Cheng Er should be regarded as a sixth-generation director.
Cheng Er, male director, screenwriter and editor in Chinese mainland, graduated from the directing department of Beijing Film Academy. In 1999, he directed his graduation short film "Criminals", and served as the screenwriter, director and editor of the film. In 2007, he directed the noir thriller film "The Third Man". In 2013, he won the Best New Director Award at the 13th Chinese Film Media Awards and the Outstanding Youth Drama Award at the 15th China Film Huabiao Awards for his self-written and directed crime emotional film "Border Storm".
In 2014, he directed the suspense spy movie "The History of the Disappearance of Romantic". In December 2016, he served as the first batch of jury mentors for the second "CFDG Chinese Young Film Directors Support Program". On May 26, 2017, Cheng Er's "The History of the Disappearance of Romantic" won the Best Film Award at the 24th Beijing University Student Film Festival. On October 15, 2023, he was nominated for Best Screenplay at the 36th China Film Golden Rooster Awards for "No Name".
Cheng Er is a sixth-generation director because he has grown up as a new force in Chinese cinema with other post-70s directors. The sixth generation of directors refers to some directors who have been exposed to filmmaking since the 80s of the 20th century, who usually focus on social realities and marginalized groups, and use new film languages and techniques to express their opinions and emotions. Cheng Er's works have a unique style, focusing on emotional expression and character building, which is in line with the creative concept of the sixth generation of directors.