COHORT 2 PARTICIPANT

Born in Beijing, Ying Wang worked as a journalist and photographer in China before moving to Vancouver BC twenty years ago. From 2003 to 2005, Ying wrote, directed and produced her first feature film SISTERS. Inspired by her sister’s experience, this 84-minute docu-drama exposed for the first time the life of Chinese women who suffer from eating disorders. The film was collected by Vancouver Public Library and other academic institutions. From 2007 to 2019, Ying dedicated herself to a decade-long project THE WORLD IS BRIGHT. Following an elderly Chinese couple who came to Canada to search for the truth behind their son's death in Vancouver, this 116-minute documentary tackles the topic of immigration and mental health from a broader sociocultural perspective. THE WORLD IS BRIGHT premiered at the 38th Vancouver International Film Festival in 2019; Ying won the Sea to Sky Award for her outstanding work as a female key creative on a BC-produced feature.

Ying’s credits as a filmmaker also include producing TRICKS ON THE DEAD: THE STORY OF CHINESE LABOUR CORPS IN WWI, a Canada-China-France co-production that won two 2016 Canadian Screen Awards and the 2015 Vancouver International Film Festival Audience Must See Award.

In 2007, Ying co-founded Cinevolution Media Arts Society in Richmond BC, a city with one of the highest new immigrant populations in Canada. In 2014, Ying established her own production company gYu Films International Inc., with the goal to sustainably produce quality digital media works that reflect diverse voices of our society.