Meet Weiqi Cai | Film Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Weiqi Cai and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Weiqi, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
During my childhood, watching television, animations, and comics was an essential way for me to explore the world. I grew up in a small city in the south of China, where my exposure to the world was limited. These audio-visual mediums helped me form a basic understanding of the world, sparking my interest in drawing during that time. Upon entering university, I chose to major in animation. It was also during this period that China started to support the film industry, with cinemas offering numerous ticket subsidies. As a result, I found myself going to the cinema almost every week, which fueled my passion for movies and kindled the dream of becoming a director. Following my university graduation, I embarked on my professional journey as a film director.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a film director, and the aspect of my life that fills me with the most pride is my cultural heritage. Originating from China, my cultural background endows me with a distinctive approach to conveying emotions through visuals, setting me apart from many other directors. Success is particularly elusive, especially in the film industry. The uncertainty of investing funds without knowing the outcome, whether audiences will appreciate your film, or if it will receive acclaim at film festivals, is a constant. Thus, filmmaking must be driven by passion. Only if you genuinely love the craft and are less concerned with the results can you avoid the torment of worrying about what you might lose or gain. Only with this mindset can you truly dedicate yourself to the relentless pursuit of filmmaking, for anything less is unbearably painful.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
For a week in New York, you’d start with Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum, enjoy the High Line and Chelsea Market, visit the Statue of Liberty, spend a day in Brooklyn, see a Broadway show, explore Greenwich Village, SoHo, and the East Village, and wrap up with views from a rooftop bar. This mix of iconic sights, arts, dining, and neighborhoods offers a vibrant slice of the city.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Film production is an intensely collaborative field. No single person can complete it alone. Often, we perceive a film as merely the expression of its director. However, the reality is far more complex. The director leads a team of outstanding artists, using the screenplay as a blueprint for creation. Every crew member contributes their time and energy to distill moments of time and space within the film. This distilled essence transcends actual time, persisting in a more “eternal” state to connect with audiences in the future. My work, therefore, necessitates expressing gratitude to every worker and artist involved in the making of a film.

Website: https://weiqicai.webflow.io/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weechee_cai/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weiqi-cai/

Other: Demo Reel: https://vimeo.com/727621452