- Born
- J.J. Cheng (also known as Phoenixa Cheng) is an award-winning China-born Chinese American author and filmmaker, best known for her novel PHOENIXA: The Nest, recipient of the Literary Titan Gold Book Award (2026) and a Somerset Book Award Semi-Finalist (2025). She is the creator of the PHOENIXA Saga, a mythic literary work rooted in Chinese cosmology and a quest for peace, blending mystical realism, history, and metaphysical inquiry. Her flagship work, PHOENIXA: The Nest, is presented as a fully soundscaped, author-narrated audiobook and serves as the foundation for an upcoming feature film adaptation, marking the beginning of a multi-format narrative universe.
The PHOENIXA Saga, originally derived from Cheng’s film script and envisioned as a future cinematic franchise, comprises four literary volumes-The One (prequel), The Nest, The Flight, and The Return-a unified mythic arc from origin and awakening to transformation and destiny. Inspired by her pioneering grandfather from the Republic of China and her own lived experience growing up during the tumultuous Mao era, the saga unfolds as a cross-generational journey of memory, identity, and historical reckoning. Born in Beijing and educated in both China and the United States, Cheng began her career at China Central Television (CCTV), where she was among the early English-language broadcasters, serving as one of the first voices interpreting a changing China to the world. Her work spans journalism, film, and cross-border media initiatives, including collaborations with major networks and cultural institutions in both the United States and China. She has also worked as an intercultural film critic, and has served as a professor of cinema and television in both countries, a juror for international film festivals, and a cultural bridge between industries, representing literary and film works across global markets. Cheng’s work is rooted in independent auteurship, cultivating a literary and cinematic voice shaped by a poetic, meditative, and philosophical lens across her intercultural filmmaking in documentary and narrative cinema alike. Her film credits include the documentaries China Gold Rush (2000), Mama’s Gold: The Orphans of Shangri-La (2003), and Golden Lotus: The Legacy of Bound Feet (2006), along with Red Farewell: The Secret of Longevity (2019), and the experimental film C/O Butterfly: A Rhapsody of the Womb (2015). She is developing CHENG LEGACY: An Ancestral Quest for Modern China, a multipart companion documentary series to the PHOENIXA Saga, anchoring its mythic vision in history.
- IMDb mini biography by: J.J. Cheng
- A 2009 feature in Celebrities magazine described J.J. Cheng (credited as Joanne Cheng) as "a filmmaker bridging Eastern and Western narratives" and "a go-to source for understanding China.".
- The 2009 Celebrities magazine feature on her work was published in both Chinese and English, reflecting her cross-cultural filmmaking approach.
- The audiobook performance reflects the project's cinematic origins, with scenes conceived as visual key frames influencing pacing and delivery. The narrative's visual style allows listeners to imagine the imagery despite the absence of illustrations.
- During the COVID-19 isolation (2020-2023), J.J. Cheng created the audiobook of PHOENIXA: The Nest in complete solitude, describing the process as guided by an extraordinary inner force that channeled her Qi into an emotionally charged performance. In that period of isolation, she experienced a deep connection to her ancestors-especially her grandfather, Cheng Zhen Jun (1888-1932),whose pioneering legacy in China's early infrastructure development echoes throughout the PHOENIXA saga. Performed entirely by J.J. Cheng during the COVID-19 pandemic, the over-15-hour production reflects the intensity of its isolation-era creation, combining single-voice narration with music and sound design.
- Writing, to me, is confessional and a deep act of soul-searching-therefore, an act of courage. You cannot lie; you must lay yourself bare in order to connect with, and perhaps even be rescued by, a higher power-be it your ancestors, a guardian angel, or God.
- In creating PHOENIXA, I have traversed not only the physical terrain of China, but also the inner fabric of Chinese civilization including Chinese mythology...I am fortunate to read both simplified and traditional Chinese, as well as classical Chinese. I have delved deep into the layers of centuries, savoring the flavor and absorbing the nutrients of Chinese antiquity.
- I often felt as though I was 'downloading' from my ancestors, guided by an irresistible - quiet but immense - force. What emerged was something I could only carry forward - and now offer for others to experience.
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