Golden Gate Girls

Esther Eng: A Pioneering Asian-American Filmmaker

This is the story of filmmaker Esther Eng, the first woman to direct Chinese-language film in the US, and the most prominent woman director in Hong Kong in the 1930s. A San Francisco native and open lesbian, her contribution to film history is sadly overlooked and her 11 feature films mostly lost. After the retirement of director Dorothy Arzner in 1943 and before Ida Lupino began directing in 1949, Eng was the only woman directing feature length films in the US.

GOLDEN GATE GIRLS paints a fascinating picture of how Eng's career in filmmaking broke through gender and racial boundaries in Hollywood and Hong Kong, at a time when opportunities for Chinese women in the industry were few and far between.

Official Selection at CAAMFest, the San Diego Asian Film Festival, and the Shanghai International Film Festival.

"... Eye opening and compelling." - Hollywood Reporter