Juefang Zhang

Source: Zhe Chen

Juefang Zhang

LA-based finance, production and sales company EST Studios has hired veteran creative and production executive Juefang Zhang as head of film and TV.

Co-founders Jaeson Ma and Eric Tu recently launched their company to specialise in championing Asian premium film and episodic content made for the global marketplace.

They plan to build a slate of 15 projects to finance, produce and sell at the major markets. Executives are scouring the EFM for potential Asian-related sales projects and the goal is to announce the first project at the market.

Based in Los Angeles and reporting to the co-founders, Zhang will oversee development and distribution to support local Asian and Asian diaspora content and talent.

She was involved in bringing together Maika, the Vietnamese fantasy film which premiered at Sundance last month. Prior to EST Studios she specialised in Asian-US co-productions and international productions. She worked with Jackie Chan on The Diary and co-produced 2020 Hot Docs premiere Wuhan Wuhan with Donna Gigliotti and Diane Quon.

Zhang also spearheaded the Sundance Institute | Stars Collective Granting Fund, a diversity fund to promote BIPOC filmmakers.