Chloé Zhao

Chloé Zhao, born Zhao Ting, is a renowned Chinese-born filmmaker primarily known for her work on independent films. Born on 31 March 1982 in Beijing, China, she showed a keen interest in films and grew up loving Western pop culture. After moving to Los Angeles and attending Mount Holyoke College, where she graduated in 2005 majoring in politics and minoring in film studies, Zhao moved to film school where she found her calling. Her journey in the filmmaking world began with her first short film Daughters in 2010. Zhao gained international recognition with her western film Nomadland in 2020, which won numerous accolades, including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Notably, she became the second woman and first woman of color to win the Best Director at the Academy Awards for Nomadland in 2021. Her latest film is the Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Eternals which was released in 2021, where Zhao acted as both director and co-writer. She is praised for her documentary-like film style which evokes a feeling of authenticity and her focus on real stories and people.