first woman of color to win the Oscar for Best Director.
Education
High School
Los Angeles Highschool/Highschool Affliated to Renmin University of China
Los Angeles Highschool/Highschool Affliated to Renmin University of China
Graduate
Film Studies/Politics
Tisch School of Arts (NYU)
Film Studies/Politics
Tisch School of Arts (NYU)
Career
Filmmaker
After directing my most recent project from Marvel "Eternals", the publicity tour starts for my movie.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Writing
Film
Being Creative
Day to Day
During pre-production, I would tend to head to the production office first thing in the morning and meet up with various crew members and heads of departments. Prep would change from day to day, and I would be either casting or looking for locations in the area. I would be in constant contact with the producers and writers, and we took each day as it came.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for everyone
Get as much experience as you can. If you write about cultures or specific people, take the time to get to know them. Don’t listen to the naysayers who say you’re a woman, you can’t do it. I think there is a bit of self-fulfilling prophecy. I hear so many women saying, "I couldn’t make it because I’m a woman." There is no excuse, get a RED camera, get a 5G, and make a movie, find actors. Just do it.
Recommended Education
My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead:
Bachelor
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"You're a disgrace to your home country."
