Ed Moy is an actor, filmmaker, and journalist. He has won awards as a reporter and filmmaker. Most recently, his documentary Aviatrix: The Katherine Sui Fun Cheung Story won the Audience Award for Best Short at the Marina Del Rey Film Festival. “Aviatrix” also received a Most Inspirational Short Film Award at the Culver City Film Festival.
What got you started as a journalist and how did you then become a filmmaker?
I was a journalism student in high school and college. It was something I always gravitated towards. I liked writing and sharing stories so journalism was a good fit. I segued into filmmaking because I have always had an affinity for movies, television, and entertainment. I spent over a dozen years covering filmmakers and film festivals for a variety of publications and online media.
What inspires your passion?
Hahaha… I don’t know if I would call my drive to create a passion. It might be more of an obsession. I get fixated on a story that I want to tell and I don’t stop until it’s finished.
Do you prefer writing about films or making them?
I’d love to write more screenplays and make more films. Watching and writing about other people’s films is educational and informative, but ultimately being the creator is a more challenging and satisfying experience to me.
What’s been your favorite project to work on?
My most recent project is the documentary “Aviatrix: The Katherine Sui Fun Cheung Story”. The film tells the story of Katherine Cheung, who is considered the first Chinese American woman to earn a pilot’s license to fly during a time when less than 1% of all pilots were women. The film has been a 3-½ year passion project. After several starts and stops, including two crowdfunding campaigns that failed to reach their goal amount, as well as an unsuccessful attempt to recruit investors and star names to the project, I ultimately got a small amount of funding for equipment to make the film. I shot most of the interviews myself with help from some friends. The film’s story of a woman defying the odds to pursue her dream of flying and becoming a pilot is a metaphor for rising up to the challenges life presents us in order to accomplish whatever seemingly insurmountable goal that we may set for ourselves.
What’s your favorite hobby?
I love fantasy sports. I play fantasy football every year. I’m also a huge Golden State Warriors fan.
Describe your ideal dream project.
My dream project is to produce a feature film, a docudrama biopic based on the true life story of Lee Ya Ching, a Chinese woman pilot who flew around America and South America raising funds for refugees as an ambassador for China during World War II. She was a silent film star as a teenager in China before marrying a Chinese ambassador and becoming a socialite. She later earned her pilot’s license and helped China during the war. I’d love to recreate the 1920-30-40s on screen in a classic period drama film.
What are you most grateful for in your life?
I’m most grateful to have my health, wellbeing, and friends that support my creative endeavors in film and video production.