Representation in Hollywood is an ongoing effort and concern, so it's important to recognize talent from around the world, which is why we took a closer look at some of the finest AAPI directors in Hollywood today. Some are new to the scene, while others have been churning out awards-caliber features for decades.
“I would say one of the biggest barriers for me growing up was the fact that people didn’t think Hollywood was a place for an Asian-American director,” Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu once told CNBC. "There were Asian directors from other places, but an Asian-American director, the voice of that, who we are and what we have to say, I think, wasn’t quite there yet.”
2023 saw some great films from filmmakers of Asian descent, including South Korean director Celine Song's Past Lives, Malaysian filmmaker Adele Lim's Joy Ride, and both Randall Park and Peter Sohn are American sons of Korean immigrants whose films Shortcomings and Elemental, respectively, have generated positive reviews from critics and audiences. Several of the Best Director winners at the Oscars have been of Asian descent in recent years, so let's take a closer look at some of the finest filmmakers in Hollywood today.
Update February 4, 2024: This article has been updated with even more great films by Asian filmmakers and some of their upcoming projects.
Wong Kar-wai (Chungking Express, In The Mood For Love)
Known for his emotional, dreamlike films with colors that come straight out of a setting sun and a score that is as mesmerizing as it is haunting, Wong Kar-wai burst onto the scene in the 90s with movies like Days of Being Wild and Chungking Express. Both of these movies explore themes of yearning and loneliness and are set in Hong Kong against beautiful backdrops. His masterpiece, however, is In the Mood for Love, which arrived in the year 2000, along with the director’s widespread recognition for creating an atmosphere of intimacy and romance on screen like a true artist.
Even though he has recently pushed his romantic style into new realms like wuxia films with the iconic Tony Leung, it goes without saying that his soothing representation of transitional relationships and fleeting moments of human desire is what makes him stand out. His movies make you feel as much as they make you see, with images often conveyed through long gazes and chance encounters. An excerpt from his 1995 interview with the British Film Institute, where he talks about the origins of Chungking Express, reads: “As a writer-director, I have many ideas for films that never get developed. You’re sitting in a coffee shop, and an idea comes up, but there’s no time to take it further. It might just be a gut feeling, it can easily evaporate. Anyhow, Chungking Express was based on two ideas that came to me like that.”
Hong Sang-soo (The Woman Who Ran, On the Beach at Night Alone)
Women and rivers are a staple in his films. Hong Sang-soo is a South Korean film director whose idea of telling simple and deceptively grounded stories gives his films a distinct, fly-on-the-wall quality. Often using the backdrop of cafes, hotels, and in the stairwells of apartment buildings, he believes that repetition is a key theme as domestic characters, much like us ordinary folk, encounter similar environments day after day and find new insights. Having debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004 with his fifth feature, Woman is the Future of Man, Sang-soo’s other renowned credits include Right Now, Wrong Then, The Woman Who Ran, and In Front of Your Face.
Hong has a genuinely moving gift for finding profundity in lowkey daily moments. His slice-of-life movies, while light in tone, leave lasting impressions on the viewer. What is interesting is that his illuminating vision is shared by the actors he works with, to whom he gives creative freedom to disappear into their roles and interpret the dialogue and setting on their own. To Mubi, before the premiere of On the Beach at Night Alone, he said, “As long as they are faithful to the dialogue I gave them, each take is their own. They are free to interpret the dialogue. I try to give them a minimum amount of instruction. Each take is very different, usually. Each take is a small universe. So when they finish [a great take] I don’t even want to talk about it. They do these small things. There are miracles.”
Lee Chang-dong (Secret Sunshine, Burning)
A director, screenwriter, and novelist, Lee Chang-dong has a total of six feature films under his belt. He first gained prominence in the industry with the 2000 feature Peppermint Candy, a multi-layered memory piece. It not only established his talent for blending genres but also made cinephiles interested in more of his work. Seven years later, the devastating Secret Sunshine, which investigated themes of faith, trauma, loss, and community, earned him the award for Best Director at the 2nd Asian Film Awards. From there on, the road to success and insightful storytelling was a brighter one.
