LAST DAY IN THE NORTH
China, United States, 19 mins, Digital
Two young men, longtime collaborators in work and life, spend their last day together photographing a wedding. As the day unfolds, the feelings they’ve never named begin to surface.
Director: Tonghuan Zhao
Writer: Tonghuan Zhao
Producer: Summer Xueyang Li
Director of Photography: Da Zhang
Editor: Tonghuan Zhao
Production Designer: Qiuyi Li
Cast: Zefan, Zhong Wang
Contact: Tonghuan Zhao, tz2509@columbia.edu
Program D
Saturday, May 16, 7 PM
About the Writer/Director
Tonghuan Zhao is a Chinese writer-director and cinematographer based in New York City. He studied documentary photography during his undergraduate years and received his MFA in Film Directing from Columbia University. His recent short film Last Day in the North received the Indian Paintbrush Grant. His feature debut as a cinematographer, Jet Lag in Summer, premiered at the 9th Pingyao International Film Festival.
About the Producer
Xueyang holds a master’s from NYU School of Engineering and an MFA in Creative Producing from Columbia University. With experience in Shanghai’s stock research market, she brings a global perspective to film production. Her producing projects have received MFA Production Grants, the 2024 Emerging Filmmakers Grant, the 2024 & 2025 Katharina Otto-Bernstein R&D Prize, selections at Hollywood ShortFest and First International Film Festival, her co-producing work won the 2025 Student Academy Award, among other honors.
