OUR COMPANY
An independent production company with a high reputation and long-standing track record of production in theatre, music and contemporary performing arts as well as film and television. Specializing in cross cultural projects and co-productions with Asia, and China in particular, we have worked in collaboration with major theatres, festivals, performing arts organizations, and film & television networks in the region since 1979.
Our special knowledge of both Eastern and Western cultures, and our longstanding networks across the region, have enabled us to work extensively with many major arts organizations and production companies in Australia, Asia and Europe.
Our Team
Ziyin Wang Gantner (Zoe Wang)
Ziyin Wang Gantner graduated in 1982 from the Beijing Film Academy as a member of Chinese “Fifth Generation” filmmakers. She worked at China Central Television (CCTV) as a director before she came to Australia for the postgraduate studies in film at the Swinburne Film & Television School (now VCA Film School of the University of Melbourne) in 1985. After the graduation from SFTVS, she joined SBS television when she directed documentary films, “Try Your Fortune”, “ Return of the Monkey King”, “ One Step into the Journey” between 1988 and 1990. Between 1991 and 1992, she worked as an assistant to director for “Cracker”, a drama series of ABC-TV, BBC and Southern Star. Ziyin began working at Film Australia in 1993 when she directed a documentary film, “Dream House”. She was also the Associate Producer for a number of productions, “Flower and the Wide Sea”, “ No Sex, No Violence, No News” etc…, before she joined Southern Star Entertainment 1996.
Ziyin was mainly responsible for setting up co-productions between Southern Star and China. She worked on numerous successful projects and Southern Star continued its cooperation with China after she left the company in 2003. The projects include: Spellbinder 2 – The Land of the Dragon Lord, (co-production with Polish TV-1 and Shanghai Film Studio); Ketchup and The Toothbrush Family (co-production with NHK-Japan and Shanghai Animation Film Studios), Tracey McBean (co-Productions with Shanghai Animation Film Studio); Magic Mountain, Secret China and Wild China (all co-productions with CCTV).
Ziyin became a director of Playking Productions Pty Ltd in Melbourne in 2003.
Jess Zhang ( Qian Zhang)
Jess Zhang is an Associate Producer at Playking Productions and has multi-disciplinary experience across development, financing, and production, leveraging an international background to facilitate collaboration and communication across all facets of development and production.
Past projects:
One Infinity – a stage show supported by MFI and presented by Melbourne Festival 2018, Sydney Festival and Perth Festival 2019
One Infinity – a feature length documentary film directed by Angus Kemp
Folding Beijing – a script development and reading for ASIA TOPA written by Daniel Keene and directed by Matthew Lutton
Projects in development:
Rankins Lane – 6x 30 mins romantic comedy series
Balancing on a tower of chairs – a 30 mins documentary film
Single Happiness – romantic comedy with Madeup Stories
From November 2019 to December 2020, Jess also worked for RISING Melbourne as producer for Chinatown projects and facilitate community engagement with project stakeholders.
In 2019, Jess initiated and founded an online and face-to-face forum “Cha Latte” for Chinese Australian women to share ideas, to debate and to make meaningful connections with a broader, more diverse community.
Previously, Jess was the Creative Director at Antone Creative, a creative marketing agency with local clients that include Tourism Victoria, Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne International Arts Festival, and Malthouse Theatre.
Jess holds a Bachelor of Communication Design and Masters of Professional Accounting from RMIT University.
Panda
Born in country Victoria on the Christmas Day. She carries the Christmas spirit throughout the year and will greet you warmly on the arrival.