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Untitled Mistress Dispeller Project

Synopsis

Wang Zhenxi works as a “mistress dispeller” in China, hired to maintain the bounds of marriage — and break up affairs — by any means necessary. UNTITLED MISTRESS DISPELLER PROJECT follows Ms. Wang and her lovelorn clients, shifting our sympathies among husband, wife, and mistress while offering intimate access to private lives usually hidden behind closed doors. The film offers a universal story of love, heartbreak, and the search for connection, as well as an exploration of the ways class, capital, and cultural norms shape romantic relationships in contemporary China.

The Filmmakers

Elizabeth Lo Director/Producer

Elizabeth Lo is an award-winning filmmaker who is interested in finding new aesthetic ways of exploring the boundaries between species, class, and unequal states of personhood. Her work has been broadcast and showcased internationally, including at Sundance, the Museum of Modern Art, SXSW, IDFA, Tribeca, True/False, New York Times Op-Docs, Field of Vision, and PBS’ POV. Elizabeth has been featured in Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film,” DOC NYC’s "40 Under 40" List, and Cannes Lions’ New Directors Showcase, and has been selected for the Locarno Film Festival and New York Film Festival artist academies. Her debut feature, STRAY, won numerous awards around the world, including Best International Feature at Hot Docs and nominations from the Independent Spirit Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards, and Cinema Eye Honors after premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2020. STRAY, a New York Times "Critic's Pick," was released theatrically by Magnolia Pictures in 2021, and is now streaming on Hulu. Elizabeth’s award-winning short films — including “Hotel 22,” “Bisonhead,” “Mother’s Day,” “The Disclosure President,” “Last Stop in Santa Rosa,” “Treasure Island,” and “Notes from Buena Vista” — have been globally released to educational institutions and libraries. Elizabeth was born and raised in Hong Kong and holds a BFA from NYU Tisch and an MFA from Stanford University. She is currently a Concordia Studio Fellow.

Emma D. Miller Producer

Emma D. Miller is a filmmaker and creative consultant based in Los Angeles. She recently produced Iliana Sosa’s documentary feature WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND, which won two Special Jury Awards at SXSW 2022 and screened at Full Frame, Camden, Morelia, and the Museum of the Moving Image. The film was nominated for a Gotham Award for Best Documentary, named a New York Times “Critic’s Pick," and released theatrically and on Netflix by Ava Duvernay’s ARRAY Releasing. In her role as development executive for nonfiction at Concordia Studio, Emma worked on Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning projects that premiered at Sundance, Tribeca, and Telluride, including TIME (Amazon Studios), BOYS STATE (Apple TV+/A24), HOMEROOM (Hulu), PROCESSION (Netflix), and BITTERBRUSH (Magnolia Pictures). She served as the casting associate for the first season of the acclaimed Showtime series COUPLES THERAPY, and was associate producer of the short documentary KNIFE SKILLS, which was acquired by The New Yorker and nominated for an Academy Award. She was also associate producer of the Sundance award-winning, Emmy-nominated feature documentary UNREST (Independent Lens / Netflix). Emma was named one of DOC NYC’s “40 Under 40” in 2022.

Maggie Li Producer

Maggie Li is a Shanghai-based producer, simultaneous interpreter, and chief editor for bilingual business magazine VALUE INDEX CHINA. She served as co-producer on Jessica Kingdon’s 2022 Oscar-nominated documentary ASCENSION登楼叹 (2021), which won Best Documentary at Tribeca in 2022. Maggie also served as the producer and associate director for NBA China’s short documentary BASKETBALL LOVE (2021). Her other producing work includes THE POWER OF CONVERSATION for the United Nations (2020), THE ART OF CHINESE PLACEMAKING and THE GREAT MOBILITY RESET for BODW (2021), and ZHANGJIANG GUY for South China Morning Post (2021). Maggie has worked as a project-based producer for media companies including the BBC, PBS, Reuters, National Geographic, CNBC, Discovery Network Asia, VPRO, Business Week, and CICC. She has also produced commercial work for clients including Deloitte, Bain&Co, Colliers, J.P. Morgan, Bunzl, SKII, and Dior. She is currently producing Jessica Kingdon’s new feature documentary UNTITLED ANIMAL PROJECT.