Wang Ying 王瓔
Director, writer, producer, co-cinematographer
Filmmaking was Ying’s childhood fantasy that she never thought would turn into something real. Growing up in China in the pre-digital era, Ying became a journalist and photographer, and moved to Canada in her late 20s.
When her younger sister developed a mental illness after immigrating to North America, Ying was driven to tell their story and directed her first feature Sisters as a self-taught filmmaker. The World is Bright is Ying’s second film tackling the topic of immigration and mental health from a broader sociocultural perspective.
As a migrant navigating between multiple cultures, Ying is fascinated by stories that reveal the geopolitical complexity of global migration. She has recently received a Media Arts Award from British Columbia Arts Council for a new documentary project and is writing the screenplay for her second dramatic feature One Man City .
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.
While making the documentary, in 2007, Ying co-founded Cinevolution Media Arts Society in Richmond, British Columbia. Under her leadership, Cinevolution has grown into one of the most promising arts organizations in metro Vancouver.