Degree(s): BA, Rice University, 2007

VADA Concentration: Film

Rice Graduation Year: 2007

Christine Chen, born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, discovered her passion for movies at a very young age. Her first movie in elementary school convinced her to find excuses to make movies for any school project thereafter. Though she loved making movies with her parent's VHS camera, the discovery of her commitment to filmmaking began the day she entered Brian Huberman's Introductory to Documentary Filmmaking. She soon discovered that this was the only class that she could devote outrageous amounts of time and effort to without a second thought. Christine made her first one-hour long documentary for a joint Rice University Center for Studies of Languages and Media Center collaboration, during her junior and senior year. Christine had the opportunity to travel to Lijiang, China and capture the cultural changes that occurred during Lijiang’s recovery from the massive 1996 earthquake. Her work earned her the 2006 Russell Grant and 2007 Raymond Swift awards from Rice University. Though determined to pursue films in the future, Christine decided to take her parents' advice and try out corporate life. During this time, she continued collaborating with local Houston filmmakers and working on her own projects. Christine's “My So Called Life,” short film placed as one of the top 100 films for the HP You on You Youtube Competition. She is currently working as the producer/director/writer for a short titled “Revelation.”

Christine has been accepted to both the Fall 2010 University of Texas MBA and New York University’s dual MBA/MFA programs. Her hope is to continue towards her dream of becoming a producer and director.