Film Programming
Selected
Programs
At Zurich Film Festival, I built and led a department of 20+ staff, scaling from a two-person team, with the processes and culture to sustain it. We managed film programming, international print sourcing, and logistics for 150+ films and 350+ annual screenings, drawing 100,000 visitors over an 11-day event. My responsibilities included negotiating rights and print loans with global archives, distributors, and sales companies; hosting guest filmmakers; and writing program notes and honorary laudations.
With a particular focus on Chinese cinema, I programmed and hosted public introductions and Q&As for the Swiss premieres of Jia Zhangke's A Touch of Sin (2013) and Mountains May Depart (2015), and Chen Zhuo's Yang Mei Zhou in the International Film Competition (2012).
11th Zurich Film Festival
Program Guide, 2015
Reunited with Zhao Tao and Jia Zhangke in Cannes, May 2014, when he served on the Cannes jury.
I had programmed A Touch of Sin at Zurich Film Festival the year before and hosted a Q&A with both after an incredible screening in a packed Arthouse Le Paris, one of Zurich's most historic, stylish, and renowned cinemas. When we met again at a reception on the Croisette, they were warm and generous — Jia gleefully brought up the swans on Lake Zurich.
A most cherished moment in which cinematic connections extend beyond the big screen, transcending language, culture, and all boundaries.
