Midi Z

Chao was born in Lashio, Shan State, Myanmar. Both his parents are of Chinese descent, and his ancestral home is in Nanking.^{[citation needed]} The son of a cook and a doctor,^[1] Chao was the youngest of five children and grew up poor.^[2] He won a scholarship and moved to Taiwan when he was 16, where he went to high school. Chao received both his bachelor's degree and master's degree in design at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, after which he became a naturalized Taiwanese citizen in 2011.^[3]

He was named Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year at the 53rd Golden Horse Awards in 2016.^[4]

• 2014: Taipei Film Awards: Best Director^{[citation needed]}
• 2016: 53rd Golden Horse Awards: Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year^{[citation needed]}
• 2016: 73rd Venice International Film Festival: FEDEORA Award for Best Film^{[citation needed]}