The Lions of Chinatown follows Sara Lai, a young woman who has been training for five years to become an official member of Hung Ching, The Chinese Freemasons, New York City Chinatown’s most notorious lion dance crew. She is determined to change the face of lion dancing by becoming one of only a few women to play the lion head, a traditionally male role in Chinese culture.

As Chen explains, the project is as much about the importance of keeping cultural traditions alive as it is the changes that need to happen within the culture in order to do that.

Delivered. deals with the experience of delivery workers, many of whom are immigrants, who work a very frontline job. Interviewees speak poignantly about the risks, importance, and invisible struggles of delivery people as they continue to work during the pandemic. Both shorts are excellent pieces which capture realistic, human endeavors during difficult times.

Mask of the Zodiac. Legend has it, the Jade Emperor called upon the twelve Zodiac animals to race across China and deliver a message. Filmmaker Law Chen created a bold, modern interpretation of this story in a Chinese New Year campaign for ICBC, but subsequently released it as a reminder to wear masks to protect our safety.