GUAN Tian (1988) is a writer and director based in Beijing. He majored in theatre directing at the Central Academy of Drama and earned his MFA degrees in film production from Syracuse University and CalArts.

As a director, Tian likes to explore the power shift between individuals and social groups. He explored the delicate power balance between genders in his first short comedy Drama. His second short, The Story of Bin, based on a true event, was about a teenager who was gradually transformed from an abused kid to an abuser in an extreme social circumstance. His latest short film The Arrival of Aliens is a fable, exploring the power relations between the alienated individual and the highly programmed social system.  

Tian’s short films have received awards at many international film festivals, including Warsaw Film Festival, LA Film Fest, Leeds Film Festival, Gijon Film Festival, San Diego Asian Film Festival, etc. Other festival screenings included Montreal, Moscow, ZINEBI, Beijing, L’Etrange, Slamdance, Palm Springs, DokuFest, Aesthetica, Foyle, etc. Drama was collected by John Hopkins University MICA Film Center.

Now Tian is working on his first feature script The Poison Cat, which was selected for the HongKong HAF Film Lab, FIRST Film Lab, and EAVE Ties That Bind Workshop.

Filmography

The Story of Bin (2019, short), The Arrival of Aliens (2021, short)