Meet Jili (Gigi) Chen

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jili (Gigi) Chen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jili (Gigi), how do you think about risk?
In both my career and personal life, taking risks serves as a crucial driving force that encourages me to make bold and sometimes seemingly whimsical decisions in the filmmaking process. Take my undergraduate thesis short film, ‘Hysteria,’ as an example. We chose to shoot day for night to save on budget and ensure everyone could get enough rest. However, this involved the risk of potential technical issues arising from the day shoot for night, along with post-production challenges. We also included a car scene to better capture the urgency and character development within the frame, but this required the presence of a stunt coordinator to ensure all safety measures were met. As a producer, I had to assess the safety risks of every single element (location, cast, prop, and etc) during pre-production. Throughout the shooting process, I supervised on set, always questioning: Is this safe enough? If my intuition signaled any safety concerns, I would intervene immediately, alerting the crew and implementing necessary measures. Though such responsibilities often kept me on edge, avoiding these risks would have made it impossible to achieve many creative aspects of our films. I thoroughly enjoy this process—providing a safe environment for the crew as much as possible so they can boldly capture the stories we want to tell through visual language.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I was born in a conservative and male-dominated community in a southern city of China. Growing up, I witnessed and heard about numerous instances of female oppression and arranged marriages affecting my relatives and other women in China. These experiences fueled my desire to produce content that highlights marginalized female roles in film and brings attention to the untold tragedies faced by women. In my previous work, I produced films that explore female subjectivity through stories of two women meeting in foreign lands, and others that use metaphor to express the dilemmas women face under abortion bans. Moving forward, I plan to develop more stories that highlight issues relevant to Asian women and the LGBTQ community.

I am delighted that major film festivals in recent years have shifted their focus toward female creators and narratives centered on women’s themes. This shift not only inspires emerging female filmmakers but also fosters a sense of pride among women. Given the right opportunity, I would be eager to create a unique Asian Female Film Festival, which would serve as a platform for Asian female creators to connect with like-minded partners and engage in meaningful exchanges through film screenings and discussions.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I currently live in Orange County, California, and my favorite spot here is Salt Creek Beach Park in Dana Point. This seaside park features sloping lawns that offer an enhanced ocean view. I often spend afternoons here reading, chatting with friends, and picnicking. Sunbathing here on the weekends always helps wash away the fatigue of the weekdays.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to express my gratitude to the producing faculty at Chapman University, all crew members involved in my thesis project, and the fundraising supporters. During my sophomore year, as the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, I returned to Beijing and completed two semesters of online courses at home. By my junior year, I realized that I could no longer continue with remote learning due to the production-focused and teamwork-oriented nature of the courses, so I decided to take a gap year. All faculty members were very supportive during this special period. They patiently responded to my emails regarding my graduation progress and helped me adjust my courses to ensure I could graduate on time. After the pandemic, I returned to school and successfully produced two short films. I met many talented team members and mentors throughout the filmmaking process. A special shout-out to Zachary Spitz, the director of my thesis project. He is super reliable, always encouraging, and diligent about our films. There is no doubt that our film could not have been made without the help of our fundraising donors. I am profoundly thankful for their trust in our project’s key crew members and their generous support.

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

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jilichen