Shuling Yong

Roles: Director

Shuling holds a degree in Radio/TV/Film from Northwestern University, Illinois. In 2006, she graduated as Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s most outstanding student, earning a diploma in Mass Communication.

Shuling grew up wanting to be a radio DJ but during her first year at Northwestern, after presentations by two female guest speakers – award-winning Kartemquin Films director Maria Finitzo and producer JJ Hanley – Shuling realised how she could use her filmmaking skills to create positive social change, and that this was her calling. She had the opportunity to work with both these acclaimed directors, who have since become her close friends and great mentors.

In 2008, Shuling started Media For Social Change with the aim of doing video projects for good causes, and has since worked on over 160 projects with non-profit organizations across Evanston and Chicago. She has several films to her credit including her first feature-length documentary (still in progress) as a producer/director. Prior to her film Growing Roots, Shuling had never done a documentary for television. When she found out about the initiative and saw that she would get to work with and learn from industry veterans, she knew that there was no better way to learn about doing documentaries for television.

Growing Roots was inspired by Shuling’s experience at Chicago’s first urban rooftop farm; the solar-powered farm supplied fresh produce to a restaurant right below it, and also conducted educational tours for visitors.

Shuling plans to continue making films and, alongside her friends in the filmmaking community, help to raise the profile of Singapore internationally.