Chloé Zhao

Chloé Zhao was born Zhao Ting ({{zh|s=赵婷|p=Zhào Tíng|labels=no}}) on March 31, 1982, in Beijing, China. Her father, Zhao Yuji ({{zh|s=赵玉吉|p=Zhào Yùjí|labels=no}}), was a successful executive at Shougang Group, one of the country's largest state-owned steel companies. After amassing significant personal wealth, he moved on to real-estate development and equity investment.{{cite news |last=Willmore |first=Alison |date=2021-02-16 |title=Chloé Zhao's America |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/chloe-zhao-nomadland.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320213231/https://www.vulture.com/article/chloe-zhao-nomadland.html |archive-date=20 March 2021 |access-date=2021-05-03 |work=New York}}

As a teenager, Zhao described herself as a "rebellious and lazy student" who was more interested in drawing manga-style comics and writing fan fiction than in academics. She was strongly influenced by Western pop culture and the films of Wong Kar-wai. particularly Happy Together. During this period of her life, her parents divorced. Her father remarried Song Dandan, a well-known Chinese actress.

Although Zhao was still learning English at the time, her parents sent her to Brighton College at the age of 15.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-56711344 |title=Bafta Film Awards 2021: Nomadland and Promising Young Woman win big |publisher=BBC News |date=12 April 2021 |access-date=14 April 2021 |archive-date=11 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411182232/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-56711344 |url-status=live}}{{cite magazine |last=Powers |first=John |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/chloe-zhao-the-rider-vogue-april-2018 |title=How Chloé Zhao Reinvented the Western |magazine=Vogue |date=22 March 2018 |access-date=6 March 2021 |archive-date=22 March 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322200949/https://www.vogue.com/article/chloe-zhao-the-rider-vogue-april-2018 |url-status=live}} She later moved to Los Angeles by herself, living in a Koreatown apartment in 2000, and attended Los Angeles High School.{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/articles/chloe-zhao-woman-telling-cowboys-tale|title=Chloé Zhao: A Woman Telling a Cowboys' Tale|last=Gardiner|first=Margaret|date=2017-05-23 |website=Golden Globes|access-date=2021-04-26 |archive-date=30 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430205807/https://www.goldenglobes.com/articles/chloe-zhao-woman-telling-cowboys-tale|url-status=live}} She next attended Mount Holyoke College, where she majored in politics and minored in film studies, graduating in 2005.{{cite web

|url=https://www.gazettenet.com/Mount-Holyoke-graduate-Chloe-Zhao-makes-Oscar-history-40191912

|title=From Mount Holyoke College to the Oscars: Pioneering director Chloé Zhao first studied film in the Valley

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}}{{cite web |last1=Savoie |first1=Keely |title=Zhao '05 brings stirring depiction of Native American life to big screen. |url=https://www.mtholyoke.edu/media/chloe-zhao-05-goes-sundance |website=mtholyoke.edu |date=12 January 2015 |publisher=Mount Holyoke College |access-date=2021-04-28 |archive-date=26 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626144510/https://www.mtholyoke.edu/media/chloe-zhao-05-goes-sundance |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |last1=Savoie |first1=Keely |title=Chloé Zhao '05 wins at the Academy Awards. |url=https://www.mtholyoke.edu/media/2021-apr/chlo-zhao-05-wins-academy-awards |website=mtholyoke.edu |date=26 April 2021 |publisher=Mount Holyoke College |access-date=2021-04-28 |archive-date=29 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629163221/https://www.mtholyoke.edu/media/2021-apr/chlo-zhao-05-wins-academy-awards |url-status=dead}} Bartending and working odd jobs after graduating helped her realize that she enjoyed meeting people and hearing about their lives and histories, giving her the push to attend film school.{{Cite web|last=Guy|first=Zoe|date=2021-04-25|title=Meet Chloé Zhao, the Visionary 'Nomadland' Director|url=https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a36213132/who-is-chloe-zhao-director-nomadland/|access-date=2021-12-05|website=Marie Claire Magazine|archive-date=5 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205112145/https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a36213132/who-is-chloe-zhao-director-nomadland/|url-status=live}} A Vulture article reported that "Four years was enough to turn her off of politics...she found herself drawn more to people than to policy".{{Cite web|last=Weaver|first=Hilary|date=2021-02-28|title=Everything You Need to Know About Chloé Zhao, the Director of 'Nomadland'|url=https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a35649454/who-is-chloe-zhao-nomadland-director/|access-date=2021-12-05|website=Elle|language=en-US|archive-date=3 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303185551/https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a35649454/who-is-chloe-zhao-nomadland-director/|url-status=live}} Following up on her undergraduate film minor, she next joined the Kanbar Institute of Film and Television Graduate Film Program{{cite web

|url=https://tisch.nyu.edu/grad-film/alumni/chloe-zhao

|title=Chloé Zhao

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}} at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.{{cite web

|url=https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2021/april/nyu-tisch-alumna--chloe-zhao--makes-history-at-2021-academy-awar.html

|title=NYU Tisch Alumna, Chloé Zhao, Makes History at 2021 Academy Awards

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|date=2021-04-26

|publisher=New York University

|archive-date=30 April 2021

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430144059/https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2021/april/nyu-tisch-alumna--chloe-zhao--makes-history-at-2021-academy-awar.html

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}} While attending Tisch, Zhao studied under director Spike Lee.{{Cite web|last=Guy|first=Zoe|date=2021-04-25|title=Meet Chloé Zhao, the Visionary 'Nomadland' Director|url=https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a36213132/who-is-chloe-zhao-director-nomadland/|access-date=2021-12-05|website=Marie Claire Magazine|archive-date=5 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205112145/https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a36213132/who-is-chloe-zhao-director-nomadland/|url-status=live}} She told USA Today that she appreciated Lee not sugarcoating anything, saying that "he will just tell you as it is", something that she claims she needed.{{Cite web|last=Guy|first=Zoe|date=2021-04-25|title=Meet Chloé Zhao, the Visionary 'Nomadland' Director|url=https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a36213132/who-is-chloe-zhao-director-nomadland/|access-date=2021-12-05|website=Marie Claire Magazine|archive-date=5 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205112145/https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a36213132/who-is-chloe-zhao-director-nomadland/|url-status=live}} After enrolling in the Graduate Studies film program at New York University in 2010 she made her first short film Daughters.

