From Film Festivals to Streaming Hits: Zhen Long's Editing Breakthrough

In 2025, with the continued explosion of the micro-short drama market and the rapid growth of global streaming platforms, the role of film editors has become increasingly important. Against this backdrop, Zhen Long has emerged as a standout figure in the industry, renowned for her exceptional editing skills and profound artistic expertise. Her short film Night-Blooming Cereus has won multiple prestigious awards at top-tier film festivals such as the Berlin International Film Festival and WorldFest Houston, while her short drama Say You Remember, Say You Love has generated over 10 million USD in commercial revenue on streaming platforms. These successes highlight not only her ability to balance artistry and commercial success but also solidify her position in the international film scene.

Zhen Long graduated from the Academy of Art University in the United States, earning a Master of Fine Arts in Motion Pictures & Television. ds. The university has produced many distinguished filmmakers who are active in Hollywood and the international film industry. Zhen Long honed her expertise in film editing, studying narrative structure, nonlinear editing, and audiovisual language, laying a solid academic foundation for her career in film editing.

In Night-Blooming Cereus, Zhen Long showcased her editing talent in psychological suspense. The film tells the story of a young Broadway actress who conceals the truth after witnessing the mysterious death of her co-star and uses the opportunity to rapidly advance in her career. The story is full of psychological tension, and Zhen Long's editing techniques were crucial in creating this tense atmosphere. By employing nonlinear editing, Zhen Long interweaves reality with memories, allowing the narrative to unfold in layers and enabling the audience to piece together the truth from fragmented information. Her editing imbues the film with a strong sense of psychological suspense. For example, in key scenes, she uses rapid-paced editing and repeated flashbacks to intensify the protagonist’s psychological turmoil after witnessing the death, immersing the audience in her fear and anxiety. Furthermore, by employing disorienting editing, she creates a sense of temporal ambiguity as the character’s memories and reality collide, keeping the audience engaged in a process of exploration and speculation, thus amplifying the suspenseful tension throughout the film.

It was this editing style that allowed Night-Blooming Cereus to shine at international film festivals, standing out from the competition and winning the Audi Short Film Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, one of the world’s five major film festivals, known for its strict judging standards and high demands on cinematic artistry. It also received the Bronze Award at WorldFest Houston, the world’s oldest independent film festival, renowned for encouraging innovative storytelling and technological breakthroughs.

Furthermore, the film was nominated for Best Short Film at Dances With Films and the Catalina Film Festival, and won Best Short Film Score at the Burbank International Film Festival. DWF is the largest independent film festival in Los Angeles and is hailed as "the most important independent film platform in Hollywood," while the Catalina Film Festival ranks among the top 1% of global film festivals, focusing on works with artistic breakthroughs and social impact. The Burbank International Film Festival, a core event in the global film industry, attracts innovative works and provides significant exposure for emerging filmmakers. Zhen Long's recognition on these international stages not only proves the artistic value of her editing work but also cements her professional standing in the field of film editing.

In contrast to the psychological suspense in Night-Blooming Cereus, Say You Remember, Say You Love is a romantic melodrama that emphasizes emotional resonance. The series tells the story of Elizabeth, who reunites with her first love Jason after her family’s bankruptcy, as Jason becomes a world-renowned football star. Zhen Long's editing in this work is more emotionally driven, using fragmented editing techniques to build emotional memories and intertwine the past with the present, making the character’s psychological transformations feel more natural and fluid. For example, in a scene where Elizabeth recalls the hurt Jason caused her, Zhen Long employs jump cuts to contrast past moments of sweetness with the bitterness of the present, creating a strong emotional conflict that resonates with the audience in a short amount of time. This editing not only smooths the narrative flow but also enriches the emotional layers, giving the audience a deeper sense of immersion. Throughout the series, her editing keeps the emotional tension high, allowing viewers to feel the emotional shifts in the characters as they move between memories and reality.

Zhen Long’s editing not only propelled the narrative but also significantly enhanced the series' commercial appeal. Since its release in 2024, Say You Remember, Say You Love surpassed 4.939 million views in just one week, generating over 10 million USD in commercial revenue, becoming one of the most popular short dramas of the year. This commercial success proves that Zhen Long's editing is not only of the highest artistic caliber but also has a powerful market impact. Her precise control over emotional pacing allowed this drama to stand out among numerous romantic short dramas, making it a phenomenon on streaming platforms.

Zhen Long's editing talent is not only demonstrated through her masterful technical control but also through her deep understanding and expression of emotion. Her works have garnered multiple prestigious awards at international film festivals, while also achieving significant success in the commercial realm. Through Night-Blooming Cereus and Say You Remember, Say You Love, she has proven the indispensable role of the editor in the filmmaking process. As her works continue to receive recognition at more international film festivals, Zhen Long's editing style is becoming an important benchmark in the art of film editing, and her future projects will undoubtedly continue to shape and advance the global film industry.

Photo Credit: Zhen Long