Another one of Chang-dong’s masterworks is 2018’s Burning, which is an adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s story. Its haunting story examines the duality of human nature and the social dynamics that make us synonymous. He tells The Hollywood Reporter about shooting the iconic ‘dance of the Great Hunger’ scene in the film, and says, “I thought that through this scene I could portray and combine all of these elements together in the most cinematic way possible, so that the audience can really feel the potential of cinema as a medium and the unique aesthetics of cinema.” That said, for his sensitive and unforgettable portraits, Lee is unparalleled.
Akira Kurosawa (Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Ikiru)
With a career spanning over five decades, Akira Kurosawa has become something of a legend of world cinema. He was first a painter, then an assistant director, and a scriptwriter, making his debut as a director in 1943 during the Second World War. He has crafted suspenseful dramas like Rashomon and sincere melodramas like Ikiru. Classics like Seven Samurai and Yojimbo are considered pioneers of visually symmetric set pieces and creative action sequences. His later projects brought deeper reflections of the human condition, and even though the line between reality and illusion was thin for his protagonists, the result was fascinating.
Kurosawa has always had profound insights on life, and no matter the genre, he has imbued every frame with layers of meaning and musings. He said to Cinema & Beyond in 1998 that “When there is talk of humanity in Japan, everyone thinks of complex subjects and stories. However, whatever an ordinary human feels, I try to project on the screen in an honest way. That’s all.” Never creating films as means of entertainment, Kurosawa encourages his viewers to examine truth, human nature, society, and darker realities with patience and grace.
S.S. Rajamouli (Baahubali films, RRR)
At the forefront of India’s new wave of entertainers is S.S. Rajamouli. Recipient of various national and international accolades, including a New York Film Critics Circle award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award, and four National Film Awards, he is known for infusing epic spectacles and spell-binding action into an already compelling, emotionally-driven story. While early success came from films like Eega in 2012, it was the Baahubali films that broke records as the highest-grossing Indian movies of all time.
With his films, Rajamouli raises the bar for every aspect of filmmaking – from glorious set designs to heartbreaking character arcs. Rajamouli’s subsequent film RRR also dazzled at the box office. The film gave birth to “Naatu Naatu,” which became the first Indian song to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song. For Rajamouli, a film’s commercial success is the most important. When discussing the topic with BFI, he reveals his adoration for animated classics like Aladdin and The Lion King and says, “As an audience, by the time you come to an image, you are already rooting for it. You want it, you need it, and you’re ready to accept anything that’s being thrown at you. Keeping the audience in that state of mind is as important as getting a great image.” For expanding Indian cinema’s global reach, S.S. Rajamouli sure deserves a shout-out.
Chloé Zhao (Eternals, Nomadland)
In 2021, Chinese filmmaker Chloé Zhao made history, becoming the second woman and the first woman of color to win the Academy Award for Best Director for Nomadland, beating out big names like David Fincher. She also won Best Picture for the same film. Following up on an impressive Marvel debut (Eternals), she is now developing a new film, Hamnet, based on William Shakespeare's son who died at the age of eleven. Zhao is a force to be reckoned with.
Zhao was born in Beijing in 1982 And was drawn to influences from pop culture in the Western world. She drew Manga comics and even wrote fan fiction. Even as a teen, Zhao was developing what would become her signature way of telling stories. "I’m not the kind of filmmaker who just makes films,” Zhao once told IndieWire. "I have to be in love with my subject matter and want to learn more about it. Someone once said to me that passion doesn’t sustain, but curiosity does. I have to be excited by little things I discover along the way."
Hirokazu Kore-eda (Broker, Monster)
If there is one specific topic that surfaces throughout the entire career of the widely successful Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, then it is the topic of family. While the constellation within the family looks different in almost every of the director's movies, the familial connection between a group of people is always at the heart of it. Hirokazu highlights human interaction, especially within a family with numerous layers.
