Zheng Xiaosan, the initiator of the Shanghai International Deaf Film Festival and a rising director, studied at Zhengzhou University of Engineering and Technology (Zhongzhou University), and graduated from the Shanghai Theatre Academy. He is fluent in Chinese, as well as various national sign languages including Chinese, English, American, and international sign language. Currently, he serves as a teacher in the Continuing Education Department of Xuhui District Amateur University in Shanghai. His sign language music video "Love Song for Singles" won the Best Art Short Film Award at the British Deaf Film Festival, making him the first deaf director from China to receive this prestigious award. He has also directed the microfilm "Please Give Me a Blue Sky" and worked on video production for projects such as "Chinese Classic Reader (Sign Language Version)" and "Chinese Sign Language Textbook" for the Chinese Sign Language and Deaf Studies Center at Shanghai University, as well as the Museum Sign Language Guide project. Zheng Xiaosan actively promotes the exchange and integration of deaf culture, sign language culture, and mainstream culture. He is the pioneer in the domestic performance market for introducing sign language performances of the musical "The Queen of Boots" in three cities in China, breaking barriers for deaf friends to enter the theater. He has become the first person to host the Deaf International Film Exhibition in mainland China, providing a larger platform for the voice of the deaf in China and enabling more people both at home and abroad to hear the voices of Chinese deaf individuals. Currently, he is the founder of Shanghai Silent Voice Cultural Media Co., Ltd., a social enterprise registered in 2021 at the Baoshan District Science and Technology Park of Shanghai University. The company is primarily led by a deaf team and operates in the film and animation production industry. Through creating videos and media programs with distinctive deaf cultural features, the company promotes deaf culture, advocates for deaf people's cultural rights, and promotes their social inclusion. The company will provide technical support related to film and television to ensure the smooth progress of the film and television section of the 2nd Shanghai International Deaf Film Festival.
Alice is a Shanghai-born deaf visual artist, deaf activist, sign language teacher and sign language interpreter for multi-national sign language, music, video and live performances. Out of her love for art, she moved to Vienna, Austria to study for four years and received a Master of Fine Arts from the Vienna State University of the Arts. She has worked and lived in Austria for more than ten years and has appeared in multiple film and theater performances. She was employed as a DisAbility talent advisor for the development of innovative integration programs and awareness training at the myAbility Social Enterprise Company, She has also served as a theater education instructor for deaf teenagers at the Austrian National Theater, leading a sign language performance workshop for deaf-hearing integration and performed as a sign language interpreter at the Eurovision Song contest. She also volunteers in social media marketing for the World Federation of the Deaf supporting accessibility services for people with disabilities at events such as “Disability Confidence Day” hosted by myAbility Business Forum, the Zero Project Conference; TEDx Vienna; as well as many others. In addition to being an important contributor to accessibility from a practical and symbolic standpoint, She has delivered lectures on deaf awareness and artistic sign language culture, as well as establishing sign language clubs in Shanghai schools, actively promoting sign language learning in hope of building a bridge of communication between the deaf and hearing, so that all aspects of society can accept and understand the deaf community and accelerate the integration of deaf people into modern society. She has recently been invited to be the “Diverse as We Are" - China International Festival of Inclusive Culture 2022 (DAWA) to act as a Deaf Ambassador / Deaf Cultural Accessibility Consultant. Alice uses her international background and multiple sign languages both professionally and, in the community to raise social awareness. Alice clearly contributes to change in our world; she builds bridges, she enhances diversity, and she removes barriers for the benefit of a brighter future.
Jiayi Zhou was born and grew up in Shanghai, China. Art is her first language as she became deaf at an early age. Jiayi graduated with honors from Shanghai Institute of Technology in 2004, receiving an Associate in Arts in Environment Art Design. In 2009, she graduated from Gallaudet University (USA) with honors, receiving a double Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design and Studio Art 2D. She also won the Nippon World Deaf Leadership Scholarship and continued to study a Master’s Program in International Development, with specific focus on art and disability. Jiayi hosted solo exhibitions like “Silent Visions” Solo Art Exhibition (Department of Culture and Education of the German Consulate General Shanghai), “Our Mother Language” Art Exhibition (Jockey Club Creative Arts Center, Hong Kong), “Silent Song” Art Exhibition (VSA Boston, USA), etc. She also participated in group exhibitions such as "Three Generations of Mother and Daughter Virtual Art Exhibition" (Pudong Library, Shanghai), ARTSEED+INTERCONNECTION—USA/China Virtual Art Exhibition by Deaf Artists, China-Korea Youth Art Exchange Exhibition (Seoul, Korea), and “A Vision that Smells of Soap” Art Exhibition (Washington DC, USA). In 2021, Jiayi initiated the "ARTSEED+" project which enables Chinese Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing people to Sense, Exchange, Earn, and Delight (SEED) in art that promotes their cultural development and inclusion, and increase diversified employment opportunities, like a seed of hope that spotlights the capabilities of Deaf people. Zhou Jiayi joined the core team of the Shanghai International Deaf Film Festival as the international coordinator, handling international communication and cooperation matters. They are responsible for establishing connections with foreign deaf film festivals, film production companies, artists, etc., promoting international cooperation and exchange, and promoting the development of deaf film industry.
