Mel Sangyi Zhao is a Chinese director based in the US. Her work explores the complexity of female sexuality/identity, along with the nuance of consent and representation. Her short, “Return to Youth,” received an Honourable Mention for Best International Short at the Oscar-qualifying Kortfilmfestivalen and screened at prestigious international festivals. The film is selected in the Gotham/Focus Features/JetBlue Short Film Student Showcase. Moreover, her short film “Facing the Sea in Spring Blossom” was screened at the San Diego Asian Film Festival. Mel worked as Creative Producer for Beck and Stafford Collins’ feature, “Red Night” (2023). Currently, she teaches at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and develops her first feature. Previously, Mel studied at Université Paris Sorbonne-Nouvelle and Université Paris 8 before earning an MFA in Film Directing from California Institute of the Arts. She is a Gotham EDU alum and a BAFTA Newcomer Fellow.