''The following is a list of notable
film director
A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...
s from
Mainland China
"Mainland China", also referred to as "the Chinese mainland", is a Geopolitics, geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. In addit ...
.''
B
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Bu Wancang
Bu Wancang (July 1, 1900 – December 30, 1973), also known by his English name Richard Poh, was a prolific China, Chinese film director and screenwriter active between the 1920s and the 1960s. He was born in Anhui.
Career
Originally a member o ...
(1903–1974)
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Cai Chusheng (1906–1968), major leftist filmmaker in the 1930s, later fell victim to the Cultural Revolution.
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Cai Shangjun
Cai Shangjun () is a Chinese film director and screenwriter. Cai graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in 1992. Since then, his major work has been that of a professional screenwriter. Cai was part of the team, along with Zhang Yang, D ...
, Chinese screenwriter and director
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Cao Baoping
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Joan Chen
Joan Chen (simplified Chinese; 陈冲; born April 26, 1961) is an American actress and film director. She made her film debut in the Chinese film ''Youth'' (1977) before starring in the film (1979). She came to the attention of American audien ...
(born 1961), Chinese actress and director.
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Chen Kaige (born 1952), major figure of the Fifth Generation, his epic ''Farewell My Concubine'' was the first Chinese film to win Cannes' coveted Palme d'Or.
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Chen Liting (1910–2013) major figure of the second generation.
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Cheng Bugao (1893–1966)
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Dai Sijie (born 1954),
French novelist and director, born in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
.
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Diao Yi'nan (born 1969), screenwriter and director.
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Domee Shi (born 1989), Chinese-Canadian storyboard artist and director, first woman director of a
Pixar
Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...
short film,
Bao (film)
F
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Feng Gong (born 1957), comedic actor and sometimes-director.
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Feng Xiaoning (born 1954), art designer turned director, part of the 1982 graduating class of the Beijing Film Academy
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Feng Xiaogang
Feng Xiaogang ( zh, s=冯小刚, t=馮小剛, p=Féng Xiǎogāng; born 18 March 1958 in Beijing) is a Chinese filmmaker and actor. Rising to fame for directing comedies, Feng played a pivotal role in shaping the Chinese New Year films, with f ...
(born 1958), director of popular films, including several "New Year" genre films.
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Fei Mu
Fei Mu (October 10, 1906 – January 31, 1951), also romanised as Fey Mou, was a Chinese film director of the pre-Communist era. His '' Spring in a Small Town'' (1948) was declared the greatest Chinese film ever made by the Hong Kong Film Crit ...
(1906–1951), major auteur of the 1930s and 1940s, famed for his masterpiece, ''Spring in a Small Town''.
G
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Gao Qunshu
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Gao Xiaosong (born 1969)
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Gu Changwei (born 1957), Chinese cinematographer for many years, has directed two films.
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Guan Hu
Guan Hu (, born August 1, 1968) is a Chinese film director associated with the Sixth Generation movement.Zhang, Zhen (2007), The Urban Generation: Chinese Cinema and Society at the Turn of the Twenty-first Century', Page 54. Duke University Pr ...
(born 1969), Sixth-generation director
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Xiaolu Guo (born 1973), Chinese-British film director and novelist.
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He Jianjun (born 1960), Sixth Generation director.
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He Ping (born 1957), director known for mixing Chinese and Western tropes.
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He Qun (born 1956), a graduate of the 1982 class of the BFA as a member of the art department; later shifted to direction, including ''Country Teachers'', the Golden Rooster winner of 1994.
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Hou Hsiao-hsien
Hou Hsiao-hsien ( zh, t=侯孝賢, poj=Hâu Hàu-hiân; born 8 April 1947) is a retired Mainland Chinese-born Taiwanese film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He is a leading figure in world cinema and in Taiwan's New Wave cinema mo ...
(born 1947), leading figure in Taiwan's New Wave cinema.
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Hou Yong (born 1960), noted cinematographer for Tian Zhuangzhuang, Zhang Yimou, and others; occasional film director (2004's ''Jasmine Women'').
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Hu Mei (born 1956), female Fifth Generation director.
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Huang Jianxin (born 1954), Fifth Generation director known for his films set in urban environments.
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Huang Shuqin
Huang Shuqin (9 September 1939 – 21 April 2022) was a Chinese film director known for her film ''Woman, Demon, Human'' (1987). Widely considered the first feminist Chinese film by critics and scholars,Kang, Kai. "Beyond New Waves: Gender and S ...
(born 1940), female film director.
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Huang Zuolin (born 1906–1994), important playwright and film director; a student of Bernard Shaw.
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Ann Hui
Ann Hui On-wah, (; born 23 May 1947) is a film director, producer, screenwriter and actress from Hong Kong who is one of the most critically acclaimed filmmakers of the Hong Kong New Wave. She is known for her films about social issues in ...