File:Chloezhao.jpg

Chloé Zhao's first work is her 2009 short film The Atlas Mountains, the story about Helen Thomas who develops a brief yet passionate relationship with an immigrant worker who comes to fix her computer.{{Citation|title=The Atlas Mountains (S) (2009)|url=https://www.filmaffinity.com/us/film174342.html|language=en|access-date=2021-12-03|archive-date=3 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203040203/https://www.filmaffinity.com/us/film174342.html|url-status=live}} She also released a second short film titled Daughters, a film about a 14-year-old girl Maple, living in rural China, who is forced into an arranged marriage and takes a dangerous path trying to break free.{{Citation|title=Daughters (S) (2010)|url=https://www.filmaffinity.com/us/film364434.html|language=en|access-date=2021-12-03|archive-date=3 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203040203/https://www.filmaffinity.com/us/film364434.html|url-status=live}} This short won First Place Student Live Action Short at the 2010 Palm Springs International Short Fest and Special Jury Prize at the 2010 Cinequest Film Festival.{{Cite web|title=Chloe Zhao|url=https://www.filmindependent.org/talent/chloe-zhao/|access-date=2021-12-03|website=Film Independent|language=en-US|archive-date=3 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203040206/https://www.filmindependent.org/talent/chloe-zhao/|url-status=live}}

In 2015, Zhao directed Songs My Brothers Taught Me. Shot on location at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, the film depicts the relationship between a Lakota Sioux brother and his younger sister. An already existing reservation, the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation has approximately 2.1 million acres, around 46,855 members, and occupies the Oglala Lakota, Jackson, and Bennet counties.{{Cite web|title=Pine Ridge Agency|website=Bureau of Indian Affairs|url=https://www.bia.gov/regional-offices/great-plains/south-dakota/pine-ridge-agency|access-date=2021-12-03|archive-date=15 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915090235/https://www.bia.gov/regional-offices/great-plains/south-dakota/pine-ridge-agency|url-status=live}} In Zhao's film, the brother Johnny plans to leave home and move to Los Angeles with his girlfriend when he graduates high school, but struggles with the thought of leaving his sister Jashaun at home with their troubled mother who is grieving the loss of their father. Focusing on the real lives and struggles of the surrounding community, the film showcases the realness of people and problems they are faced with.{{Cite journal|last=DeSanti|first=Brady|date=October 2016|title=Songs My Brother Taught Me |journal=Journal of Religion & Film |volume=20 |issue=3 |url=https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1598&context=jrf |language=en|id={{ProQuest|1860270419}}}} In a Filmmaker article, Zhao stated that her rebellious years in her childhood is what pushed her to leave China and study abroad, helping her connect to the plot of the film which focuses on a character struggling in this environment.{{Cite web|last=Macaulay|first=Scott|date=2013-07-15|title=Chloé Zhao|url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/people/chloe-zhao/|access-date=2021-12-05|magazine=Filmmaker Magazine|language=en-US|archive-date=21 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130821204951/https://filmmakermagazine.com/people/chloe-zhao/|url-status=live}} Half improvised, around 100 hours of footage was collected as Zhao worked with the real residents of the reservation to draw inspiration from their lives and personalities in order to help shape her story.{{Cite web|title=Navigating Fact and Fiction: Chloé Zhao on Songs My Brothers Taught Me|url=http://walkerart.org/magazine/navigating-fact-and-fiction-chloe-zhao-on-songs-my-brothers-taught-me|access-date=2021-12-03|website=walkerart.org|language=en-US|archive-date=3 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203233613/https://walkerart.org/magazine/navigating-fact-and-fiction-chloe-zhao-on-songs-my-brothers-taught-me|url-status=live}} She was able to utilize the natural landscape around her in this film in order to create a place of revelation, where people can be closest to God.{{Cite journal|last=Mayer|first=Hervé|date=2019-04-15|title=Neo Frontier Cinema: Rewriting the Frontier Narrative from the Margins in Meek's Cutoff (Kelly Reichardt, 2010), Songs My Brother Taught Me (Chloe Zhao, 2015) and The Rider (Chloe Zhao, 2017)|url=https://journals.openedition.org/miranda/16672|journal=Miranda|language=en|issue=18|doi=10.4000/miranda.16672|s2cid=159153082|issn=2108-6559|doi-access=free|access-date=3 December 2021|archive-date=3 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203040203/https://journals.openedition.org/miranda/16672|url-status=live}} Using wide and long shots, she created a documentary-like film that feels authentic, the desolate beauty of the Great Plains creating a story that depicts both freedom and hopelessness.{{Cite news|last=Holden|first=Stephen|date=2016-03-01|title=Review: In 'Songs My Brothers Taught Me,' Reservation Dreams and Their Limits|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/02/movies/songs-my-brothers-taught-me-review.html|access-date=2021-12-03|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=3 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203233517/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/02/movies/songs-my-brothers-taught-me-review.html|url-status=live}} It premiered in 2015 as part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at Sundance Film Festival.{{cite web|url=http://www.sundance.org/projects/songs-my-brothers-taught-me|title=Songs My Brothers Taught Me|website=Sundance Institute|access-date=7 December 2015|archive-date=20 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200720150410/http://www.sundance.org/projects/songs-my-brothers-taught-me|url-status=dead}} It later played at Cannes Film Festival as part of the Director's Fortnight selection{{cite web|last1=Kang|first1=Inkoo|title=More Sundance Deals: 'Hot Girls Wanted,' '10,000 Saints,' 'Songs My Brother Taught Me'|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/womenandhollywood/more-sundance-deals-hot-girls-wanted-10-000-saints-songs-my-brother-taught-me-20150202|access-date=2015-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118234208/http://blogs.indiewire.com/womenandhollywood/more-sundance-deals-hot-girls-wanted-10-000-saints-songs-my-brother-taught-me-20150202|archive-date=2015-11-18}} and was nominated for Best First Feature at the 31st Independent Spirit Awards.{{Cite web|url=https://www.filmindependent.org/press/press-releases/31st-film-independent-spirit-awards-nominations-announced/|title=31st Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations Announced|website=Film Independent|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614171534/https://www.filmindependent.org/press/press-releases/31st-film-independent-spirit-awards-nominations-announced/|archive-date=14 June 2018|access-date=14 June 2018}}

