Vanessa started her film career in China while teaching a graduate course on Law and Society at People's University on a grant from the Ford Foundation and completing her PhD at Columbia University. Fluent in Chinese, she's produced multiple films in China: Wang Quanan's The Story of Ermei (115min, Berlin Film Festival, 2004); Chantal Akerman's Tombee de Nuit Sur Shanghai part of an omnibus of films, The State of the World (105 min, 2007); and her own short films China in Three Words (15 min, Palm Springs, Doc NYC 2013); and China Connection: Jerry (5 min, Palm Springs, Doc NYC 2014).
She directed and produced a web series for NYU's US- Asia Law Institute called Law, Life & Asia. Her U.S. producing credits include Zeina Durra's The Imperialists Are Still Alive! (90 min, Sundance, 2010); Joel Schumacher's Twelve (93 min, Sundance, 2010); and the feature documentary William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe by Sarah and Emily Kunstler (85 min, Sundance, 2009).
Civil rights are a common theme of her films including her feature documentary All Eyes and Ears, a definitive look at US-China relations that premiered at film festivals in the spring of 2015. Vanessa is a fellow at the San Francisco Film Society's Film House although she is now based in L.A. Prior to her film career, Vanessa worked on foreign policy issues at the Council on Foreign Relations with Senior Fellow and Director of Asia Studies, Elizabeth Economy. She also worked at the National Committee on US-China Relations.
Tribeca Film
