Today we’d like to introduce you to Andy Yi Li.
Hi Andy Yi, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born in a small town in southwestern China. The streets were plain, the buildings were outdated, and life was boring with no venues to watch films or to see art exhibitions in the early 2000s. In order for me to receive a better education and see a bigger world, my parents sent me to a well-known boarding school two hours away from home. The school is located in the capital city of my province. From that moment on, I could only see my parents once a week. In my new world, I was an outsider. But my status as an outsider gave me lots of time to dream and the desire to create an alternative universe.
The summer before my sophomore year of high school, I wrote a strange short story that became my first original screenplay. Two vagrant kids, a sister and her brother enter the life of a shy girl. The siblings come up with a plan to make the girl believe her house is haunted so that they can live there. A series of perverse pranks ensues, culminating in the girl fainting with fear. The last scene features the siblings sit next to the girl’s bed waiting for her to wake up. The story is open-ended; we never know what happens after the girl wakes up. Where did this story, with its hints of David Lynch or M. Night Shyamalan, come from? There was, perhaps, a bit of me in that shy girl at the heart of the story, but I’m also like the “pranksters,” an initiator of action. Only twenty days after I wrote this script, I made a “no budget” film based on it. Without even knowing the word for it, I had become a director. The film was projected at my high school graduation ceremony, generating a splash among my peers. At the age of 16, I was hooked. I knew I wanted to be a director.
When I turned 18, I entered a second new world in Madison, Wisconsin. Initially, working on my bachelor’s degree 25,000 miles away from home enhanced my sensation of being an outsider. But my impression of my place in the world shifted dramatically when I immersed myself in the study of film history and digital media production. Stories told in moving images remind me of all that humans share. Films expose us to unique characters and situations but also remind us that our dreams, desires, and disappointments are similar to those of our families, friends, and lovers. My sense of isolation gradually diminished as I learned to confront my fear and cowardice. As a major in Communication Arts (TV, Radio & Film), I watched many films, from classical Hollywood genres to European art cinema. I honed my skills in narrative construction, cinematography, mise-en-scene, sound and editing. I was inspired by directors such as Steven Spielberg, Ang Lee and Yasujiro Ozu. I want to tell my own stories but also the stories of others. My goal is to create intelligent, richly detailed film worlds which tell the stories of compelling characters. I want viewers to experience empathy and to see themselves when they watch my films.
After graduating from UW-Madison, I moved to Los Angeles and began working on various film projects as unit production manager, production assistant and still photographer. But I also worked as a financial analyst in a real estate company. (I forgot to mention I double majored in real estate in undergrad). I soon quit my job and started working on MFA Film Production graduate school applications. I actually applied to USC two times and got in the second time. At USC, I further hone my skills as a filmmaker. I never give up on my ultimate goal of being a director. At the same time, I’ve developed an interest in producing. So far, I’ve produced six USC Thesis Films, ranging from different genres and topics. I enjoy so much the process of helping others’ visions come to life, as much as bringing my own vision to life.
The biggest achievement I’ve had so far is the thesis film I made at USC — After Sunset, Dawn Arrives, which won the Jury Award in Asian American Film Category at 2022 DGA Student Awards. Soon it will have its UK premiere at BFI Flare this March. I’ve worked on the script for two years before started principal photography. I am thrilled that this film has received some recognition but also I’ve seen aspects I need to continue working on as a director. I just enjoy filmmaking so much and I think it will be my lifetime career!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
No! It has been a really bumpy road! I made my first short film at age of 16 but then it took me another 8 years to figure out what I really wanna do for my life. I made my second real short film when I was 22, which I used as my application sample to USC. So for six years, I barely made anything creative. I was never steadfast enough to recognize that filmmaking is my real passion. After graduating from UW-Madison, at age of 22, I landed a very nice job in Irvine, Los Angeles. I worked as a financial analyst for a big real estate company. I was not so happy and satisfied by what I was doing. During weekdays I work 9-6 and on the weekends I would go to different film sets to work as PAs or BTS photographer. Some of the sets, since they are too far away would require me to drive long hours. (I was a beginner driver, so it was kind of scary) On these film sets, I met many peers who are at my age but are in film schools. I aspired to be like them, who follow their passion and dream. A year later, after I quit my financial analyst job, I got accepted into USC’s graduate program in Film Production. Then during my first semester at USC, somehow my mental health deteriorates. I couldn’t keep up with my work and found it struggling. and I was diagnosed with depression and OCD. So I had to take a medical leave of absence. At one period, I thought about dropping out from USC and my future was dark. After a semester of psychological treatment and support from my parents and friends, I started to gradually feel better and my creativity comes back. Soon after, the pandemic kicks in. So half of my time at USC were spent over zoom remote classes, which is super challenging for a film production student. During the pandemic, I mainly spent time in honing my skill in film editing which doesn’t require any in-person interactions. As soon as we went back in person, I grabbed any opportunity I can to work on set. I was lucky to shoot my thesis film as well.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am mostly interested in directing, producing, and editing. Sometimes I have fresh and weird ideas about a script in the middle of the night, I would jot them down. I love people-watching too. I tend to find interesting stories and ideas from observing people. So I aspire to tell untold stories on screen and experiment with bold and visual language. My script and directing work like delve into themes like Searching for one’s self-identity which relates to complex sexuality and mental states struggled by every human being, sub-cultures such as underground art forms and rural humanities, unresolved love and loneliness. I want to tell fresh and funny stories about love, romance, sex, and families. I have ideas for how to reframe the sexual “coming of age” story. Audiences crave new stories about how people discover their sexual orientation as they grow up, whether they feel they are deviating from the social norm, and how they deal with it. Inspired by another UW-Madison graduate, Jill Soloway, I want to bring to the screen surprising new characters and humorous, moving situations in which characters navigate their complex sexualities. I also want to develop scripts about the family as both a safe harbor and a nest of humorous conflict and resentment. Viewers want fresh narratives about parenthood, mid-life crises and sibling rivalry. I was inspired by such films and TV like A one and a Two, This Is US, Like Father Like Son, Pursuit of Happiness, Moonlight, and The Wedding Banquet.
So far, I am most proud of my thesis film: After Sunset, Dawn Arrives. The story is about a 65 years old Chinese man who finds peace and self-acceptance in his declining years. I’ve had the embryonic form of the script for a long time and I am glad I was persistent to bring the story to life. AFTER SUNSET, DAWN ARRIVES is a story that I’ve been thought about since I first attended USC. It’s a short story that blends in various topics I wish to explore: Coming out of the closet as an old person, cross-age love, the sexuality of the elderly and broader questions of what is the meaning of life and what is love? For the past few years, I’ve lost family members and have been hearing friends losing their grandparents, which has made me realize that life is so short and fragile. I’ve been wondering a question: what if people haven’t fulfilled their desire and never truly be themselves their entire life? What if people have finally found their goals for life at declining years? Should they grab the last chance or just give up? These are the topics I will to explore through this film. I’ve been dedicated to write stories about the elderly. Old people tend to be overlooked and dismissed by the society. The stereotypes are they have minimum sexual drive, and they are too old to try new things. I believe that this is a universal story but not just an LGBTQ film. I wish after watching my film, audiences can have a better understanding of who they really love and what they really wanna do for their lives.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Honesty. Honesty bonds people together and makes the world a better place. If a film is honest with its emotions, then it is a good film.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://andyyili.squarespace.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andy_strawberry_li/
Image Credits
BTS Photo Credit to Yifan Wang, Nox Yang, Miqi Liu