In 2017, Zhao directed The Rider, a contemporary western drama, which follows a young cowboy's journey to self-discovery after a near-fatal accident ends his professional riding career.{{cite web|url=https://blog.womenandhollywood.com/cannes-2017-women-directors-meet-chlo%C3%A9-zhao-the-rider-819ad453b5f9|title=Cannes 2017 Women Directors: Meet Chloé Zhao — "The Rider"|last1=Allen|first1=Joseph|date=18 May 2017|website=Women and Hollywood|access-date=7 October 2017|archive-date=7 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007171051/https://blog.womenandhollywood.com/cannes-2017-women-directors-meet-chlo%C3%A9-zhao-the-rider-819ad453b5f9|url-status=live}} The film was executive produced by her father, Yuji Zhao.{{cite web |title=The Rider |url=https://www.sundance.org/projects/the-rider |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426141231/https://www.sundance.org/projects/the-rider |archive-date=2021-04-26 |website=Sundance Institute |access-date=4 April 2021}} As with her first feature, Zhao engaged a cast of non-actors who lived at the filming location, in this case on a ranch.{{Cite web|url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/104938-rodeo-dream/#.WyI3MlMiMWo|title=Rodeo Dream: Chloé Zhao on The Rider|last=Ponsoldt|first=James|date=8 March 2018|website=Filmmaker|access-date=14 June 2018|archive-date=9 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309043807/https://filmmakermagazine.com/104938-rodeo-dream/#.WyI3MlMiMWo|url-status=live}} Her inspiration came from Brady Jandreau—a cowboy she had met and befriended on the reservation where she shot her first film—who suffered a severe head injury when thrown from his horse during a rodeo competition.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stanforddaily.com/2018/06/09/chloe-zhaos-the-rider-is-riveting/|title=Chloe Zhao's 'The Rider' is riveting|last=Hodson|first=Hayley|date=2018-06-09 |website=The Stanford Daily|access-date=2018-06-14 |archive-date=14 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614144331/https://www.stanforddaily.com/2018/06/09/chloe-zhaos-the-rider-is-riveting/|url-status=live}} Jandreau would star in the film, playing a fictionalized version of himself as Brady Blackburn. According to an Indiewire article, this film discovers a new side of the Western theme, revolutionary because a Chinese immigrant changed the nation's "oldest genre."{{Cite web|last=Kohn|first=Eric|date=2018-11-14|title=Chloe Zhao's 'The Rider' Is a Welcome Antidote to the Age of Donald Trump|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2018/11/chloe-zhao-the-rider-the-eternals-1202020696/|access-date=2021-12-05|website=IndieWire|language=en|archive-date=16 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116220637/https://www.indiewire.com/2018/11/chloe-zhao-the-rider-the-eternals-1202020696/|url-status=live}} The article stated that the film became "the type of film it is because of a man and a woman, because the two of us wanted to work together and understand where we were coming from."

The film premiered at Cannes Film Festival as part of the Directors' Fortnight selection and won the Art Cinema Award.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2017/june/TischCannes2017.html|title=Tisch Alumni Win Cannes Honors|date=2017-06-02 |website=Tisch School of the Arts|access-date=2018-04-28 |archive-date=29 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180429155408/https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2017/june/TischCannes2017.html|url-status=live}} It earned her nominations for Best Feature and Best Director at the 33rd Independent Spirit Awards. At the same ceremony, Zhao became the inaugural winner of the Bonnie Award, named after Bonnie Tiburzi, which recognizes a mid-career female director.{{Cite web|url=https://www.filmindependent.org/spirit-awards/grants/|title=Spirit Awards Grants|website=Film Independent|language=en-US |access-date=2019-10-27 |archive-date=19 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160319083946/https://www.filmindependent.org/spirit-awards/grants/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.thebonnieaward.com/|title=The Bonnie Award|website=www.thebonnieaward.com|language=en|access-date=2019-10-27 |archive-date=26 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226085110/http://www.thebonnieaward.com/|url-status=live}} The film was released on 13 April 2018 by Sony Pictures Classics and was critically acclaimed.{{Cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-rider|title=The Rider Reviews - Metacritic|website=Metacritic|access-date=2018-06-14 |archive-date=2 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170602025343/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-rider|url-status=live}} Peter Keough of The Boston Globe wrote: "[The film] achieves what cinema is capable of at its best: It reproduces a world with such acuteness, fidelity, and empathy that it transcends the mundane and touches on the universal."{{Cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2018/04/25/the-rider-what-cinema-capable-its-best/vmnFd428718ACfceWOKzvL/story.html|title='The Rider': What cinema is capable of at its best|last=Keough|first=Peter|date=2018-04-25 |website=The Boston Globe|access-date=2018-06-14 |archive-date=25 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180425211459/https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2018/04/25/the-rider-what-cinema-capable-its-best/vmnFd428718ACfceWOKzvL/story.html|url-status=live}}

