About Pete Lee

Pete Lee grew up in Taiwan during the golden era of Asian cinema. But, due to his strict religious upbringing, secular culture was banished from his house. Instead, Lee spent his childhood making up stories in his head while watching his preacher father politely exorcise demons.

After moving to the US in his teens, Lee graduated from Emerson College's film program. To pursue his dream of making kung-fu films, Lee moved to San Francisco with a group of aspiring stunt performers - where he ran an art therapy program for low-income and homeless kids in Chinatown by day, and choreographed fights for low-budget films with his free time.

In 2018, Lee's short film "Don't Be a Hero" - about a middle-aged bank robber exploring her sexuality through heists, premiered at Sundance. In 2019, he received support from the Rainin Foundation for his screenplay High Priestess of Souls - a semi-autobiographical film about a depressed spinster who will finally be able to put her guilt and shame to rest - if she’ll just first agree to track down a vengeful teenage corpse currently tearing her way thru Chinatown.”. In 2022, “Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown” - a cookbook project two years in the making, won the James Beard Book Award.

Around town, Lee is known for his elaborate dumpling parties, his kung-fu movie screenings, and serenading Chinatown aunties.

You can reach him at pete@ohpetelee.com