Mona Mengnan Chu is a Chinese-born writer, director, and producer based in New York. She began her career in journalism at the age of 18, working as a political journalist and editor at China Central Television. She later joined Financial Times columnist Xu Danei (Asian SOPA Awards winner and CEO of Newrank) as an editor for political commentary. After that, Mona decided to get into the entertainment industry.

 

She spent five years as a creative executive, writer, and director at Hunan TV, one of China’s most influential television studios. There, she helped develop 13 reality shows and wrote, directed 97 episodes for streamers such as Mango TV, iQIYI, and Tencent TV. Mona created China's first observational reality show centered on the lives of single women. Collectively, her shows have garnered over 22 billion views and have received 21 awards across China and abroad. In 2018, her team received the Chinese Television Media Award for Best Television Production Team, presented by the China National Radio and Television Administration.

 

Mona also created China’s first automobile-themed televised concert, collaborating with acclaimed creatives such as Kim Gavin (Creative Director of the 2012 London Olympic Closing Ceremony and Adele Munich 2024) and Heather Shaw (Set Designer for Coachella Quasar 2024 and MTV VMAs 2022). She served as the head creative producer and director for the 2019-2020 Hunan TV New Year's Eve Concert, working alongside the Eurovision Song Contest creative team, Black Skull Creative, and award-winning lighting designer Tom Sutherland (BRIT Awards 2025-2023, MTV VMAs). Mona has also directed and produced music shows for top Asian artists including Jackson Wang, JJ Lin, and Hebe Tien.

 

Mona later moved to New York to explore the world of independent film. She has worked with The Population, a New York-based production company co-founded by Oscar winner Mollye Asher, Mynette Louie, and Derek Nguyen, as well as Film Constellation in France. She holds an MA in International Journalism and Communication from the Communication University of China and an MFA in Film from Columbia University. She is also an alumna of the La Fémis Producing Atelier.

 

Mona is drawn to stories that capture the nuanced emotions and inner lives of underrepresented communities. She believes storytelling through film has the power to foster empathy and create meaningful change. Most recently, a film she produced was selected for the 76th Cannes Film Festival and the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival.