Cao Dun

Cao Dun, born on January 12, 1972, in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, is a Chinese director, screenwriter, and cinematographer. His notable cinematography works include "The Story of a Noble Family," "Dwelling Narrowness," and "Love is Not Blind." As a director, his representative works are "Naked Wedding," "Tribes and Empires-Storm of Prophecy," and "The Longest Day in Chang'an." In 2000, Cao Dun, along with Wang Hailin and Cheng Qiang, served as a screenwriter for the drama film "我真棒 (I'm Great)," marking his official entry into the film and television industry. In 2001, he worked as the cinematographer for the youth inspirational film "One Hundred," directed by Teng Huatao. In 2003, he was the cinematographer for the Republic-era romance TV series "The Story of a Noble Family." In 2008, he was both the screenwriter and cinematographer for the family drama "Wang Gui and Anna," earning a nomination for Best Screenwriter at the 15th Shanghai Television Festival for this work. In 2009, he again collaborated with writer Liu Liu and director Teng Huatao as a co-screenwriter for the urban family drama "Dwelling Narrowness," also serving as the cinematographer.
In 2011, Cao Dun directed the urban romance TV series "Naked Wedding," starring Wen Zhang and Yao Di, marking his debut as a TV series director. That same year, he was the cinematographer for the romantic film "Love is Not Blind," which earned him a nomination for Best Cinematography at the 49th Golden Horse Awards. In 2012, he independently directed the TV series "The Sweet Burden," which aired on Hunan TV. In 2014, he directed his first youth inspirational war drama "畢業歌 (Graduation Song)," which premiered on Jiangsu TV. In 2015, he directed the fantasy period drama "Tribes and Empires: Storm of Prophecy." In 2019, the period drama "The Longest Day in Chang'an," directed by Cao Dun, was broadcast, earning him nominations for Best Director at the 30th China TV Golden Eagle Awards and the 26th Shanghai Television Festival Magnolia Awards. In 2022, the TV series "Are You Safe" for which he served as chief director, producer, and executive producer, was broadcast. On March 11, 2024, the TV series "The Litchi Road," directed by Cao Dun, was officially announced. In the same year, the series "The Legend of Heroes," in which he participated as a director, was scheduled to be broadcast.