In 2018, Zhao directed Nomadland, starring Frances McDormand.{{Cite web|last=Aurthur|first=Kate|date=2021-03-01 |title=Chloe Zhao Becomes Second Woman to Win Golden Globe for Directing as 'Nomadland' Makes History|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/chloe-zhao-best-director-golden-globe-nomadland-1234916474/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-02 |website=Variety|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301034401/https://variety.com/2021/film/news/chloe-zhao-best-director-golden-globe-nomadland-1234916474/ |archive-date=1 March 2021}} The adaptation from Jessica Bruder's Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century was shot over four months traveling the American West in an RV with many actual nomadic workers.{{Cite web|last=Keegan|first=Rebecca|date=2020-09-02 |title=Director Chloe Zhao Arrives With Early Oscar Contender 'Nomadland' and Next Year's 'Eternals': "It's a Bit Surreal"|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/director-chloe-zhao-arrives-with-hot-oscar-contender-nomadland-and-next-years-eternals|access-date=2020-09-12 |website=The Hollywood Reporter|archive-date=3 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903013040/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/director-chloe-zhao-arrives-with-hot-oscar-contender-nomadland-and-next-years-eternals|url-status=live}} Bruder's book revolved around characters that can be found in the film, such as Linda May, a 64-year-old living in her van and scrounging for jobs in order to buy land for a permanent home.{{Cite magazine |last=Gutterman |first=Annabel |date=2021-02-15 |title=What to Know About 'Nomadland' and the Real-Life Community Behind the Movie |url=https://time.com/5938982/nomadland-true-story/ |access-date=2024-04-16 |magazine=TIME |language=en |archive-date=4 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204015654/https://time.com/5938982/nomadland-true-story/ |url-status=live}} Other characters, such as Bob Wells, a nomad vlogger of the CheapRVliving YouTube channel and website and in charge of the annual nomad meet-up featured in the film, are real people that Bruder encountered when writing her book and Zhao included in her movie.{{Cite web|last=Bell|first=Carrie|date=2021-04-21|title=Meet the Real-Life Nomads of Chloé Zhao's "Nomadland"|url=https://www.fodors.com/news/travel-tips/meet-the-real-life-nomads-of-chloe-zhaos-nomadland|access-date=2021-12-04|website=Fodors Travel Guide|language=en-US|archive-date=4 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204015655/https://www.fodors.com/news/travel-tips/meet-the-real-life-nomads-of-chloe-zhaos-nomadland|url-status=live}} The film tells the story of a widow who lost everything in The Great Recession and decides to travel in her van across the American Midwest, beginning a journey of self-discovery. Star Frances McDormand and Zhao bonded quickly and inspired each other, and McDormand became a huge element of the filmmaking process and its success.{{Cite web|last=Kohn|first=Eric|date=2020-09-08|title='Nomadland': How Chloé Zhao Made a Secret Road Movie While Becoming a Marvel Director|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/09/nomadland-interview-chloe-zhao-1234584703/|access-date=2021-12-04|website=IndieWire|language=en|archive-date=28 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928050706/https://www.indiewire.com/2020/09/nomadland-interview-chloe-zhao-1234584703/|url-status=live}} They met a day before the 2018 Independent Spirit Awards, where McDormand was nominated for Best Actress and Zhao received a $50,000 grant for women directors. During the event, they hinted at their future project together. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it received critical acclaim and won the Golden Lion award,{{Cite web|last=Tartaglione|first=Nancy|date=2020-09-12 |title='Nomadland' Scoops Golden Lion At Venice Film Festival – Full List Of Winners|url=https://deadline.com/2020/09/venice-film-festival-winners-2020-golden-lion-full-list-1234575829/|access-date=12 September 2020|website=Deadline|language=en-US|archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913094711/https://deadline.com/2020/09/venice-film-festival-winners-2020-golden-lion-full-list-1234575829/|url-status=live}} and subsequently played at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the People's Choice Award.{{cite web|first=Etan|last=Vlessing|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/toronto-chloe-zhaos-nomadland-wins-audience-award|title=Toronto: Chloe Zhao's 'Nomadland' Wins Audience Award|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=20 September 2020|access-date=20 September 2020|archive-date=13 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113171016/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/toronto-chloe-zhaos-nomadland-wins-audience-award|url-status=live}} The film was released on 19 February 2021, by Searchlight Pictures.{{cite web|last=Barnes|first=Jess|date=14 January 2021|title=Disney Will Release 'Nomadland' on Hulu on Same Day as Theaters|url=https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/disney-will-release-nomadland-on-hulu-on-same-day-as-theaters|access-date=2021-01-15|website=CordCuttersNews|archive-date=14 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114191530/https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/disney-will-release-nomadland-on-hulu-on-same-day-as-theaters/|url-status=live}} Zhao won the Golden Globe Award for Best Director for Nomadland, making her the first woman of Asian descent honored,{{cite web|last=Brown|first=Tracy|date=2021-02-03|title=Chloé Zhao is the first woman of Asian descent to land a Golden Globes directing nod|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-02-03/golden-globe-nominations-2021-chloe-zhao-first-asian-woman|access-date=2021-02-03 |website=Los Angeles Times|archive-date=3 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203143919/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-02-03/golden-globe-nominations-2021-chloe-zhao-first-asian-woman|url-status=live}} and only the second woman to win a Golden Globe for directing since Barbra Streisand in 1984. In April 2021, Zhao won the Academy Award for Best Director, becoming the second woman to do so (Kathryn Bigelow being the first). The film has not received a theatrical release in China, with speculation that it was due to her past comments on the nation, and news of her Best Director win at the Academy Awards was also censored.{{cite news |last1=Qin |first1=Amy |last2=Chien |first2=Amy |date=2021-04-26 |title=China Censors Chloé Zhao's Oscar Win, but Fans Find Ways to Rejoice |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/26/world/asia/china-chloe-zhao-oscars.html |access-date=2021-04-27 |archive-date=30 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430184728/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/26/world/asia/china-chloe-zhao-oscars.html |url-status=live}}