, (born 1947), major female director based in Hong Kong, and a leading figure of the Hong Kong New Wave.
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Huo Jianqi
Huo Jianqi (; born January 20, 1958) is a Chinese film director. Like the cinematographer turned director Gu Changwei, Huo Jianqi began his cinematic career in the art department. Nearly all of Huo's films have been written by his wife and collab ...
(born 1958), commercially successful film director.
J
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Jia Zhangke
Jia Zhangke ( zh, s=贾樟柯, born 24 May 1970) is a Chinese film and television director, screenwriter, producer, actor and writer. He is the founder of Pingyao International Film Festival, dean of the Shanxi Film Academy of Shanxi Media Co ...
(born 1970), leading figure of China's Sixth Generation.
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Jiang Wen (born 1963), famous Chinese leading man-turned-director.
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Jian Yi (born 1975), Chinese independent filmmaker, artist, social entrepreneur. Founder of
IFChina Original Studio
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Li Pingqian (1902-1984)
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Li Shaohong (born 1955), female Fifth Generation director.
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Li Wenbing (Fei Xing)
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Li Yang (born 1959), Sixth Generation director notable for his film ''Blind Shaft''.
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Li Yu (born 1973), female director.
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Ling Zifeng (1917-1999).
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Liu Bingjian (born 1963), Sixth Generation director.
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Liu Fendou (born 1969), primarily a screenwriter for Zhang Yang, Liu has recently branched into producing and directing (for the 2004 film ''Green Hat'').
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Liu Hao (born 1968).
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Liu Jiayin
Liu Jiayin (born 20 August 1981) is a Chinese independent filmmaker and educator from Beijing. She directed two experimental features combining documentary and narrative elements, ''Oxhide'' (2005) and ''Oxhide II'' (2009), both of which receive ...
(born 1981), experimental filmmaker.
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Liu Miaomiao (born 1962), female Fifth Generation director.
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Lou Ye (born 1965), Sixth Generation director whose many run-ins with state authorities have hampered his filmmaking opportunities.
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Lu Chuan
Lu Chuan (born 8 February 1971) is a Chinese filmmaker. One of China's Sixth Generation directors, he is known for his films '' Kekexili: Mountain Patrol'' (2004), '' City of Life and Death'' (2009)'', and The Last Supper'' (2012).
Early life ...
(born 1970), Sixth Generation director notable for the environmental drama ''Kekexili: Mountain Patrol''.
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Lu Xuechang
Lu Xuechang (June 25, 1964 – February 20, 2014) was a sixth generation Cinema of China, Chinese film director. One of a new crop of talented filmmakers, Lu directed four feature films beginning with his debut, ''The Making of Steel'' in 1997.
...
(born 1964), Sixth Generation director.
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Lü Yue (born 1957), Fifth Generation cinematographer-turned-director.
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Luo Luo
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Ma-Xu Weibang (1905–1961)
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Ma Liwen (born 1971), female Chinese director.
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Ning Hao
Ning Hao (; born 9 September 1977) is a Chinese film director. Ning studied at the Taiyuan Film School, where he majored in scenic design. He later transferred to the Art Department of Peking University
Peking University (PKU) is a Public ...
(born 1977)
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Ning Ying (born 1959)
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Peng Xiaolian (born 1953), female Fifth Generation Chinese director known for her Shanghai-based films.
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Vivian Qu, female director of the award-winning film''
Trap Street
In cartography, a trap street is a fictitious entry in the form of a misrepresented street on a map, often outside the area the map nominally covers, for the purpose of "trapping" potential plagiarists of the map who, if caught, would be unable ...
'', and the producer of ''
Black Coal, Thin Ice''.
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Shao Zuiweng (Runje Shaw, 1896–1975), founder of
Tianyi Film Company
Tianyi Film Company (), also called Unique Film Productions, was one of the "big three" film production companies in pre-Second World War Republic of China. Founded in Shanghai in 1925 by the Shaw (Shao) brothers led by Runje Shaw (Shao Zuiweng ...
and director of many of its films.
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Shen Fu
Shen Fu (; 26 December 1763 – after 1825), courtesy name Sanbai (), was a Chinese literature, Chinese writer of the Qing Dynasty, best known for his autobiography ''Six Records of a Floating Life''.
Life
Shen Fu was born in Changzhou (长� ...
(1905–1994), major director who emerged in post-war China with important films like ''Myriad of Lights''.
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Shen Xiling (1904–1940), important director during the 1930s.
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Sheng Zhimin, independent film director.
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Shi Dongshan (1902-1955), Lianhua Film Company director active in the 1930s and 1940s.
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Shi Hui (1915–1957), actor and director; committed suicide during the Anti-Rightist Campaign.
