Golden Zhao (Xinzhong Zhao)
Golden Zhao (Xinzhong Zhao) graduated from the UCLA MFA Cinematography
program and has worked as a director of photography and creative director for over ten years. His work spans areas of narrative films, documentaries, commercials, and music videos in both China and the U.S.
Golden has been awarded seventeen ADDY (American Advertising Awards) gold
awards, twenty silver ADDY awards, and five bronze ADDY awards. He also has got a
Gold Lion Awards, and eleven Telly Awards. Two 30-second spots he directed and
DPed for Coca-Cola and Regal Films, Frozen In Time and Just In Time, have been
screened nationwide (in the US) in 2017 and 2018. The TV show, Seven Days, which he DPed for over 32 episodes, has ranked N0.1 in May 2019, across all Chinese broadcast networks. Golden has been nominated ASC 33rd Heritage Awards for Best
Documentary Cinematography in 2018. Golden has become a judge for the Arts/
Entertainment program of the EMMY Awards (Pacific Southwest competition) in 2020.
Golden's image has been on Coca-Cola cups and popcorn tubs in Regal theaters
nationwide (in the US) in 2019. In the same year, he has been interviewed by the
number one television station in China, CCTV, the top Asian TV station, Phoenix
Television, and some LA local channels.
His DPed narrative projects have been awarded and/or nominated in the New York
Television Festival, Outfest, Atlanta Film Festival, NewFest, LA INDIE Film Festival, the Memphis INDIE Film Festival, the LA International Culture Film Festival, the UCLA
Spotlight Festival, and the student section of the Emmy Awards.
AWARDS/HIGHLIGHTS
• Three Silver Awards Winner, 2021 the Telly Awards
• Silver and Bronze Awards Winner, Cinematography, 2020 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award) - Los Angeles Competition
• Silver and Bronze Awards Winner, Online Commercial, 2020 the Telly Awards
• Three Silver Awards Winner, Cinematography, 2020 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award) - California Competition
• One Gold and Two Silver Awards Winner, Cinematography, 2020 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award) -Los Angeles Competition
• Silver and Bronze Awards Winner, Cinematography, 2019 Telly Awards
• One Gold Award, Cinematography, 2019 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award) - California Competition
• Two Silver Awards, Promotion Video, 2019 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award) - Los Angeles Competition
• One Gold Award, Cinematography, 2019 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award) - Los Angeles Competition
• Three Silver Awards, Promotion Video, 2019 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award) - Los Angeles Competition
• Silver and Bronze Awards Winner, Cinematography, 2018 Telly Awards
• Silver Award, Cinematography, 2018 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award) - National Competition
• Two Gold Awards, Cinematography, 2018 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award) - Los Angeles Competition
• Two Gold Awards, Television, 2018 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award) - Los Angeles Competition
• Four Gold Awards, Television & Cinematography , 2018 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award) -California Competition
• Best of Show, 2018 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award)– Los Angeles Student Competition
• Silver Award, Cinematography , 2018 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award) - California Competition
• Best of Show, 2017 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award)– Los Angeles Competition
• Two Gold Awards, Cinematography, 2017 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award) - Los Angeles Competition
• Gold Award, 2017 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award)– Los Angeles Competition
• Second Place, 2017 Coca-Cola and Regal Films.
• Spotlight Awards, the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television Film Festival, 2017
• Two Silver Awards, 2017 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award)– District 15 Competition
• Nominated, TV Series, 2017 Student Emmy Awards.
• Official Selection, LA INDIE Film Festival, 2017
• Silver Award, 2016 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award)– District 15 Competition
• Two Silver Awards, 2016 the American Advertising Awards (ADDY Award)– Los Angeles Competition
• Official Selection, Memphis INDIE Film Festival, 2016
• Cirque du Soleil Emerging Artists Scholarship, 2016
• Nevada Fellowship, 2016 National Association of Theatre Owners of California
• Official Selection, Los Angeles International Culture Film Festival, 2016
• James Pendleton Foundation Prize, 2015
• Official Selection, 24th Annual UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television Film Festival, 2015
• Craft Editor for Mid-America Student Emmy Award, Mid-America Student Television Award for Excellence, NATAS
Mid-America, 2013
• Grand Prize for National Undergraduate Student Electronic Media Competition, Drama Program, National Broadcast
Society, 2013
• First Place for South Central Regional Conference and Competition, National Broadcast Society, 2012
• Best Special Effects and Editing of the 48 Hours Film Project 2012(Memphis)