In September 2018, Marvel Studios hired her to direct Eternals, based on the comic book characters of the same name.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/chloe-zhao-direct-marvel-studios-eternals-1143547|title=Marvel Studios' 'The Eternals' Finds Its Director With Chloé Zhao|last=Kit|first=Borys|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=2018-09-21 |access-date=2018-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921215407/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/chloe-zhao-direct-marvel-studios-eternals-1143547|archive-date=2018-09-21}} The film follows the events of the 2019 Marvel movie Avengers: Endgame, featuring a new team of superheroes that must reunite in order to fight an ancient enemy of the human race, the Deviants.{{Cite web|title=Eternals|url=https://www.marvel.com/movies/eternals|access-date=2021-12-03|website=Marvel Entertainment|language=en|archive-date=3 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203000957/https://www.marvel.com/movies/eternals|url-status=live}} Zhao was heavily influenced by Ridley Scott's Prometheus (2012) and Nick Cassavetes' The Notebook (2004) in crafting the MCU film.{{Cite web |last=Shirey |first=Paul |date=2021-10-15 |title=Eternals' Director Was Heavily Influenced by Prometheus... And The Notebook |url=https://screenrant.com/eternals-movie-influences-prometheus-notebook-chloe-zhao/ |access-date=2021-12-03 |website=ScreenRant |language=en-US |archive-date=3 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203211108/https://screenrant.com/eternals-movie-influences-prometheus-notebook-chloe-zhao/ |url-status=live}} It was released on November 5, 2021. Zhao is both the director and one of the four writers of the film, the others being Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo, and Kaz Firpo.{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Eric|title='Eternals' screenwriters reveal the one MCU location that was off-limits|url=https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/marvel-eternals-screenwriters-interview|access-date=2021-12-05|website=Inverse|date=12 November 2021|language=en|archive-date=5 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205095334/https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/marvel-eternals-screenwriters-interview|url-status=live}} Eternals received mixed reviews. The New Yorker stated that Zhao's style of directing dialogue scenes "reveals the absurdity of the script," saying "it might as well have been done via green screen, for the little tangibility and texture that it offers the characters and viewers alike."{{Cite magazine|date=2021-11-05|title="Eternals", Reviewed: Chloé Zhao's Lifeless Marvel Movie|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/eternals-reviewed-chloe-zhaos-lifeless-marvel-movie|access-date=2021-12-05|magazine=The New Yorker|language=en-US|archive-date=29 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129172950/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/eternals-reviewed-chloe-zhaos-lifeless-marvel-movie|url-status=live}} The article also claimed that the film has reportedly been banned in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait due to the relationship between two male characters, Phastos and Ben.{{Cite magazine|date=2021-11-05|title="Eternals," Reviewed: Chloé Zhao's Lifeless Marvel Movie|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/eternals-reviewed-chloe-zhaos-lifeless-marvel-movie|access-date=2021-12-05|magazine=The New Yorker|language=en-US|archive-date=29 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129172950/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/eternals-reviewed-chloe-zhaos-lifeless-marvel-movie|url-status=live}} In spite of negative reviews, it still made $161.7 million during its opening weekend and became No. 1 at the box office.{{Cite web|date=2021-11-08 |first=Nick|last=Romano|title='Eternals' reigns with $161.7 million global opening weekend despite international hurdles|url=https://ew.com/movies/eternals-box-office-opening-weekend/|access-date=2021-12-05|website=EW.com|language=en|archive-date=5 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205095332/https://ew.com/movies/eternals-box-office-opening-weekend/|url-status=live}}

On 15 February 2021, Variety reported that with "34 awards season trophies for directing, 13 for screenplay and nine for editing, Chloe Zhao has surpassed Alexander Payne (Sideways) as the most awarded person in a single awards season in the modern era."{{cite web|last=Davis|first=Clayton|date=2021-02-15 |title=Awards Circuit Winners Chart: Chloe Zhao Is Now the Most Awarded Filmmaker in a Single Awards Season|url=https://variety.com/feature/2020-2021-awards-circuit-winners-chart-1234878336/|access-date=2021-02-19 |website=Variety|archive-date=20 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220105307/https://variety.com/feature/2020-2021-awards-circuit-winners-chart-1234878336/|url-status=live}}{{Update inline|date=April 2021}} In 2021, she appeared on the Time 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.{{cite web |last1=Sachdeva |first1=Maanya |title=Britney Spears, Scarlett Johansson and Jason Sudeikis among Time 100 most influential |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/time-100-most-influential-celebrities-b1921324.html |website=The Independent |access-date=2021-11-13 |language=en |date=2021-09-16 |archive-date=14 June 2022 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220614/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/time-100-most-influential-celebrities-b1921324.html |url-status=live}}

