Chinese Writer Zhao Chao Named Semifinalist at LAISA 2025 for Emotionally Complex Suspense Script "The Third Day"

After years of delay due to personal hardship, Zhao Chao's emotionally charged script The Third Day places in top 10% at LAISA 2025.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 21, 2025 Chinese screenwriter and producer Zhao Chao has been selected as a semifinalist in the Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards (Fall 2025) for her original English-language script The Third Day. Her work placed in the top 10% among thousands of international submissions.

The Third Day, written in 2017 but submitted only this year, is a layered suspense drama exploring how an ordinary man with desire and guilt descends into darkness under a rigid, stratified social system. Constructed as a multi-threaded psychological narrative, the script received mixed feedback from reviewers—some of whom openly admitted they "didn't fully understand" the nonlinear structure. Zhao sees this as evidence that her work demands—and rewards—close engagement.

"This story reflects how people get consumed not by evil, but by the systems around them." — Zhao Chao

"This story reflects how people get consumed not by evil, but by the systems around them. It was emotionally too raw for me to share until now," Zhao says.

Years of personal hardship, particularly growing up in a narcissistic family environment, delayed the project's release.

Zhao has previously served as a VFX coordinator and production manager on major international productions, including Star Trek Beyond, where she facilitated cross-border collaboration between Hollywood teams and Chinese studios. She later worked on acclaimed titles like The Three-Body Problem, The Great Wall, and Detective Chinatown, bringing together creative vision and industrial-scale execution. A full list of her screen credits can be found on her IMDb profile.

"I've come to realize how difficult it is to express morally complex stories in today's Chinese-language media environment," Zhao explains. "English-language screenwriting offers me greater freedom to explore contradiction and emotional nuance. That's where I'll focus moving forward."

To learn more about Zhao's work or connect with her directly, please visit her LinkedIn profile.

Media Contact

Chao Zhao, Yu Studio, 1 6267480909,