Shan Renbing is an exceptional deaf artist who lost his hearing at the age of 8 months due to a high fever. However, he never let this challenge affect his positive attitude and confidence in both his personal and professional life. Through the use of hearing aids and mastery of sign language, he embarked on a journey to tell his own story. In the internationally acclaimed film "Love Song for Singles" directed by Zheng Xiaosan, Shan Renbing delivered an outstanding performance in the music sign language version, earning him the Best Art Film award. He also portrayed a young deaf actor in the film "Silent River," which tells the growth story of a young deaf-mute schoolteacher in the silent world of students. Being selected as the first deaf actor by the China National Film Children's Film Studio holds great significance for him. As a member of the China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe, Shan Renbing has been involved in domestic and international performances for the past 11 years, serving as the dance captain. His performances have taken him to over 50 countries across five continents. He was also one of the 21 deaf artists in the highly acclaimed "Thousand-hand Guanyin" performance at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which garnered praise from millions of viewers worldwide. Since 2013, Shan Renbing has been a dancer with the Shanghai Disabled Persons' Federation Art Troupe. It is only natural that he was chosen as our youth development coordinator, as he is passionate, talented, and experienced. As a successful deaf artist, he has transcended various art forms, proving that young deaf artists can achieve their dreams. As the coordinator for youth development and film selection at the Shanghai International Deaf Film Festival, Shan Renbing will play a crucial role as a mentor and guide, which is vital for us. His talent and experience will be at the core of the project, inspiring the younger generation of deaf artists to pursue their dreams. Through watching and evaluating the submitted films, he will ensure the selection of works that align with the festival's theme and quality standards, providing support for the successful screening of the festival.
received his bachelor’s degree from Fudan University and a dual master’s degree from University of Heidelberg in Germany in German and Chinese Language and Culture. A linguist and cultural specialist, as well as an author and artist, he has worked at the Central Translation Bureau and taught at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing as well as Long Island University and the National Health Service in London. No stranger to filmmaking, he has worked as an extra artist on numerous major studio productions, including the James Bond and Star Wars franchises. For the past two years, Zhao Xiaojun has been a visiting scholar and foreign expert at the Shanghai Open University Institute of International Exchange where he has developed ‘Coding Chinese’, an innovative theoretical and practical pedagogical approach to teaching Chinese characters to non-Chinese speakers. Coding Chinese will feature prominently in SOU’s “One Belt One Road” Open Learning and the Construction of a Learning City program. Zhao Xiaojun has recently registered Qian Tao, a company to develop and promote artistic and cultural exchange of ideas and experiences between Chinese and non-Chinese people. He is currently collaborating with Zheng Xiaosan on producing an animated series of short stories based on his original paper-cut art that will rely on visual storytelling so as to be easily accessible to both deaf and hearing audiences. As Academic and Artistic Coordinator, Zhao Xiaojun will make sure SHIDFF collaborates well with our academic partners and stakeholders, offers top-quality filmmaking skills workshops and professional exchanges, and that the festival shines brightly on the Shanghai artistic landscape.
Zheng Lingyuan, graduated from Shanghai Theatre Academy in 2017. Specializing in anime creation, he has eight years of experience working with renowned brands in the industry, designing cultural creative products, stage art, visual identity, and post-production visual effects for film and television. His notable works include "Single Love Song," the animated film "Life," the promotional video "dawa," as well as the opening sequences for "The Site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China Memorial Hall," "History Museum," and "Shanghai University Museum."
Ying Xuebing, a graduate of Shanghai Theatre Academy, currently resides and works in Shanghai. He is a designer and avid cyclist. He showcased his design skills during the media operations of the 2018 1st Shanghai International Deaf Film Festival and was responsible for media operations in the second edition as well. Specializing in visual design, brand design, and creative application design, his notable works include the microfilm "Please Give Me a Piece of Blue Sky" and the "Chinese Classics Reader (Sign Language Edition)" by Shanghai University's Chinese Sign Language and Deaf Research Center.