In 2023, Zhao served as an executive producer on The Graduates directed by Hannah Peterson.{{cite web|url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/121825-interview-hannah-peterson-the-graduates/|title="How Do You Evoke the History of Violence in a Space Without Showing It?": Hannah Peterson on The Graduates|website=Filmmaker|first=Erik|last=Luers|date=2023-06-20 |access-date=2023-10-28 |archive-date=28 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028044121/https://filmmakermagazine.com/121825-interview-hannah-peterson-the-graduates/|url-status=live}}

In April 2018, it was announced that Amazon Studios greenlit Zhao's untitled Bass Reeves biopic, a historical Western about the first black U.S. Deputy Marshal. Zhao is set to direct the film and write the screenplay.{{cite web|last1=N'Duka|first1=Amanda|title=Amazon Studios Lands Biopic on Bass Reeves, First Black U.S. Deputy Marshal, From 'The Rider' Helmer Chloé Zhao|url=https://deadline.com/2018/04/amazon-bass-reeves-biopic-the-rider-chloe-zhao-1202373293/|website=Deadline|date=2018-04-20 |access-date=2018-04-28 |archive-date=21 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421024604/https://deadline.com/2018/04/amazon-bass-reeves-biopic-the-rider-chloe-zhao-1202373293/|url-status=live}}

In February 2021, Variety confirmed that Zhao is tackling the classic Universal monster Dracula as the writer, producer and director of a new take on the character in the vein of a futuristic sci-fi western.{{Cite web|last1=Vary|first1=Adam B.|date=2021-02-04|title=Director Chloe Zhao Sinks Teeth Into Sci-Fi Western 'Dracula' for Universal|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/chloe-zhao-dracula-sci-fi-western-1234900898/|access-date=2021-04-29|website=Variety|language=en-US|archive-date=29 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429093557/https://variety.com/2021/film/news/chloe-zhao-dracula-sci-fi-western-1234900898/|url-status=live}}

In August 2022, actor Patton Oswalt revealed that a sequel to Eternals was in development with Zhao returning to direct.{{cite web|url=https://movieweb.com/eternals-2-patton-oswalt-says-its-happening/|work=MovieWeb|title=Patton Oswalt Says Eternals 2 Is Happening with Director Chloe Zhao|author=Dick, Jeremy|date=2022-08-03 |access-date=2022-08-03 |archive-date=4 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804065940/https://movieweb.com/eternals-2-patton-oswalt-says-its-happening/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/1233562-eternals-2-is-happening-chloe-zhao|work=Coming Soon|title=Patton Oswalt: Eternals 2 is Happening, Chloé Zhao to Direct|author=Treese, Tyler|date=2022-08-03 |access-date=2022-08-03 |archive-date=4 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804080551/https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/1233562-eternals-2-is-happening-chloe-zhao|url-status=live}} However, actor Kumail Nanjiani later stated that he had not heard anything about a sequel and believed that Oswalt was wrong.{{cite web|url=https://gamerant.com/kumail-nanjiani-patton-oswalt-eternals-2-response/work=GameRant|title=Kumail Nanjiani Thinks Patton Oswalt Was Wrong About Eternals 2 Happening|last1=Munõz|first1=Daniel Pacheco|date=2022-11-12 |access-date=2022-11-16}}

A film adaptation of Hamnet produced in part by Amblin Partners and directed by Zhao was announced in April 2023, with Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal in talks to star in the film.{{Cite web |last=Kroll |first=Justin |date=4 April 2023 |title=Chloé Zhao To Direct Adaptation Of Maggie O'Farrell's Novel 'Hamnet' For Amblin Partners, Hera Pictures, Neal Street Productions and Book of Shadows |url=https://deadline.com/2023/04/chloe-zhao-maggie-ofarrells-hamnet-amblin-partners-1235317113/ |access-date=4 April 2023 |website=Deadline |language=en-US |archive-date=4 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404181449/https://deadline.com/2023/04/chloe-zhao-maggie-ofarrells-hamnet-amblin-partners-1235317113/ |url-status=live}}

In February 2025, it was announced that Zhao would be directing the pilot episode for a revival of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Hulu.