His 2022 film Broker centers around the same theme, gaining recognition due to its successful storyline, captivating visuals, and predominantly South Korean cast. His upcoming movie Monster will tackle similar issues, while diving even deeper into the difficulties of motherhood, odd behaviors of a child, and a thrilling load of unexpected events. Kore-eda's attention to detail continuously surfaces, but he still leaves room for an individual interpretation. In an interview with Medium he explained that "I have made films that cut out and depicted everyday life and left the rest of the story to the viewer’s imagination. I believe that a film needs to have both the richness to expand the story horizontally and the skill to advance it vertically, subtly intertwining the two."
Bong Joon-ho (Parasite, Okja, Snowpiercer)
Parasite was the first non-English language film to win the Oscar for Best Picture, but Bong Joon-ho's impressive filmography dates back to the early 2000s. With some of the films that made him a name in South Korea to his American films starring some of Hollywood's best, Joon-ho has proven that he can try his hand in several genres like sci-fi, murder mystery, and post-apocalyptic. Born in South Korea in 1969, he has changed cinema in the entire Western Hemisphere and effectively became one of the most talked about directors in the U.S. as well.
"As someone who is a part of mankind, as a person, it’s quite fearful to watch the hate crimes against Asian-Americans and the BLM movement,” Joon-ho told Deadline in 2021. “I do think about what the film industry can do at this time. With films, creating a film takes a lot of time and a lot of money; it’s a big unit that can’t really respond quickly to issues that are currently happening in society.” Fans are eagerly awaiting his next film, Mickey-17, which was delayed from its March 2024 release date with the hope of a later release date to potentially have an Oscar run.
Ann Hui (Boat People, A Simple Life)
Ann Hui is a director from Hong Kong who, as opposed to many others, stands out due to the longevity of her successful career. While there are many people all around the world who work in the same field as Hui, only a small number can present directorial experiences dating back more than 40 years. Ann Hui has repeatedly proven that she has the skills to deliver spectacular films, and it seems as though she is dedicated to continuing to follow her passion. Films such as Boat People or A Simple Life left a positive impact on her career.
Unlike other directors, however, Ann Hui has a more straightforward approach when it comes to filmmaking. Instead of adapting the entire project to her own vision, she heavily relies on the script and what fits the structure of it. In 2021, Hui told Cinema Escapist "I think it is very important to let your story dictate structure. I consider structure to be even more important than how you shoot your film. If you get your structure right, you can design your camera and lighting accordingly."
Justin Lin (Star Trek Beyond, Fast & Furious 6)
Starting off strong with a series of smaller indie efforts, Justin Lin has become one of Hollywood’s most successful producers and directors. Along with his involvement with the Fast & Furious franchise, Lin also produced the third season of HBO Max’s Warrior, based on a story by Bruce Lee, and he also directed the pilot and exec produced NBC’s The Endgame. Although Lin dropped out of directing Fast X, we remain excited to see where else he'll bring his talents in the near future.
"I think as a film fan, I always think that diversity in stories, we all benefit as a world, right?" Lin once told Looper. "To be able to share these points of view and journeys that we're not privy to in real life. I think we all benefit from that."
Ang Lee (Life of Pi, Brokeback Mountain)
Ever since Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Ang Lee has been a force of nature in Hollywood. He's known for being very selective with his projects and is always exploring new filmmaking methods. With his film Gemini Man, he explored the de-aging style of special effects, for example. Born in southern Taiwan to a family focused on education, Lee was interested in drama and art from a very young age. He earned an MFA in film production at NYU, and his thesis film caught the attention of the William Morris Agency. His career ultimately took off, and he won Best Director. at the Academy Awards twice, first for Brokeback Mountain and then for Life of Pi.
"I’m turning senior citizen soon," Lee once told The Guardian upon the release of Gemini Man. "It’s hard to keep that creativity going. Energy and stamina and freshness relate to youth. I use the material to force me in new directions. My first thought when I saw this technology was: ‘I wish I was 20 years younger.’ I know I’m gonna get beat up. But I have to keep trying. I’m carrying a torch for the next level of filmmakers."
Naomi Kawase (The Mourning Forest, Sweet Bean)
Naomi Kawase is one of Japan's few female directors who have gained international recognition and has made herself a name with incredibly touching and relatable documentaries. Using her own family constellation and tragic events in her life as a foundation, Kawase turns her life's circumstances into moving documentaries. Kawase's approach to directing movies is essentially based on creating emotions through different means.
In an interview with Film Comment at the end of 2018, Kawase said, "Very subtle changes, such as light, convey mood, reflect a person’s state or memory, which you would not see otherwise. I convey feelings via these visual means." Looking at her past projects, it becomes clear that allowing for a deep emotional connection is of utmost importance to the director, and she always makes an effort to include her personal feelings as well.
James Wan (The Conjuring, Saw)
From the Saw franchise to Insidious, James Wan is an undisputed horror legend who is responsible for directing some of the most beloved blockbusters of our time. After the success of Saw, Wan would go on to achieve another horror franchise success when he turned the real-life story of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren into The Conjuring, which spawned his impressive sequel along with other installments and spinoffs. He's also known for his work Aquaman and Furious 7, showing his impressive range with a variety of genres.
"Over the last ten years between the Insidious films and the Conjuring films, I've become known as the supernatural ghost guy who comes up with these jump scares," Wan told Collider upon the release of his recent film Malignant. "I'm not a fan of repeating myself or at least not repeating this often, and I just felt like it was time for me to do something a bit different again and really kind of harken back to the harder-hitting horror films that I broke out with. And really to let the hardcore horror fans out there know that, hey, I haven't forgotten about them." Wan's latest film, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opened in theaters on December 2023.
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, Saving Face)
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has made it a point to use her many interests and talents, reaching from activism to filmmaking, and combine them all into outstanding movies. Particularly, the documentary A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness crystallizes the director's most important message, which is the topic of inequality. Obaid-Chinoy's masterpiece, which even won an Oscar as well as an Emmy for Best Documentary in 2016 and 2017, respectively, highlights the horrendous injustice that women in Pakistan have to face and undoubtedly leaves a lasting impression with its viewers. The content of the documentary was so moving that it even ignited a change of law in the aforementioned country regarding honor killings.
In an interview with The Guardian in 2016, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy said that, in Pakistan, "more and more women know their rights because of how interconnected they are; they’re no longer isolated." She then continued by stating, "I like to talk about the things that people don’t like to talk about. I like to have the difficult conversations. I want people to feel uncomfortable about issues." Her words show how her passion and strong beliefs drive her not only in her job as an activist but also as a director, and there is no doubt that she has a lot more to say in the future. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is about to break out in a big way, as she already directed for the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel and will also direct the upcoming Star Wars film focused on Rey following The Rise of Skywalker.
Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro)
Even though the film industry is subject to constant changes, shifts of interest, and increasing expectations, Studio Ghibli co-founder and director Hayao Miyazaki succeeds in keeping the original ingredient of his elixir. He draws his inspiration from tapping into a feeling of nostalgia, the ancient Japanese culture, and the nature of the past, while still hitting the nerve of the time with an impressive ease. Above anything else, he carries his pencils like a vital addition to his being. The acclaimed director stands out with his utter dedication to his craft, predominantly creating the frames for his movies himself and revealing his outstanding drawing skills. Every yet so tiny detail in Miyazaki's masterpieces matters, highlighting the thoughtfulness the director pours into his drafts. Especially with his love for creating female heroines, Miyazaki has managed to positively influence his audience, avoiding the use of clichés and much rather allowing for his characters to shine due to their own abilities.
In 2021, Hayao Miyazaki told The New York Times Style Magazine that his intention behind bringing his movies and its characters to life is to "comfort you - to fill in the gap that might be in your heart or your everyday life". His latest film, The Boy and the Heron became a box office hit and is now nominated for Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards. Tackling the complexity of human emotions, past trauma, and a way to move on, the magical ease of Miyazaki's and Studio Ghibli's trademark still permeates.