Today we’d like to introduce you to Geling Guo.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am a film and social media producer. I have always been passionate about television since I was young, which led me to choose TV show directing as my major in university without hesitation. I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the top-ranked media school in China, but it took a lot of hard work to get there. Starting from my freshman year, I interned at various film and television companies in China. One of the most significant projects I worked on was the script coordinator for the film “The Wild Goose Lake.” A year later, the film was nominated for the Cannes Film Festival, which was a highlight of my life. However, it was my participation in a film summer camp that truly transformed me from a TV show director to a film producer. The summer camp was a wonderful experience organized by CJ Group, the distributor of the film “Parasite,” called the “Dodo Film Classroom.” The summer camp invited successful directors to return to campus and help students complete their first films within two weeks. The final films would be screened in CGV’s IMAX theater. When I saw my film on such a big screen for the first time, and my name appeared at the end of the credits, it was an incredible and enchanting feeling. After that, I became a volunteer for the summer camp, helping other students achieve their dreams every year.
Afterward, I taught myself English and studied film intensely. I was successfully admitted to MFA Film Producing at the Dodge Film School of Chapman University and started my film journey in Los Angeles. In the past two years, I have produced eight short films. Two of the short films, “Drifting Boat” and “Floating,” have won a total of ten awards in seven film festivals. Some of my short films are still in post-production and have not yet been submitted to film festivals. At the same time, I am preparing for my two feature films. One is a sci-fi film, “Isaac,” which explores artificial intelligence consciousness, derived from the current hottest topic, Chat GPT. The other is a drama called “Chinatown Puzzles,” which discusses the living conditions of Asian first-generation immigrants in the United States based on a murder case.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Making movies has never been an easy path. Initially, my biggest obstacle came from my family, who believed that filmmaking wasn’t a stable career. And they were partly right, in the year since I graduated, I have met many talented filmmakers who struggled to find work. We often joke that artists will eventually die poor. However, my biggest challenge lately has been the dwindling confidence of the market in the entire film industry. People are no longer applauding exceptional stories, instead, they are more interested in how much money a project can make. Both of my feature films are currently in the investment stage, and every day, I get asked the same questions: what is the return on investment? How confident are you that it will make money? I understand that investors need to know about their investment returns, but I wish they could see that these stories have more significant social meaning and emotional value to audiences than just money. I firmly believe that movies are not just commodities used for market transactions. They have greater social power and can create meaningful impacts in society. That is why, in addition to being a film producer, I also work as a social media producer. I hope to leverage the viral nature of social media to create more content that can change the world, even if it is just a little bit. I believe that my life has value as long as I can make a positive difference in the world.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Do Film and Social Media Producer Feature Film project:
1. Isaac | Feature Film | Estimate Shooting Date: July 2023. | Budget: 2M ( 1M has been locked)
Co-producer
2. Chinatown Puzzles | Feature Film| Budget: 1M| Status: Looking for funds
Producer
Short Film experience:
An eye for Eye – Short Film – Producer – 2022/10 (Post – Production)
Clean – Short Film – Producer – 2022/09 (Post – Production)
Sailing – PSA -Forest Dream Studio – Producer – 2022/09
The Unsold House – Short Film – Producer – 2022/08(Post – Production)
Pleasure – Short Film – Producer – 2022/08 ( Post – Production)
Drifting Boat – Short Film – Producer – 2022/03
Toronto Indie Shorts – Best Student Film
Accolade Global Film Competition – Best Asian Film
LA Sum Film Fest – Best Short
New York International Film Awards – Best Short Film
Vancouver Independent Film Festival – Best International Narrative Short
The IndieFEST Film Awards – Best Women Filmmaker
Floating – Short Film – Producer – 2021/10
Los Angeles Film Awards – Best Student
Independent Shorts Awards – Best Student shorts
Asian World Film Fest – HFPA Scholarship
Lisianthus – Short Film – Producer – 2021/10
Fine Young Gentlemen – Short Film – Producer – 2021/09
Of all the projects I’ve been in charge of, I am most proud of the short film “Drifting Boat”. It tells the story of an elderly first-generation Chinese immigrant grandmother who returns to her hometown in her later years. It is truly a beautiful story that resonates with the common struggles of all Chinese people who are striving in America. Stories like this are ones that I have always wanted to tell – the unique way of life of the Asian-American community in the United States.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bellegelingguo.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gelingguo/
Image Credits
Drifting Boat BTS
