Meet Artistic director Jia Zhao

CinemAsia Film Festival is proud to introduce our new artistic director Jia Zhao. Alongside festival manager Arnaud Pereira, Jia expertly curated the film program of the upcoming edition. With her long-time experience as a producer and her migrant background, she brings a fresh Asian perspective to the festival.  

“Being a documentary producer and a person with a migrant background, I have become increasingly aware of the importance of telling untold stories from underrepresented cultures. I strongly believe that these stories are essential for the symbiosis of humankind. Now in the post-covid time, more than ever, CinemAsia would like to connect with all Asian communities to celebrate the diversity of our cultures. We also came to realize, to achieve cultural diversity in our society, an “Asian showcase” is not enough. Through voices from Asian authors, we’d like to share, discover and discuss with all of you the “Asian perspective” of contemporary history and present time.”

Jia Zhao is a Chinese-Dutch film producer based in Amsterdam. She founded Muyi Film and Silk Road Film Salon in 2012. Coming from Asia and based in Europe, Jia skillfully matches resources from the East and West to nurture and mentor emerging voices and to bring authentic stories to the world in high cinematic quality. In 2021, A MARBLE TRAVELOGUE by Sean Wang was selected for IDFA Frontlight. Jia also co-produced I’M SO SORRY (co-producer) by Zhao Liang, a mind-blowing documentary about the effects of nuclear power. The film got selected for Cannes film festival and is currently being screened in cinemas across the Netherlands, receiving positive reviews all around.