She was born in China and raised between Hong Kong and Washington D.C. She received her MFA from NYU’s Tisch Graduate Film Program, an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business and a BA from Princeton University. In March 2017, Cathy will be directing her feature Dead Pigs in Shanghai; Alibaba Pictures and Media Asia are producing, and China's renowned director Jia Zhangke (A Touch of Sin, Mountains May Depart) is attached as executive producer.