Helena Yingna Wu

Helena is a dedicated filmmaker with an adventurous spirit. She has filming experiences across China, Africa, and America. She’s affiliated with the Alliance of Women Directors (AWD) based in Los Angeles.  

Born and raised in a small town in China, Helena was a tomboy who enjoyed climbing trees, swimming in rivers, and defending justice. She graduated with an MA degree in English literature from Beijing Foreign Studies University. She worked for China Global TV Network as a documentary director and producer for over a decade.  

Helena directed 15 documentaries across China on its people and social changes. She was based in Nairobi, Kenya between 2012 and 2019. In 2015, she directed “ When Chinese Meet Zambians” garnering 2.9 million hits on YouTube. The film was featured in PBS SoCal’s “Global Mosaic” series. In 2019, she directed “ The Island ” on Zanzibar, winning “Best Medium Documentary” at the Heritales Film Festival in Portugal.

While based in Africa, Helena was also the showrunner and producer for a documentary series called “Faces of Africa”, spanning 200 episodes across 30 countries. The series was a Silver Winner at The Telly Awards in 2018 and was recognized by global organizations including UNESCO.  

In 2023, Helena graduated with an MFA degree in film from ArtCenter College of Design. She has expanded into narrative filmmaking. Her psychological short film “The Counseling” was a winner at the IndieFest Film Awards and a finalist at the Independent Shorts Awards.