Interview: A chat with Chinese film producer Xinyu “Ciao” Zhao

Take one look at her credentials and it is clear Xinyu "Ciao" Zhao is not one to rest on her laurels. Ciao is a Los Angeles-based Chinese producer with experience in narrative shorts, documentaries, and commercials.

Her documentary works have earned over one million views on Chinese video platforms, and her narrative shorts have been selected at festivals including Austin Micro Film Festival, Austin Comedy Film Festival, Indie Short Fest, and Canada Shorts. Most of her works feature the AAPI experience, and she has collaborated with majority female and non-binary filmmakers.

We were lucky enough to snatch a few moments with the producer to gain some insight into what is in store for us and what she sees in store for herself.

Tell us about your history as a filmmaker. How did you get started?

Having been a cinephile for as long as I can remember, I have always known that I wanted to find a job that is film or TV related, but I never thought of myself as a screenwriter, director, or cinematographer.

I was not really sure where I belonged and how I could fit into the industry until a mentor of mine connected me to a video production company in Shanghai that makes short documentaries about consumer culture and millennial lifestyle in early 2019. With years of experience in event planning and a fairly good understanding of what is going on in our society, I interned there as a producer's assistant.

We were in the midst of interviewing a K-pop idol trainee and a Chinese teacher in Nepal while exploring other new ideas. Although I cannot imagine myself sitting in front of Premiere Pro or coming up with creative shots, I found myself fascinated by the process of pitching new ideas, offering editing notes, creating itineraries, and even ordering catering.

Producing provides the perfect balance of creative and logistical work. It was also during that period that I realized I am still drawn to narrative works. When I came back to Los Angeles, I started interning in development at multiple production companies, where I got to further develop my creative taste and learn what constitutes a good story. I produced my first narrative short The Story of This Life with my then roommate and talented writer-director Alex Jiang, and I have been hopping between projects ever since. Today I serve as Creative Producer on the film team at Rideback, and the 2024 Film Independent Project Involve Fellowship has opened additional doors.

Who were your biggest storytelling influences growing up?

My family works in publishing, so my creative voice is actually heavily influenced by books instead of movies, which might explain why I focus more on stories than the visuals.

During my teens, I was obsessed with sci-fi novellas and detective novels. I really enjoy Flowers for Algernon, All You Zombies, and How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe. I have a whole shelf of crime fiction from Kanae Minato, Agatha Christie, and Soji Shimada.

My taste in books carried over to the field of films and TV, so naturally I became a huge fan of the likes of David Fincher and Ridley Scott. The one big moment for me was in 2014, when I was watching Interstellar in the theater for the first time. When Matthew McConaughey's character starts knocking books off the shelf from the Tesseract, I remember myself smiling and crying at the same time.

I can still feel my heartbeat racing to this day when I think about that scene, and that is the moment when I decided that I wanted to make movies as emotionally powerful as that.

At the time, I probably thought I loved sci-fi and crime fiction for the wild imagination and the thrills, but looking back on those early influences, I am always drawn to stories that feel big and small at the same time. Small in the sense that the character's journey is deeply personal and intimate, but the emotions it carries are universal, powerful, and transcendent. The stories I love are usually about how ordinary people respond when they get pushed into extreme situations, and it is the perfect lens through which we can examine the best and worst of humanity.

Your short film, Call for Cassie, won Best Producer and Best Indie Short at the Indie Short Fest. Were you surprised by the overwhelmingly positive feedback to the film?

Whenever I got involved in a new project, I always had faith in the script and wanted to do the story justice with the best execution I can provide as a producer. I cannot say I never imagined Call for Cassie to succeed. Obviously no one sets out to make a bad movie. That said, I was really honored to have my work recognized by others.

Call for Cassie does not seem like a complicated film from the outset. It is rather contained and character-driven. However, it is surprisingly challenging from a producing standpoint. Because the story features an intimacy scene at a spa shop, it is the opposite of professionalism, and we had a hard time finding a spa that would be willing to rent us the space.

