Ma Xue is an international filmmaker and producer whose work connects Asia, Europe, and North America.

She is based in Boston and works across the United States, China, and South Korea.

Over nearly two decades in cinema and media, she has developed a career that spans commercial film production as well as independent auteur filmmaking. Her work focuses on cross‑cultural storytelling and international film collaboration.

In 2016, she became the only Chinese recipient of the Korean Wave Award, presented by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of South Korea.

Commercial Production

Prior to becoming a director, Ma worked extensively as a commercial film producer and executive producer, contributing to major Chinese studio productions including The Thousand Faces of Dunjia (Qi Men Dun Jia), Explosion (Yin Bao Zhe), Sheep Without a Shepherd (Wu Sha), and Detective Chinatown 3 (Tang Ren Jie Tan An 3). These films collectively achieved significant commercial success, with her production portfolio grossing over RMB 6.3 billion (approximately USD 880 million) at the box office.

In parallel, she also produced television projects such as Psychologist (Nv Xin Li Shi) and Dear Life (Qin Ai De Sheng Ming), further establishing her position within the industry before transitioning toward independent auteur filmmaking.

Auteur Filmmaking

After years of working within large-scale commercial productions, Ma turned to directing in order to pursue more personal stories—films centered on female subjectivity, desire, emotional isolation, and the tensions between intimacy and social expectation.

Her debut feature film White River (2023) premiered in the Bright Future section of the International Film Festival Rotterdam and has since been distributed internationally across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Her second feature, Sonata of Wave (2024), had its world premiere at the Jeonju International Film Festival and was theatrically released in mainland China in May 2024. It has also received multiple awards, including Best Film and Best Cinematography at the Buenos Aires International Film Festival and Best Director from the LA Independent Women Film Awards.

Her current film project Wilde’s Room is an international co‑production between France and South Korea.

Producing & Executive Producing

In parallel with her directorial work, she also remains actively involved in auteur filmmaking as a producer and executive producer. She served as executive producer on Zhang Tao’s Against the Flow, which had its world premiere in the International Narrative Competition at the Tribeca Festival, following its selection for Cannes Cinéfondation L’Atelier and the Venice Gap-Financing Market.

She also served as the executive producer and producer of the short film Last Train, Weihao Xu’s directorial debut which was selected for the Golden Goblet Short Film Competition in the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival.

International Production Network
Ma is also the founder of an international production network including:

• Nowa Films – North America

• Dreama Pictures – China

• Yilu Partners – South Korea

Through these companies she develops international co‑productions and collaborates with filmmakers, studios, and cultural institutions worldwide.

Selected Publications

Ma Xue, Click Korea (Dianji Hanguo), Democracy and Construction Press, 2002

ISBN: 9787801124036

In parallel with her work in cinema, Ma Xue has also explored cross-cultural perspectives through writing. Her book Click Korea (Dianji Hanguo), published in 2002, reflects an early engagement with Korean society and cultural observation.