Ai Wan

Ai Wan is an international awards-winning bilingual actress, writer, and producer. She is fluent in English and Chinese. Ai was born in Shanghai, China, and moved to Los Angeles, California, at a young age. Her grandfather came from a wealthy banking family in China, and he had spent many years in the U.S. after he received Yale Ph.D. before he returned to China. Her father is a symphony composer and a well-respected piano teacher in China. Ai's grandparents raised her since she was born due to her parents' passionate eloped marriage but divorced soon after. After she came to Los Angeles, she went to Southwestern Academy, a private boarding school in San Marino city in L.A.

Ai has started modeling at the age of 16, and soon she became a popular print and commercial model. She was working for many well-established fashion brands worldwide. Ai was also a cover girl for "California Asian Dream Girl" Calendar for five years running, and Playboy has selected her as the front face of "Hip Hop with the global most exotic beauty" (Bikini poster ads and billboards). She has won two titles of Miss Chinese International U.S.A and Miss Talent. Her first acting job was in the Oscar-winning feature film" Death becomes Her," she has played a small part (7 days job) as the ancient beauty of the witch (Isabella Rossellini) alongside Bruce Willis, Goldie Hawn, and Meryl Streep. Ai has also co-starred in a global box office sensation comedy "Rush Hour" with Jakie Chan and Chris Tucker.

Ai has studied with one of the most established acting coach Aaron Speiser's master class (drama & comedy) for five years in Hollywood. She has also learned Morden dance and hip hop for two years at the famous Edge Dance Studio in Hollywood. Ai was in many hit MTV videos with Multi Grammy-winning singers like Melissa Ethridge(Fallen Down), R Kelly(She's got the vibe), Robert Palmer(Addicted to Love remix), Sly&Robbie (Strip to the bone), etc.

In 2008, her first producing debut, "Yasukuni," was nominated at prestigious Sundance in the competition category for world cinema documentary award. It was an official selection of Berlin and Cannes Int'l Film Festival. This controversial feature has won"Best Documentary with a humanitarian award at Hongkong Int'l Film Festival.," AND" Award at Pusan Int'l Film Festival, plus a dozen other essential film awards.

In 2013, Ai produced and starred in a hip Beijing Expat cult comedy feature. "This is Sanlitun" is an official selection of the prestigious TIFF and 2014 Beijing International Film Festival. In 2014, She received the "Creative Wow" achievement award for outstanding women in Beijing.

In 2016, Ai starred in a Chinese thriller feature "Shadows of Plum Flower," it has received five nominations and awards at the U.S. Hollywood International film festival. It includes the "Jury Award"(win) and "Best Foreign Film"(nominated), "Best Cinematography" (nominated). It's the winner of the 2017"Golden Seed Award" for "Best Internet Film" in China. The film has received 20 million hits on Tencent within 45days in China.

In 2016, her first Chinese comedy feature script, "California Sunshine," has won the top ten best screenplays at Beijing Int'l Film Festival out of 674 contest submissions. She is also a co-author of China Best Selling book" The Madness of Appetite." Ai is a popular culture columnist of "Modern Weekly," it has won the most influential publication awards in the country. She is also the playwright of a Chinese language modern farce "EVA."

In 2017, Ai starred in an action-drama feature"My China Doll," this is the first Co Pro of China and Tunisia in the last 50 years. It's an official selection of the Beijing Int'l Film Festival in the "Panorama " category. The film was screened in the same category alongside "The Salesman" (Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film). "My China Doll" was also the opening film for Cairo Int'l Film Festival.

In 2019, she produced and starred in an eye-catching comedy 'Butcher's Guide", it won four awards from the 48HOUR Int'l film competition in Shanghai, China. She has named the production team "Plan C." In 2022, she produced and starred in "Dead Romance", it won eight awards which it includes Best Audience Award, Best Acting Assemble, Best Screenplay, Best Producer (HM)etc from the 48. In 2023, she became the global main panel judge for Filmapalooza in L.A. The winners of the 48 have been officially screened at 2023 Cannes film festival "Short Film Corner".

In June 2020, Ai has starred/wrote/produced a quarantine film"The Way We Are."It's about six friends from six different cities and countries, having one last in-depth and hilarious online chat one day before the proper lift of opening Wuhan. The film has touched many critical social issues around the world. The biggest challenge is that each actor has to shoot the dialogue separately on a different continent but edit it later as one conversation in the story. Ai has been stranded near Budapest, Hungary, from Feb 2020 until Jan 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The film has received twenty awards and nominations in total.

Ai was a Jury Member of the co-production competition program of Beijing International Film Festival, Miss Globe world final competition2018, and Mrs. Globe China Final 2019. In the past years, she is also a mentor acting coach of the Beijing Genre film academy's boot camp. Ai was the host of China International Fashion Week Opening for four years, eight seasons. She has also known as the creator, artistic director, designer for the most groundbreaking and culturally transcendent best designed "ChinaDoll" electro/live music club in Beijing(2005-2010). Mr.Quincy Jones has still held the record of attending for 15 nights straight back in 2008. ChinaDoll has won two dozen awards including "Best Club of the Year".Ai Wan has been called "Renaissance Woman" by China Daily and Beijinger Magazine.