Writer-Director Tiger Ji Signs With UTA (EXCLUSIVE)
UTA has signed Hong Kong writer-director Tiger Ji for representation in all areas.
Ji first gained recognition at age 19 with his award-winning 2020 short, “Wuhan Driver,” executive produced by Jonathan Sanger (“Vanilla Sky,” “Elephant Man”). It follows a Chinese Uber driver in New York as he struggles to make ends meet at the onset of the pandemic. For the project, Ji was awarded the filmmaker of the future award at the Rhode Island International Film Festival.
His subsequent 2023 project, “Death & Ramen,” starred Bobby Lee (“Borderlands,” “Pineapple Express”) and Matt Jones (“Breaking Bad”). The short premiered at the Palm Springs Shortfest, where it was nominated for best comedy. It follows a ramen chef as he goes on an unintended late night odyssey with the Grim Reaper, sharing a bowl of noodles and discovering what it means to be human.
“Death & Ramen” was picked up by Canal+ for distribution worldwide and racked up more than 1 million views on YouTube in just over a month.
Ji studied at NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where he majored in philosophy and also immersed himself in Russian literature.
He has studied under acclaimed filmmakers Ruben Ostlund (“Triangle of Sadness,” “The Square”) and Lucrecia Martel (“La Ciénaga”). Inspired by Hong Kong cinema, Ji’s films aim to fuse Eastern and Western sensibilities while blending the absurd with the serious.
Ji is based in Los Angeles, where he is currently developing his first feature, an adaptation of “Death & Ramen” with Fit Via Vi (“Oh Canada,” “Reality”).
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