Meet Mona Mengnan Chu | Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mona Mengnan Chu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mona Mengnan, what are you inspired by?
I’m inspired by the intersections between everyday life and larger cultural or social currents. For me, inspiration often comes from observing the small details of how people live, moments of intimacy, conflict, or resilience that reveal something universal. I’m also deeply moved by stories of women and underrepresented voices navigating systems of power, because they carry both fragility and incredible strength.

Equally, I draw inspiration from different forms of art—literature, photography, documentary, and even music, all of which expand the way I think about rhythm, structure, and emotion in storytelling. Above all, I’m inspired by the possibility that film can transform solitude into connection: that one person’s particular story can resonate with strangers across cultures and languages.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work sits at the crossroads of fiction and non-fiction, and I’ve always been fascinated by how cinema can turn everyday reality into something poetic, while also allowing imagination to reflect deeper truths about life. I’m drawn to stories of solitude, resilience, and cultural transitions, especially those that highlight voices we don’t hear often enough.

Looking back, I feel grateful that some of my projects have found recognition, from my early short documentary Four Chapters of Solitude, which was invited to the 13th Beijing College Student Film Festival and the China–EU Film Festival, to reality shows like The Inn and My Little One, which resonated widely with audiences and nominated the Best Reality Show at the 25th Shanghai Television Festival, to large-scale live concerts such as Hunan TV’s New Year Gala and the 818 Global Auto Night, where I had the chance to invite and collaborate with top international artists like Jackson Wang, JJ Lin, as well as the creative director of the London Olympics closing ceremony and the Eurovision Song Contest creative team, to more recent independent films that have been selected by prestigious international festivals including Cannes, Berlin, Locarno, Tribeca, Shanghai IFF etc. Each of these experiences has been less about personal achievement and more about learning how storytelling can bridge different worlds.

The path has not been straightforward. Shifting from journalism to unscripted television, and then to independent filmmaking meant I often had to start over, adapting to new environments, and proving myself again and again. What helped me overcome challenges was the generosity of collaborators, mentors, and audiences who believed in the work and pushed me to keep going.

If there is one lesson I carry with me, it’s that perseverance and humility matter more than certainty. Success in art is never guaranteed, but showing up every day to do the work creates its own kind of progress.

What I hope the world understands about me is that my journey is not about individual accomplishments, but about building connections between cultures, between forms of storytelling, and between people who may never otherwise meet.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend visited LA, I’d want the week to feel like living inside a film. We’d start with the ocean, driving up the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu in the morning, then watching the sun set in Santa Monica as the sky turns pink and gold.

Another day would be for art and cinema, wandering through LACMA, then ending the night at the New Beverly, watching a classic on 35mm and grabbing tacos on Sunset.

We’d spend time in neighborhoods too, coffee in Silver Lake, vintage shops in Echo Park, barbecue and karaoke in Koreatown. One evening, we’d drive up to Griffith Observatory and look out at the endless city lights, a view that always feels like pure cinema.

For me, LA is all about dreamscapes; every sunset, every street corner feels like a different scene. That’s the experience I’d want to share.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have so many people to be grateful for, but if I had to dedicate a shoutout, it would first go to my mentors and collaborators who believed in me when I was still finding my voice as a filmmaker. At Columbia University, I was fortunate to study under professors like Jack Lechner, whose wisdom and encouragement not only sharpened my storytelling but also gave me the confidence to take creative risks. Their generosity and rigor have shaped the way I approach both fiction and non-fiction work.

I also want to recognize the crews and creative partners I’ve worked with over the years, whether it was in my early days directing reality shows in China or the more recent independent films. Filmmaking is such a collective effort, and none of my projects would have been possible without the trust, talent, and dedication of the people alongside me.

On a more personal level, my family, especially my mother deserves enormous credit. They might not fully understand every detail of what I do, but their quiet support and encouragement give me the courage to keep pursuing an uncertain, but meaningful, artistic path.

Website: https://www.mengnanchu.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mengnanchu

Other: https://www.5reveursfilm.com/

Image Credits
Hunan TV