is a Los Angeles–based writer-director whose work blends dark comedy and psychological genre storytelling to explore power, identity, and human behavior. She earned her MFA in Film and Television Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where she received the James Bridges and Jack Larson directing scholarships, the Fox Fellowship, and the Irving Lerner Endowment Fund.
Her films have screened at more than 30 festivals worldwide, including the Newport Beach Film Festival, deadCenter Film Festival, RiverRun International Film Festival, Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, Dances With Films, and the Annapolis Film Festival, and have been distributed through ShortsTV, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video. Her commercial short-form work has generated more than 10 million views across digital platforms, and she has directed a documentary series for an NBCUniversal streaming platform. She currently serves as a senior programmer for the Oscar-qualifying Santa Fe International Film Festival.
YALIAN LI

