Raina Liwen Yang

Writer/Director

Raina Yang is a Chinese writer and director based in New York and Guangzhou. A recent MFA graduate in Film Directing from Columbia University, her work explores transcultural and collective narratives through close collaborations with diverse communities. Her most recent short film, shot in Newfoundland, Canada, received both the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Production Grant and the PictureNL Film Fund.

Her short films have screened at festivals including the Asian American International Film Festival, New Faces New Voices, and the New York Shorts International Film Festival. She has received support from the Panavision New Filmmaker Program and the NYC Women’s Fund. A 2024 fellow of the Athena Writers Lab, Raina is currently developing her debut feature, Transcender—a near-future sci-fi drama that delves into digital consciousness, identity, and the emotional dimensions of technological afterlife.

In addition to filmmaking, Raina is a nonfiction writer and journalist. Her work is rooted in the resurrection of silenced histories and guided by a deep commitment to community. She holds dual BAs in Cognitive Science and Film from UC Berkeley, where she began weaving her scientific background into lyrical storytelling.

Email: raina.yang@columbia.edu