Throughout her filmography, Zhao carries relatively the same styles and techniques. Frances McDormand told Rolling Stone about Zhao's process, saying "she's basically like a journalist...she gets to know your story, and she creates a character from that" and that she "draws a razor-sharp line between sentiment and sentimentality".{{Cite web|website=Deutsche Welle|title=Chloe Zhao, the Chinese director reinventing US cinema|date=2021-04-23|url=https://www.dw.com/en/chloe-zhao-the-chinese-director-reinventing-us-cinema/a-57296291|access-date=2021-12-05|language=en-GB|archive-date=5 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205102228/https://www.dw.com/en/chloe-zhao-the-chinese-director-reinventing-us-cinema/a-57296291|url-status=live}} A Filmmaker article quoted Zhao as saying "I want to find new ways to place the camera to evoke more of a feeling. My goal is to put the camera inside of [the character]". An example of her process can be found in Eternals when she saw the connection between actors Lauren Ridloff and Barry Keoghan who play Makkari and Druig in the film.{{Cite news|title=Chloé Zhao explains how Nomadland and Eternals are cinematic twins|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/chloe-zhao-interview-eternals/2021/11/04/2c02b964-3cca-11ec-bfad-8283439871ec_story.html|access-date=2021-12-05|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=13 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211113184152/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/chloe-zhao-interview-eternals/2021/11/04/2c02b964-3cca-11ec-bfad-8283439871ec_story.html|url-status=live}} The article wrote that Zhao saw them interacting and thought "Okay, we've got to write more moments", stating "It's the same as I did with Nomadland and The Rider. I would see how they interact and I would write that into the film". She believes that everyone wants to feel a connection, that filmmakers tell their stories because they don't want to feel alone, which is why she focuses on the themes of authenticity and places an emphasis on real stories.{{Cite web|last=Pennacchio|first=George|date=2021-11-05|title=Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloe Zhao jumps into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 'Eternals'|url=https://abc7news.com/11200044/|access-date=2021-12-05|website=ABC7 San Francisco|language=en|archive-date=16 April 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416082157/https://abc7news.com/eternals-chloe-zhao-salma-hayek-richard-madden/11200044/|url-status=live}} In an interview with Brut America, Zhao touched upon her feeling on the importance of directing from the perspective of the female gaze. "For me, there is a yin and yang in all of us, feminine and masculine strength and I think often in our society in our industry, the masculine strength is being celebrated, and that's a painful way to exist both for women and men."{{Citation |title=Chloé Zhao On Directing With The Female Gaze | date=5 November 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-LZqe9kAbA |access-date=2023-03-23 |language=en |archive-date=23 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323184711/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-LZqe9kAbA&gl=US&hl=en |url-status=live}} Zhao, known primarily for her feature films which depict the lives and struggles of real people from diverse backgrounds, such as The Rider, Songs My Brother Taught Me, and Nomadland, is now taking on projects that depict various characters from broader universes, for instance the Marvel film, Eternals. On directing this myriad of characters from the female perspective she says "I always try to find a way to give them a chance to be in touch with their feminine side" "We must also allow our male characters to access their softer side, I think that's the true female gaze."

Zhao cites Wong Kar-wai's romance Happy Together as the "film that made me want to make films". She was also influenced by Spike Lee, who was her film professor while she studied at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2021/03/16/nomadland-chloe-zhao-oscars-marvel-eternals/6953255002/|title= Meet 'Nomadland' director Chloé Zhao, who just made Oscar history (and was Spike Lee's student)|website= USA Today |access-date=2021-03-19 |archive-date=5 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505174617/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2021/03/16/nomadland-chloe-zhao-oscars-marvel-eternals/6953255002/ |url-status=live}}{{cite web|url= https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/nomadland-director-chlo%C3%A9-zhao-discusses-learning-from-spike-lee/vp-BB1eE9cL |title='Nomadland' director Chloé Zhao discusses learning from Spike Lee |website=MSN |access-date=2021-03-19 |archive-date=26 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626144457/https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/nomadland-director-chlo%C3%A9-zhao-discusses-learning-from-spike-lee/vp-BB1eE9cL |url-status=live}} She cited Ang Lee as an influence as well, saying, "Ang Lee's career has been very inspiring to me — how he's able to bring where he comes from to all the films that he makes". She also has mentioned Werner Herzog and Terrence Malick as key influences.{{cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2018/11/chloe-zhao-the-rider-the-eternals-1202020696/|title= Chloe Zhao's 'The Rider' Is a Welcome Antidote to the Age of Donald Trump |date=2021-03-19 |access-date=19 March 2021 |archive-date=16 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116220637/https://www.indiewire.com/2018/11/chloe-zhao-the-rider-the-eternals-1202020696/|url-status= live}}{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ces4ZqX75o |title=Under the Influence: Chloé Zhao on The New World |website=Youtube |date=August 2018 |access-date=2021-03-19 |archive-date=25 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425113934/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ces4ZqX75o |url-status=live}}

Zhao stated her early introductions to American cinema were The Terminator, Ghost and Sister Act.

After Zhao became the second woman to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Director (for Nomadland), many Chinese viewers, as well as state media in China, celebrated her win and "sought to claim Zhao's glory for China".{{cite magazine |last=Davis |first=Rebecca |url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/chloe-zhao-nomadland-golden-globe-china-mixed-reaction-1234919114/ |title=China Both Celebrates and Slams Chloe Zhao's 'Nomadland' Golden Globe Glory |magazine=Variety |date=2021-03-01 |access-date=2021-03-06 |archive-date=17 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210317115105/https://variety.com/2021/film/news/chloe-zhao-nomadland-golden-globe-china-mixed-reaction-1234919114/ |url-status=live}} Shortly afterward, however, some Chinese internet users began to question Zhao's citizenship and debated "whether it is appropriate to claim Zhao's victory as China's", with Variety calling the claim "a common move by state-backed outlets to drum up nationalism". Much of the controversy hinged around two sets of remarks: a 2013 Filmmaker magazine interview in which Zhao described China as "a place where there are lies everywhere",{{cite magazine |author=Staff |url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/people/chloe-zhao/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814185314/https://filmmakermagazine.com/people/chloe-zhao/ |title=25 New Faces of Independent Film: Chloé Zhao |magazine=Filmmaker |date=2013-08-14 |archive-date=2013-08-14}} and a late 2020 interview in which Zhao was mis-quoted as saying "The US is now my country" (she had actually said "The US is not my country," and the error was corrected about two months later).{{cite news |last=Mai |first=Wenlei |url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/new-movies/how-outsider-chloe-zhao-captured-the-american-heartland-in-nomadland/news-story/2c90f34a221be792741fea8017ed7c54 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101055744/https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/new-movies/how-outsider-chloe-zhao-captured-the-american-heartland-in-nomadland/news-story/2c90f34a221be792741fea8017ed7c54 |title=How outsider Chloe Zhao captured the American heartland in Nomadland | publisher=News.com.au |date=2020-12-25 |access-date=2021-03-06 |archive-date=2021-01-01}}{{cite news |last1=Qin |first1=Amy |last2=Chang Chien |first2=Amy |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/06/world/asia/chloe-zhao-nomadland-china.html |title=In China, a Backlash Against the Chinese-Born Director of 'Nomadland' |work=The New York Times |date=2021-03-06 |access-date=2021-03-06 |archive-date=17 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210317185731/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/06/world/asia/chloe-zhao-nomadland-china.html |url-status=live}} References to Zhao in Chinese media were censored following her Oscar win.{{cite news |last1=Kuo |first1=Lily |title=Chloé Zhao's historic Oscar win is largely censored in China |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/chloe-zhao-oscars-china/2021/04/26/820919fa-a63b-11eb-a8a7-5f45ddcdf364_story.html |access-date=26 April 2021 |date=2021-04-26 |newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-date=26 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426132347/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/chloe-zhao-oscars-china/2021/04/26/820919fa-a63b-11eb-a8a7-5f45ddcdf364_story.html |url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/26/world/asia/china-chloe-zhao-oscars.html|title=China Censors Chloé Zhao's Oscar Win, but Fans Find Ways to Rejoice|work=The New York Times|last1=Qin|first1=Amy|last2=Chang Chien|first2=Amy|date=2021-04-26 |access-date=2021-04-26 |archive-date=30 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430184728/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/26/world/asia/china-chloe-zhao-oscars.html|url-status=live}}

