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Yibai Zhang

Yibai Zhang

Director, actor and producer · Born May 9, 1963 (63) · Chongqing, China

Zhang Xiaoling, better known by his stage name Zhang Yibai (simplified Chinese: 张一白; traditional Chinese: 張一白) (born 14 April 1963, in Chongqing, China) is a Chinese film director, screenwriter and producer. Zhang began his career in television and music videos before directing his debut, Spring Subway in 2002. Zhang, like many other modern Chinese directors, has focused primarily on life in modern Chinese cities. Spring Subway, for example, follows its protagonist as he wanders through Beijing's subway system, while the mystery-thriller Curiosity Killed the Cat follows its characters through the central China boomtown of Chongqing (also Zhang's hometown). His next two films, 2007's The Longest Night in Shanghai and 2008's Lost, Indulgence have seen the director's exposure and successes extending increasingly overseas. Longest Night, starring Zhao Wei, constitutes one of the first China-Japan coproductions, while Lost was selected to premiere at New York City's Tribeca Film Festival in 2008.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 9, 1963 (63)
From
Chongqing, China
Works as
Director, actor and producer
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 40 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 8% in 30 days

What are Yibai Zhang's films like?

Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.

Genres

Drama10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 44th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 3rd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
41%
Society
22%
Self
18%
Ideas
6%
Power
4%
Morality
4%
Survival
4%
Romantic love10 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTradition vs change3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope3 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 8 · Serious 5 · Dark 2

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 10 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 6 · Charged 8 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 12 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 11 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Hopeful
10
Romantic
7
Melancholic
8
Joyful
3
Warm
3
Other
10

How their films linger

Bittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet7
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Yibai Zhang's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Yibai Zhang's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

40 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Invictus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Executive Producer

  • The Sun Rises on Us All(2025)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • You're Here Anyway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Writer

  • Return to Dust(2022)

    Executive Producer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Day We Lit Up the Sky(2021)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Detective Chinatown 3(2021)

    as Head of Village

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • My People, My Homeland(2020)

    Associate Producer · Production Designer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Run for Young (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 16 episodes · Director

  • Leap(2020)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • My People, My Country(2019)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Midnight Diner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Boxing Coach

  • Kill Mobile (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Executive Producer

  • Ash Is Purest White(2018)

    as First Man in Fengjie Restaurant

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Us and Them(2018)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • I Belonged to You(2016)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Love O2O(2016)

    Producer · as Man in Car

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Book of Love(2016)

    as Jiao's father

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Run for Love(2016)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Nian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as 校长 (voice)

  • Everybody's Fine(2016)

    as Scammer Playing Erhu

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Never Gone(2016)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Fleet of Time(2014)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • But Always(2014)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Forgetting to Know You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Actor

  • Better and Better(2013)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Guns and Roses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Producer

  • Sleepless Fashion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Actor

  • Love on Credit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Producer

  • Eternal Moment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Producer

  • The Message(2009)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Looking for Jackie(2009)

    as Glasses Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Lost Indulgence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director · Writer

  • The Longest Night in Shanghai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director · Writer

  • Curiosity Kills the Cat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Writer

  • About Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • Kung Fu Hustle(2004)

    as Inspector Chan

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • My Father and I (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Male negotiator

  • Spring Subway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director

  • 开心就好 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

  • Cherish Our Love Forever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 20 episodes · Director

Career shape

A full career of 38 titles from 1998 to 2026.

Biggest box office

My People, My Country (2019)

$450M worldwide

Highest rated

Return to Dust (2022)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

Love O2O (2016)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting13 of 38: 12 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score52ndDirecting15 of 38: 10 only directing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score19thWriting4 of 38: 1 only writing, 3 with another roleProducing11 of 38: 7 only producing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score57thOther crew2 of 38: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

38 titles, 7 with more than one role.

By decade

1990s1 · crew2000s10 · 4 acting · 6 crew2010s19 · 8 acting · 12 crew2020s8 · 1 acting · 7 crew

Billing

usually 17th · top billed in 0% of 7 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Yibai Zhang's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 44th percentile, the median of all 21; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 46th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 21 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed9

Most divisive · producer

Never Gone (2016)

83rd percentile spread · 29% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 66/100 and the pacing 41/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Yibai Zhang work with?

People who share at least 2 of Yibai Zhang's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Yi Zhang shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles