Chloé Zhao (born Zhào Ting on March 31, 1982 in Beijing, China) is a writer-director who has worked mainly in American independent cinema. Zhao spent her early life in Beijing, attended high school in London, and went on to study political science at Mount Holyoke College in the United States. After graduating, she went on to study filmmaking at New York University’s Graduate Film Program. Her feature film debut “Songs My Brothers Taught Me” (2015) was nominated for the Golden Camera Award at Cannes, the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, and an Independent Spirit Award. Her second feature “The Rider” (2017) premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Art Cinema Award. Her third feature “Nomadland” (2020) won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and went on to win Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress at the 93rd Academy Awards.