I had to pivot to looking at other business places that we could use to redress, and we ended up faking the entire location with a hair salon and a private residence. It was also my first time filming an intimacy scene, so I spent a lot of time learning about the guidelines and working with our intimacy coordinator.

It is a highly emotional and vulnerable climactic scene, and I wanted to ensure that the actors feel comfortable during the process. I was really glad with how the film turned out, and it was amazing that our story got to resonate with the general audience.

Both Call for Cassie and The Story of This Life revolve around Chinese characters. How important is it to you to promote diversity in the stories you tell?

An emphasis on diversity and inclusion came naturally with my own background. I spent the first 18 years of my life in a different country and a different culture, so obviously Chinese or AAPI stories are the dearest to me.

My yearning to tell these stories came from a purely personal place, and I did not really know how important it is for the filmmakers until after. Last fall, I helped out on other productions where I witnessed the norm of the industry, and only then did I realize all the projects I helmed have always had a much higher percentage of AAPI and female crew members.

I definitely became more aware of my own role as a minority filmmaker since then. Going forward, my priority is still to look for stories that genuinely excite me. I do not doubt that a lot of female-centric and AAPI stories will be able to achieve that, and it would be awesome if I can help elevate the minority voices with what I do.

Can you tell us about your latest film, A Conflict, and how it differs from the work you've done before?

A Conflict is the second film I have produced for my long-time friend and writer-director Alex Jiang. When two Asian American theater actors join a Chinese adaptation of Macbeth, they have to put up with the White director's excessive oriental obsession. It is the first time both of us worked on a comedy as well as a single-location film, so writing became the key to encapsulating the satire while keeping the heightened drama.

We spent a lot of time crafting witty exchanges and tweaking small actions in order to make the film feel rich in texture within such a contained space. It is a great learning opportunity for myself and a rewarding journey. Luckily, Alex and I hired most of the cast and crew from projects we have worked on before, so we were already familiar with each other's work style. The communication process was incredibly smooth, and it is just a great filming experience overall.

You had an interesting academic background before working in films. Do you feel like your studies in these other disciplines help inform your storytelling process?

I double majored in Communication and Jewish Studies in college, even though I knew fairly early on that entertainment is what I want to do. I will say every minute in these fields counts. I took a lot of psychology and mass media lectures through the Communication program, so it is a deep dive into the wants and needs of our generation.

Meanwhile, my Jewish Studies program is a blend of history, philosophy, and religion classes, so I was really learning about the human condition and the good and the evil. A huge part of storytelling is informed by what we have encountered and what we have learned out of those situations.

When we are young and fresh out of school, knowledge of books and history become the substitute for the real-life experiences that we have not got a chance to have. I was really glad that I got to learn about social science and humanities during those years, all of which are critical to the growth of my creative voice right now.

What is the main thing you want audiences to take away from your work?

I want the audience to feel the heart of the stories. Regardless of the length or the subject matter of my works, the one thing I focus on the most as a creative producer is the character arc.

As a movie-goer, I am really signing up for the character journeys and I want to be able to root for them, whether the tone is hopeful, empowering, bleak, or moving. So when I get on the other side as a filmmaker, this is also the experience I would like to bring to the audience.

You've worked in a number of different mediums, including commercials, shorts and documentaries. Does your approach to producing change depending on the type of medium you're working in?

Of course. Producing different types of medium requires different perspectives as well as skill sets. Commercials are always in service to a specific brand or a campaign, which means we need to put in a lot of effort in communicating with the clients.

I have developed an acute understanding of some seemingly intangible feedback from the clients and learned how to balance the director's creative vision with the need to promote a specific product. Meanwhile, because we are usually working within a certain budget and need to ensure the profits of ourselves as the production studio, another emphasis is to achieve great results in the most economically efficient ways. A huge chunk of my energy goes into negotiating with local vendors and building a network to get the best deals.

Meanwhile, documentaries are special in the sense that there is so much spontaneity and uncertainty embedded in the filming process. While I still need to plan ahead for things like itineraries, catering, and lodging, the biggest challenges usually come from the unexpected circumstances, so I am always ready to go in and improvise. The directors often call me their emotional safety net on set. Most of the time, we are following the interviewee into their personal life and private space, so it is also important to be considerate and make sure the interviewee is comfortable with our presence.

As for narratives, the goal is always to make sure everything goes as planned and to tell a good story without the pressure of having to report to anyone. Despite all these differences, basic skills like communication, organization, and attention to detail are always transferable, and I believe it is helpful to carry the mindsets from one medium to another.

Do you intend to produce a feature-length narrative at some point?

That is always the goal. I am currently developing a couple of feature scripts with my collaborators which have received recognition at screenplay competitions including Big Apple and WeScreenplay's Diverse Voices Screenwriting Lab. I am now working on the feature team at Rideback, and the 2025 credit on Lilo & Stitch demonstrates tangible progress. The 2024 Project Involve Fellowship has also strengthened the pipeline for larger projects.

What has been your greatest professional success?

On a personal level, it would be the moment of seeing a crew and cast of 60-plus people on set during our third day of filming for Dancing in a Forbidden World. It is a period piece set in an Asian American nightclub in 1940s San Francisco, so we redressed an old warehouse in Downtown Los Angeles and everyone was walking around in vintage dresses and suits. Based on the scale, it is not hard to imagine that the budget for this short was over the roof. My co-producers and I spent months financing this film through fundraising, sponsorships, and independent financiers, so it truly felt like a movie magic moment when the story came to life in that old warehouse.

Dancing in a Forbidden World was completed and released in 2023. The 2025 Lilo & Stitch credit and 2024 Project Involve Fellowship mark new milestones on the feature side. In terms of results, I have a lot of exciting updates about my past projects. The details are currently still under wraps, but hopefully I will be able to share the news with the public soon.

Can you tell us about any other upcoming projects?

I am currently in post-production for three different projects, so I am not looking to get on set any time soon and instead focusing more on developing some good stories. Focus has shifted to feature development at Rideback, and multiple shorts completed since 2023 have screened at festivals including Palm Springs ShortFest and earned additional nods. Scripts previously in development have advanced or been supplemented by studio projects.

Current Role at Rideback and Feature-Level Work

At Rideback, Ciao serves as Creative Producer on the film team. The role places her inside a major studio-adjacent operation where she contributes to larger-scale productions while continuing to shepherd independent work. Credits on Lilo & Stitch (2025) and additional features reflect the transition from short-form to feature-level responsibilities. The 2024 Project Involve Fellowship further anchors her within the industry network that supports those bigger projects.

Recent Recognitions and Fellowships

In 2024, Ciao was named a Film Independent Project Involve Fellow, a program that pairs emerging filmmakers with mentors and resources for long-term career growth. She also earned a nomination at the Berlin Short Film Festival for Best Women Short. These honors sit alongside earlier festival wins and confirm continued momentum beyond the 2023 interview period.

Evolution of Short Film Projects Post-2023

Dancing in a Forbidden World finished post-production and screened in 2023. The Story of This Life played at Palm Springs ShortFest that same year. Call for Cassie picked up additional festival nods after its initial Indie Short Fest sweep. Each project now stands as completed work rather than an open question, giving audiences a clearer picture of what has already reached screens.

Continued Focus on AAPI and Identity-Driven Storytelling

Stories that center identity, gender, and culture remain at the core of Ciao's slate. Collaborations with majority female and non-binary crews continue across narrative and documentary projects. That emphasis grew from personal experience and has stayed consistent even as the scale of her work expands into features.

Ciao's path shows how early producing instincts and a steady commitment to specific stories can scale into studio-level credits without losing sight of the personal. The Rideback role, the 2024 fellowship, and the completed shorts together sketch a career that keeps expanding while the original creative priorities stay intact. Audiences can expect the same emotional clarity that drew her to the work in the first place, now delivered across a wider range of platforms and budgets.