Weina Zhao

Weina Zhao, born 1986 in Beijing and raised in Vienna, is a director, writer and producer. She began working in documentary film during her sinology studies and has been creating her own film and radio projects since 2014. In 2020 she also started working as a producer. Her films have won the Franz Grabner Preis, VIKTOR DOK.deutsch, and the Grand Prize at Taiwan IDFF amongst others. She is co-founder of GEWÄCHSHAUS BIPOC Film Network and the production company Ripe. She’s has been part of various juries (BMKÖS, Ethnocineca, Sehsüchte, etc.) and industry programs like Vision du Réel – INDUSTRY and EFM Doc Toolbox. She is also a patron of the SAA SOCIETY OF AUDIOVISUAL AUTHORS and a regular speaker on the topics of equity in filmmaking and Asian diasporic identity.

Filmography

As director/writer:  
IKONEN ÖSTERREICHS – Episodes “Leib & Leber“, „From America to Austria“ AT 2021, TV documentary series, 30 min, P: pre tv / ORF - Director / writer  

WEIYENA - THE LONG MARCH HOME AT 2020, feature documentary, 96 min, P: Langbein Film und Media Director (together with Judith Benedikt) / writer  

(AT) HOME AT 2013, short documentary, 19 min, P: x-change culture science - Director / writer / editor (together with Nariman Mansouri) / DOP    

As producer:
CLEANING & CLEANSING AT 2024, feature documentary, 92min, D: Thomas Fürhapter, P: Electric Shadows Films