Alice Wu: Movies, Awards & Box Office

**Alice Wu** was born on *April 21, 1970* in San Jose, California to Taiwanese‑American immigrant parents and grew up in nearby Los Altos. A prodigy, she entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at just sixteen, later transferring to Stanford University where she earned both a B.S. (1990) and an M.S. (1992) in computer science. After graduation she worked as a software engineer for Microsoft in Seattle, but the corporate world never quite silenced her creative voice. While at Microsoft she began drafting a novel that soon morphed into a screenplay; a 12‑week screenwriting class at the University of Washington gave her the tools to shape the story that would become *Saving Face*. In the late 1990s she left her engineering career, moved to New York City, and devoted herself full‑time to filmmaking, establishing a five‑year window to get her debut project produced.

The 2004 release of *Saving Face* marked a watershed moment for Asian‑American and LGBTQ representation, featuring a Chinese‑American lesbian protagonist navigating family expectations and cultural identity. The film earned critical acclaim at Toronto, Sundance, and numerous festivals, garnering awards such as the Visionary Award at San Diego Asian Film Festival and a GLAAD nomination. Wu’s second major feature, *The Half of It* (2020), continued her exploration of queer Asian narratives, winning the Founders Award at Tribeca and receiving a strong response on Netflix. Beyond feature films, she has created socially conscious work like the Oreo “The Note” commercial supporting PFLAG. Wu’s impact extends beyond the screen, inspiring artists such as Awkwafina and Lana Condor, and earning her recognition as a hero of LGBTQ equality by Queerty. Open about her own journey, she came out as a lesbian during her Stanford years, and while she maintains a private personal life, her artistic legacy continues to shape inclusive storytelling in contemporary cinema.