IndieWire can exclusively share that the previously-announced An Evening with Chloé Zhao, presented by Film Independent, will be moderated by Oscar-winning actress and filmmaker Regina King.
Until last summer, King had taken a step back from the spotlight after going through a familial tragedy in early 2022 that was akin to what the characters face in “Hamnet.” She returned to screens with her appearance in the recent Darren Aronofsky film “Caught Stealing.”
The conversation between Zhao and King will cover more than just the latter’s latest film, currently nominated for eight Academy Awards. Appearing onstage, the will pair will run through film clips and have a conversation about Zhao’s entire film career, starting from “Songs My Brothers Taught Me” through Best Picture winner “Nomadland,” which also made her the third woman and first woman of color to win the Oscar for Best Director.
During that 2020 – 2021 awards run, King and Zhao developed a friendship, as the former was on the same circuit promoting her directorial debut “One Night in Miami,” made shortly after she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance in “If Beale Street Could Talk.”
As for Zhao’s connection to Film Independent, the award-winning director was a Screenwriting Lab Fellow in 2011, where she developed her debut feature “Songs My Brothers Taught Me.” In addition to the Screenwriting Lab, both Zhao and the film were supported by Film Independent’s Artist Development programs, including the Producing Lab and Fast Track.
At the 2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards, “Songs My Brother Taught Me” was nominated in three categories, including Best First Feature. Her sophomore film “The Rider” was later nominated for Best Feature (and Zhao was nominated for Best Director) at the 2018 ceremony.
Her third feature “Nomadland” starring Frances McDormand won four Spirit Awards in 2021, including Best Feature and Best Director for Zhao. King won the Robert Altman Award for “One Night in Miami” at that same ceremony.
An Evening with Chloé Zhao will take place on Thursday, February 26, 2026 at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles. While general tickets to the event are sold out, there are still select members tickets available.
