Karen Cho

Karen Cho is a Chinese-Canadian documentary filmmaker based in Montreal, Quebec. Her socio-political films focus on Chinese-Canadian history, feminism, refugee rights, and the fight against gentrification of Chinatowns across North America. Her credits include the 2004 National Film Board of Canada (NFB) documentary In The Shadow Of Gold Mountain, documenting the effects of the Chinese Exclusion Act in Canada; the 2009 InformAction documentary Seeking Refuge; and the 2012 NFB documentary Status Quo? The Unfinished Business of Feminism in Canada, which was named best documentary at the Whistler Film Festival. Many of her films are political, featuring themes such as feminism and racism.

Early life and education Karen Cho is an anglophone fifth-generation Chinese Canadian.

After immigrating to Canada from China over a century ago, While Cho herself did not live amongst these communities in her youth, she connected with them through her grandmother, who would take her on trips to the Montreal and Vancouver Chinatowns.

Personal life The progressive political views of Cho's films can also be seen in her personal life. For instance, it was through her research for her documentary Status Quo? that Cho decided to redefine herself as a feminist. Cho has also been involved in activism outside of her filmmaking. By participating in a working group against the urban development of Montreal's Chinatown, she advocated for preserving Montreal's Chinatown's cultural and historical significance, as well as the importance of not displacing its community members. Status Quo? The Unfinished Business of Feminism in Canada (2012, NFB) won Best Documentary at the 2012 Whistler Film Festival.

After graduating from the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, Cho made her first documentary, In The Shadow Of Gold Mountain (2004) at the National Film Board of Canada via a program for emerging filmmakers of colour. The Vancouver and Montreal Chinatowns featured in this documentary were key settings and communities in Cho’s earlier film, In the Shadow of Gold Mountain. 2009 – Gemini Awards – Nomination for Best Documentary (Seeking Refuge) 2012 – Whistler Film Festival – Best Documentary (Status Quo? The Unfinished Business of Feminism in Canada) 2024 – Chinatown Film Festival – Best Documentary (Big Fight in Little Chinatown)