Excellence in Video Storytelling, Long-Form & Programs
Vivian Lee, Alex Zhang, Regina Li, Yi-jo Shen, Lulu LaLiberte, Alicia Chen, Min Mitchell, “Walk the Line,” 歪脑｜WHYNOT
ABOUT THE WORK: The documentary Walk the Line has made a significant impact by exposing the harsh realities faced by Chinese migrants fleeing oppression. Through powerful storytelling and firsthand testimonies, the film has resonated with audiences, sparking crucial conversations on human rights, migration, and authoritarian control. Through its screenings, media coverage, and thought-provoking narrative, Walk the Line continues to shape global conversations on migration, freedom, and the consequences of authoritarian rule.
Vivian Lee is a director, producer, and writer. Born in Beijing and based in Washington DC, Vivian is a multidisciplinary storyteller who has worked creatively across a broad range of platforms to share real human experiences. She is the Deputy Director at 歪脑|WHYNOT, where she continues to bring attention to overlooked social injustices and underrepresented communities. She has produced thought-provoking works such as the documentary short The Young People Who “Ran” out of China, Are Their Dreams Coming True?, which won the ONA 2023 Digital Video Storytelling award. “Walk the Line” is Vivian’s documentary feature debut.
Alex Zhang is the director and Editor-in-Chief of Mandarin digital magazine 歪脑｜WHYNOT. She is the executive producer of Walk The Line.
Regina Li is a designer working on creating visually-driven, engaging storytelling projects.
Yi-Jo is a DC based multimedia storyteller originally from Taipei. Currently working at Radio Free Asia, she produce stories that spotlight human rights, press freedom, and the lived experiences of diaspora communities. Coming from an international and journalism background, Yi-Jo is driven by a commitment to visual storytelling that bridges cultures and challenges censorship. Her recent projects explore themes of identity, resistance, and exile across East Asia and the United States. Passionate about crafting narratives that inform and inspire, they are building a visual practice grounded in empathy, clarity, and truth.
Lulu LaLiberte is an award-winning multimedia producer and video editor. With a background in documentary storytelling, she brings over a decade of experience crafting impactful narratives across platforms.
Alicia Chen is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker from Taiwan. In 2022, Alicia traveled to Necoclí, Colombia, where she encountered a group of Chinese nationals fleeing Beijing’s draconian COVID-19 lockdowns and growing political repression. Her in-depth reporting earned SOPA’s Honorable Mention in Feature Writing in 2023 and led to her first long-form documentary, “Walk the Line.” As co-director and producer, she trekked through the Darién Gap to document the surge of Chinese migrants crossing South and Central America in hopes of reaching the United States. In 2024, the film was officially selected by Vienna’s first International Human Rights Film Festival. In recognition of her extensive reporting on forced migration, human rights, and social justice, Alicia was selected as the 2025 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow by the International Women’s Media Foundation. She has previously worked for The Washington Post, covering critical issues such as Taiwan’s struggles to welcome Hong Kong protesters, China’s gray zone offensive against Taiwan, and labor rights violations committed by Chinese companies under the Belt and Road Initiative. Her work has also been featured in The Guardian, Al Jazeera English, The Boston Globe, Global Voices, among others. For the past seven years, Alicia has freelanced for two prominent Chinese-language outlets in East Asia: The Reporter and Initium Media. Her international coverage includes refugees crossing the Mediterranean, Venezuela’s ongoing crisis, Syrian youths in exile in Lebanon, and human trafficking cases involving Taiwanese victims lured to Cambodia’s scam compounds. During Russia’s full-scale invasion, Alicia was among the first Taiwanese journalists dispatched to Poland and Ukraine, bringing firsthand stories to her audience, many of whom were concerned about the potential threat of China’s annexation. She also received grants from the Pulitzer Center to cover how the Ukrainian government and civil society organizations provided mental health support for war survivors. In 2020, she led an investigation into the deaths of Pacific island fisheries observers aboard Taiwan- and China-owned fishing vessels, as part of a cross-border reporting project on global fishing crimes. The project, titled “Ocean Inc.”, received SOPA awards for both Environmental Reporting and Investigative Reporting.
Min Mitchell is a Taiwanese-American journalist and media executive currently serving as the Acting President and CEO of the Frontline Media Fund, a nonprofit organization committed to supporting independent journalism and media innovation. Previously, Mitchell was the Executive Editor at Radio Free Asia (RFA), where she led editorial operations across RFA’s nine language services and its digital affiliate, BenarNews. During her tenure, she spearheaded efforts to expand RFA’s digital outreach to younger audiences, most notably through the launch of the Mandarin-language digital magazine Wainao | WHYNOT, which earned numerous awards since its launch in 2020. She also oversaw critical reporting on major regional events, including the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests and the 2017 exposé on the mass detention of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, both of which received international acclaim. Before joining RFA, Mitchell built an extensive career in broadcast journalism in Taiwan and the U.S. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and is also a certified yoga instructor.
Honorable Mention: Miao Wang and Hao Wu, “Admissions Granted,” MSNBC
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