About Bao
Bao’s first feature film THE PAPER TIGERS garnered praise from Variety as an “irresistibly good-humored debut,” while the New York Times remarked his “lighthearted, refreshing approach neither succumbs to whitewashing nor the model-minority myth.” Rotten Tomatoes ranks it as one of the Best Action Comedies and Best Asian American Movies ever made with a “Certified Fresh” rating. He was mentored early on by master action director Corey Yuen. His previous credits include editing CHO LON, one of Southeast Asia’s highest-budgeted action blockbusters, and JACKPOT, Vietnam’s official entry to the 2016 Oscars for Best Foreign Film. He is also a fellow in the Paramount Directors Initiative and the Sony Pictures Television Diverse Directors Program.
Manager: 3 Arts // Daniel Vang & Sarah Shyn Ayala // +1.310.888.3200
NEWS
- “Paramount Sets Five For Its 2021-22 Directors Initiative” - Deadline
- “Sony TV’s Diverse Directors Program Names Its Class Of 2022” - Deadline
- “Hollywood Wanted Me to Make My Martial-Arts Characters White, but My Ancestors Wouldn’t Have It” - Daily Beast
- “Bao Tran on Finding His Footing with ‘The Paper Tigers’” - Movable Feast
WORK
DIRECTOR REEL
THE PAPER TIGERS - writer.director (USA)
“Winning and delightful” – IndieWire
“A modern action-comedy masterpiece” – Looper
THE CHALLENGER - writer.director.editor (USA)
“Wild and heavy on the action” – Ain’t It Cool News
BOOKIE - writer.director.editor (USA)
“A little gem of a film, flawlessly realized” – Screen Anarchy
BLACK COFFEE - director (USA)
“Highly entertaining and fraught with tension” – Rogue Cinema
CHO LON - editor (Vietnam)
In the heart of Saigon, there’s a place where promises are still written in blood.
JACKPOT - editor (Vietnam)
• Official entry for the 2016 Academy Awards, Best Foreign Film
• Winner, 2016 Golden Kite Awards: Best Picture & Best Actress