About Me
Born in Brunei, David spent time growing up in Wellington, New Zealand and Sydney, Australia, David studied acting at the Actor’s Center before finding his real calling behind the camera. His first break was working for a commercial editing house, before completing a Bachelor in Film at the University of Technology, Sydney.
His short film "Fragments" made official selection at the Inaugural Sydney Asian Pacific Film Festival, 2000. His follow up short film “New Reality” made official selection at the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival in 2000.
Most of his early career was spent working as a professional editor. He won a Best Editing award for the short film “Blind Date”, and co-edited the Austin best documentary winner “WMD: Weapons of Mass Deception”. David then worked for major post houses Technicolor and Deluxe in New York, working on many films including “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Michael Clayton,” and Ang Lee’s “Taking Woodstock”. As a Colorist, David has color corrected features, documentaries, shorts, music videos and fashion shows for Gucci, Calvin Klein, Victoria Beckham and more.
David’s first feature as Writer / Director is Siji:Driver which won the Best Feature Film and Best Original Score awards at the 21st Long Island International Film Expo 2018. David was also nominated for Best Director.
His short film "Alternate Ego" made official selection at AAIFF 2019 and LIIFE 2019.
In 2021-2022, David created, wrote, and directed the first season of A GOOD COP for NTD Television. This ten episode drama series follows three officers in the NYPD as they wrestle with moral dilemmas on a daily basis. It was the first time David was a showrunner for a series and "A Good Cop" also won the best pilot award at the Sugarloaf Film Festival 2022.
David’s second feature film, “Your Vote Matters”, a dramedy about a woman who runs for office in a local election, was made for NTD in 2024. This fun and education film brings a non-partisan perspective to the American political system and gives the audience a basic overview of how to run for office.
David is an alumnus of the ScreenwritingU Proseries, Master Series and Bingeworthy TV courses.
“I love powerful, emotionally satisfying stories that bring a sense of wonder and magic, while keeping a pulse on the core values of integrity and kindness. I believe that Movies and Television are the perfect intersection of art and commerce and have the power to change the world.” — David Chai