About Her

Zhiyi Zhao is a Chinese-Canadian filmmaker based in Toronto. Through Zoey Film Studio, and with seven years of on-set experience in China plus three years directing in Canada, her work blends emotional realism with cinematic activism.

Her latest short film, Silent Resilience, from Zoey Film Studio, portrays the struggles of immigrant women against labor exploitation. Influenced by Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Do the Right Thing, Zoey favors long takes and natural lighting to heighten emotion.