Zhao resides in Ojai, California with her partner and cinematographer Joshua James Richards.{{Cite web|last=Jame|first=Coyle|date=2020-09-13 |title=With quiet humanity, Chloe Zhao's 'Nomadland' makes noise|url=https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-toronto-academy-awards-toronto-international-film-festival-venice-film-festival-dec745d15cf86c7da5f4a6312378a56a|access-date=2020-09-26 |website=Associated Press|archive-date=27 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927033623/https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-toronto-academy-awards-toronto-international-film-festival-venice-film-festival-dec745d15cf86c7da5f4a6312378a56a|url-status=live}} Richards and Zhao met while Zhao was researching for her first feature film Songs My Brother Taught Me and Richards was still a film student at New York University. He was her cinematographer for her next two films and served as camera operator on Eternals.{{Cite web|date=2021-04-25 |first=Alexia|last=Fernández|title=Oscars Date Night! Nomadland Director Chloé Zhao Attends with Film's Nominated Cinematographer Joshua James Richards|url=https://people.com/movies/oscars-2021-nomadland-chloe-zhao-cinematographer-joshua-james-richards/|access-date=2021-12-03|website=people.com|language=en|archive-date=3 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203211104/https://people.com/movies/oscars-2021-nomadland-chloe-zhao-cinematographer-joshua-james-richards/|url-status=live}} In an Elle article, Richards stated that Zhao was "gnarly and extreme", someone he wanted to find at film school.

Feature films

Short films

Commercials

• A Clydesdale's Journey (2022) for Budweiser
• Diablo IV: Saviors Wanted (2023) for Blizzard Entertainment

{{main|List of awards and nominations received by Chloé Zhao}}

Daughters (2010) won First Place Student Live Action Short at the 2010 Palm Springs International Short Fest and Special Jury Prize at the 2010 Cinequest Film Festival. In 2021 Zhao's Nomadland (2020) won the Academy Award for Best Picture and the Academy Award for Best Director. Nomadland (2020) also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Director, the BAFTA Award for Best Direction, the BAFTA Award for Best Film, the Independent Spirit Award for Best Director, the Independent Spirit Award for Best Editing, the Critic's Choice Movie Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and the Critic's Choice Movie Award for Best Director.

In December 2024, Chloé Zhao was included on the BBC's 100 Women list.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/resources/idt-4f79d09b-655a-42f8-82b4-9b2ecebab611|title=BBC 100 Women 2024: Who is on the list this year?|publisher=BBC|date=3 December 2024|accessdate=3 December 2024 |language=}}

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{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/04/30/chloe-zhao-disney-china-the-eternals/|title=Opinion: Chloé Zhao represents the American Dream — and the Chinese Communist Party's nightmare|first=Sonny|last=Bunch|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=2021-04-30 |quote=Plus, she's a Chinese national|access-date=7 September 2021|archive-date=13 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513230700/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/04/30/chloe-zhao-disney-china-the-eternals/|url-status=live}}

{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/06/world/asia/chloe-zhao-nomadland-china.html|title=In China, a Backlash Against the Chinese-Born Director of 'Nomadland'|first1=Amy|last1=Qin|first2=Amy|last2=Chang Chien|date=2021-03-06 |work=The New York Times|url-access=limited|quote=Global Times, a Chinese state-backed nationalist tabloid, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that Disney had said that Ms. Zhao was a Chinese national.|access-date=6 March 2021|archive-date=17 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210317185731/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/06/world/asia/chloe-zhao-nomadland-china.html|url-status=live}}

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Category:1982 births

Category:21st-century Chinese women writers

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Category:Best Directing Academy Award winners

Category:Best Director BAFTA Award winners

Category:Best Director Golden Globe winners

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Category:Filmmakers who won the Best Film BAFTA Award

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Category:High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China alumni

Category:Independent Spirit Award for Best Director winners

Category:Living people

Category:Mount Holyoke College alumni

Category:People from Ojai, California

Category:People's Republic of China emigrants to the United States

Category:Screenwriters from Beijing

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Category:Directors of Best Picture Academy Award winners

Category:Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award