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Shui Hua (1916-1995), major director of the 1950s and 1960s.
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Shi Runjiu (born 1969), young director and part of the Sixth Generation.
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Sun Daolin (1921-2007), veteran actor and director.
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Sun Yu (1900–1990), one of the most important early directors of Chinese cinema.
T
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Tang Xiaodan (born 1910).
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Tian Zhuangzhuang (born 1952), major Fifth Generation director, his 1993 film ''Blue Kite'' was banned by China with Tian forced out of filmmaking for nearly ten years before his return with ''Springtime in a Small Town'' in 2001.
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Wan brothers
The Wan Brothers () were 20th century animators born in Nanjing, China. They became the founders and pioneers of the Chinese animation industry and made the first Asian animation feature-length film, '' Princess Iron Fan'' in 1941.
Background
...
, animators.
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Wan Laiming
Wan Laiming (; 18 January 1900 – 7 October 1997) was a Chinese animator. He was one of the Wan brothers who pioneered the Chinese animation industry, and is commonly considered as China's first animator. As the director of the Shanghai Animati ...
(1900–1997)
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Wan Guchan
Wan Guchan (; 18 January 1900 – 19 November 1995) was a Chinese filmmaker. Born in Nanjing, Jiangsu, he was one of the Wan brothers who pioneered the Chinese animations industry.
Early history
Wan Guchan joined his twin brother Wan Laiming ...
(1900–1995)
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Wan Chaochen (1906–1992)
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Wan Dihuan (born 1900s)
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Wang Bing (born 1967), documentary filmmaker.
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Wang Chao (born 1964), Sixth Generation filmmaker.
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Wang Guangli (born 1966), modern Chinese director, active since 1997.
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Wang Ping (born 1916), the first female director of the People's Republic of China
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Wang Quan'an
Wang Quan'an () (b. 1965) is a Cinema of China, Sixth Generation China, Chinese film director. Wang was born in Yan'an, China. He graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in 1991. He had a ten-year relationship with actress and muse Yu Nan, which e ...
(born 1965), Sixth Generation director, and winner of the 2007 Golden Bear for his film, ''Tuya's Marriage''.
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Wang Shuo
Wang Shuo (, born August 23, 1958) is a Chinese writer. A leading figure in “hooligan literature” (痞子文学) and the New Beijing School of Chinese literature, he was influential in the 1980s and 1990s, known for his cynical, irreverent ...
(born 1958), famous novelist, screenwriter, and one-time director of the film, ''Father''
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Wang Xiaoshuai
Wang Xiaoshuai (; born May 22, 1966) is a Chinese film director, screenwriter, and occasional actor. He is commonly grouped under the loose association of filmmakers known as the "Sixth Generation" of the Cinema of China. Like others in this gen ...
(born 1966), leading Sixth Generation filmmaker.
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Wei Shiyu Louisa Hong Kong–based female Chinese filmmaker, script translator, producer and educator.
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Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai (born 17 July 1958) is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films are characterised by nonlinear narratives, atmospheric music, and vivid cinematography involving bold, saturated colours. A pivotal figure o ...
(born 1958), Hong Kong film director, born in Shanghai.
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Wu Shixian (born 1975), Venice and Sundance Film Festival-winning Chinese American writer-director (aka Dayyan Eng) born in Taiwan. Also directed the popular indie romantic comedy ''Waiting Alone''.
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Wu Tianming (born 1939), a member of the so-called "Fourth Generation," his role as head of the Xi'an Film Studio meant he often oversaw the works of several of his successors, notably Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige.
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Wu Wenguang (born 1956), documentary filmmaker.
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Wu Yigong
Wu Yigong (; 1 December 1938 – 14 September 2019) was a Chinese film director and producer.
Biography
Born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, Wu Yigong enrolled in the directing department of the Beijing Film Academy in 1956. After graduation in ...
(born 1938), director active in the 1980s and early 1990s, also a film producer.
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Wu Yonggang
Wu Yonggang (November 1, 1907 – December 18, 1982) was a prominent Chinese film director during the 1930s. Today Wu is best known for his directorial debut, '' The Goddess''. Wu had a long career with the Lianhua Film Company in the 1930s, in ...
(1907–1982), a major director from the 1930s, perhaps best known for his silent film, ''The Goddess''.
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Wu Ziniu
Wu Ziniu (born 31 October 1952), is a Chinese people, Chinese film director and a member of the Cinema of China#Rise of the fifth generation, "Fifth Generation" film movement, a movement of filmmakers who graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in ...
(born 1953), Fifth Generation director.
X
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Xia Gang (born 1953), Fifth Generation director.
