Joanne Cheng is an award-winning intercultural filmmaker and creative consultant best known for her documentary trilogy, portraits of contemporary China: CHINA GOLD RUSH (2000); MAMA'S GOLD: The Orphans of Shangri-La (2003) and GOLDEN LOTUS: The Legacy Of Bound Feet (2006).
Born in Beijing, Ms. Cheng earned her BA in English/Journalism from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Upon graduating, Ms. Cheng worked as one of the first English-speaking reporters/anchorwomen for the newly launched China Central Television (CCTV) English language channel from 1987-88 where she directed and hosted the weekly entertainment show "Center Stage" highlighting the latest trends in arts and culture in China. Ms. Cheng immigrated to the United States in 1988 where she studied filmmaking at the University of Maryland, graduating in 1990 with a Masters Degree in Film/TV/Communication Arts.
Ms. Cheng's professional career in the U.S. began as a bilingual PR and media consultant working under her own banner East-West Corridor Communications (based in New York). Here she produced print, video, multimedia and creative marketing tools for corporate America/Fortune 500 companies doing business in China and Chinese markets worldwide. Brands included, among others, AT&T, American Express, Clinique, GE, IBM, MetLife, Philip Morris and Pfizer. For these clients Ms. Cheng provided translation, adaption of scripts, narration and voiceover services along with supervising conceptual strategic repositioning and designs for the Chinese markets and audience.
Cheng's US-China tv/film projects over the past two decades include providing journalism/investigative reports for networks including ABC 20/20 and MTV/Asia, publicity for PBS and the Chinese film industry. Ms. Cheng was the PR/bilingual publicist/translator/interpreter for the 1998 Chinese film delegation to Hollywood led by Zhao Shi, Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Radio, Film & Television and renown producer Han Sanping (Mission: Impossible III and 74 other features to date), the Chairman of China Film Group Corporation.
Ms. Cheng was the bilingual publicist and promotional host for the nationally syndicated program CHINESE AMERICANS on PBS in November 2000. In addition, Ms. Cheng also has acted as a rights broker for publishers/authors (i.e. Mario Puzo) and American film and TV libraries in the China market.
Cheng's filmmaking career started in 2000 with her award-winning film CHINA GOLD RUSH, which was broadcast on PBS. Over the last decade, Ms. Cheng has written, directed, produced and narrated three documentaries including the aforementioned CHINA GOLD RUSH, MAMA'S GOLD and GOLDEN LOTUS. Cheng's shorts include HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIZ (2007), DIGITAL STONE EXHIBITION (2008) the first documentary on 3D printing technology, and LOVE ALL THE WAY (2012). Her first feature was the hybrid film C/O BUTTERLY - The Rhapsody Of The Womb (2015). Her newest documentary trilogy starts with RED FAREWELL (2017) and continues with two in post-production, A CHILD: Autistic Challenge For China (2018) and QUEST OF THE SAGE (2019). Ms. Cheng has four feature films in development, a historical drama A SIHEYAN TALE, a mystery romance BUTTERFLY MANSION, a fantasy actioner JOY GUANYIN and a thriller PHOENIX RISING NOW.
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