Dorothy Xiao

Dorothy Xiao is a first generation Chinese American writer and director with a degree in Psychology from UCLA. Named after her parents' immigration lawyer, Dorothy grew up in the multicultural neighborhood of Alhambra, known for having some of the best Chinese food in Los Angeles. In her film work, Dorothy creates grounded family dramas with a hint of fantasy, exploring themes of resilience, friendship, and hope, inspired by the diverse immigrant communities she grew up around. Dorothy has directed 13 short films and has worked on over 30 film and video projects with companies like CBS, HBO, and Disney. She is a CBS Leadership Pipeline Challenge alum and winner of the 2023 CAPE Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge.

Dorothy is an avid supporter of empowering underrepresented voices in media, and when not making films, Dorothy lives on an almost daily diet of boba milk tea, reads juicy romance novels, and binge watches anime with her 30-year-old stuffed bunny Rabby.