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Xiao Jiang (born 1972)
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Xie Fei (born 1942)
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Xie Jin
Xie Jin (; 21 November 1923 – 18 October 2008) was a Chinese film director. He rose to prominence in 1957, directing the film '' Woman Basketball Player No. 5'', and is considered one of the Third Generation directors of China. Most recently h ...
(born 1923), veteran director active since the 1960s.
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Xu Jinglei
Xu Jinglei ( zh, s=徐静蕾, born April 16, 1974) is a Chinese actress and filmmaker. Regarded as one of the Four Dan Actresses in China, Xu rose to fame with television series '' A Sentimental Story'' (1997) and ''Cherish Our Love Forever'' ( ...
(born 1974), popular actress and director.
Y
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Edward Yang (1947–2007), major figure of Taiwan's New Wave cinema, best known for his film ''Yi Yi''.
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Yang Fengliang, Chinese film director in the 1980s and 1990s.
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Yin Lichuan (born 1973), female director.
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Ying Liang
Ying Liang (; born 1977) is a Chinese independent film director and screenwriter.
Biography
Ying Liang graduated from the Department of Directing at the Chongqing Film Academy and Beijing Normal University. His short film ''The Missing House'' ...
(born 1976), independent film director.
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Ying Yunwei (1904-1967)
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Yuan Muzhi (1909–1978), actor and director who gained prominence in the 1930s.
Z
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Zhang Guoli (born 1955), actor turned director.
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Zhang Jianya (born 1951), Fifth Generation director, noted for his urban comedies and more recently for his action/thriller films.
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Zhang Junxiang (1911–1996)
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Zhang Junzhao
Zhang Junzhao (; October 1952 – 9 June 2018) was a Chinese film director and screenwriter who was mainly active in the 1980s. A graduate of the Beijing Film Academy and a contemporary of acclaimed directors Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, and T ...
(1952–2018), Fifth Generation director.
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Zhang Lu (born 1962), Chinese director of Korean ethnicity.
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Zhang Nuanxin (1941–1995), female Chinese director, best known for her work ''Sacrifice of Youth'' (1985).
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Zhang Shichuan
Zhang Shichuan (; 1889–1953 or 1890–1954), also credited as S. C. Chang, was a Chinese entrepreneur, film director, and film producer, who is considered a founding father of Chinese cinema. He and Zheng Zhengqiu made the first Chinese featu ...
(1890–1954), one of the founding fathers of Chinese cinema.
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Zhang Yang (born 1967)
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Zhang Yibai
Zhang Xiaoling, better known by his stage name Zhang Yibai () (born 14 April 1963, in Chongqing, China) is a Chinese film director, screenwriter and producer.
Directorial career
Zhang began his career in television and music videos before dir ...
(born 1963), Chongqing-born filmmaker, known for his urban dramas.
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Zhang Yimou
Zhang Yimou (; born 14 November 1950) is a Chinese filmmaker.Tasker, Yvonne (2002). "Zhang Yimou" i''Fifty Contemporary Filmmakers'' Routledge Publishing, p. 412. . Google Book Search. Retrieved 21 August 2008. A leading figure of China's Cinem ...
(born 1951), one of the most successful Fifth Generation directors, Zhang's more recent films reflect a shift towards big budget historical epics.
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Zhang Yuan (born 1963), major figure of the Sixth Generation.
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Zhao Wei
Zhao Wei (; born 12 March 1976), also known as Vicky Zhao or Vicki Zhao, is a Chinese nationality law, Chinese actress, singer, filmmaker, and businesswoman. Regarded as one of China's Four Dan Actresses, she rose to pan-Asian fame for her rol ...
(born 1976), famous Chinese leading female actor-turned-director.
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Zheng Junli (1911–1969), actor-director.
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Zheng Zhengqiu (1889–1935), often considered one of the founding fathers of Chinese cinema, associated with the Mingxing Film Company.
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Zheng Xiaolong (born 1953), one of the most successful TV series directors in mainland China, board director of China Film Academy. His award-winning TV series include "Golden Marriage" in 2008 and 2009, as well as "Legend of Zhen Huan" in 2012.
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Zhou Chengzhou (born 1982), He focuses on filmmaking in the field of spiritual awareness.
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Zhou Xiaowen (born 1954), Fifth Generation director.
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Zhou Bing (born 1968), one of the most famous documentary film director in China, works including ''The Forbidden City'', ''South of the Ocean'', ''Buddha and the Snow Leopards'', etc.
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Zhu Shilin (1899–1967)
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Zhu Wen
Emperor Taizu of Later Liang (), personal name Zhu Quanzhong () (December 5, 852 – July 18, 912), né Zhu Wen (), name later changed to Zhu Huang (), nickname Zhu San (朱三, literally, "the third Zhu"), was a Chinese military general, mona ...
, (born 1969) author and director.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chinese film directors
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Film directors
A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...