"...a gifted teacher who works upon others as the sun and rain upon plants. A master in the arts of living.”
Watch The Trailer
War refugee. Tai Chi master. Beloved teacher. At 88 years old, Chungliang Al Huang radiates movement as joy, resilience, and transformation — bridging past and present, East and West, while inspiring generations of students to live their authentic joy.
Moving Joy is a dynamic portrait of the legendary Taoist teacher whose life has spanned war-torn China, the psychedelic 1960s, and more than six decades at the forefront of the East-West cultural exchange movement — long before mindfulness became mainstream. Equal parts philosopher, performer, and cultural bridge-builder, Chungliang introduced Eastern philosophy to Western audiences through movement, play, and human connection.
Blending rare archival footage, movement, music, animation, and present-day observation, Moving Joy traces how Chungliang transformed personal upheaval into a philosophy of flow — learning not to fight life, but to move with it. At a moment marked by division, burnout, and disconnection, his lifelong mission — creating understanding across cultures — feels unexpectedly urgent. The result is not a nostalgic look backward, but a vibrant, deeply human film charged with humor, movement, resilience, and the question of how to remain fully alive while aging.
"Chungliang's artistry communicates compassionate healing of the human soul."
Support the OutReach and distribution of "Moving Joy"
Support the OutReach and distribution of "Moving Joy"
Sneak Peak
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Streaming link to a “Moving Joy” watch party
+ All of the Above
Also includes:
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Receive a digital screensaver of Chungliang’s beautiful calligraphy from the film including: Tao, Qi, Yin Yang and Wu Wei!
$100
Signed movie poster & thank you on website
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Signed movie poster
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THANK YOU featuring your name on the "Moving Joy" website
Also includes:
+ All of the Above
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Receive a digital screensaver of Chungliang’s beautiful calligraphy from the film including: Tao, Qi, Yin Yang and Wu Wei!
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Streaming link to a “Moving Joy” watch party
$500
1st Circle
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Download link to Chungliang teaching “1st Circle” on Esalen's Tai Ji Deck
+ All of the Above
Also includes:
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Signed movie poster for "Moving Joy"
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THANK YOU featuring your name on the "Moving Joy" website
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Download link to Chungliang teaching “1st Circle” on Esalen's Tai Ji Deck
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Streaming link to a “Moving Joy” watch party
$1,000
Tax Deductable*
Thank you in the movies
- Private hosted zoom screening and Q+A with the director
+ All of the Above
Also includes:
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Download link to Chungliang teaching “1st Circle” on Esalen's Tai Ji Deck
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Two tickets to attend the premiere of "Moving Joy" location TBA
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THANK YOU featuring your name on the "Moving Joy" website
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Streaming link to a “Moving Joy” watch party
$2,500
Tax Deductable*
Attend the world premiere
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Two tickets to attend the premiere of "Moving Joy" location TBA
- Your choice of an original Calligraphic Artwork created by Chungliang from the Living Tao gallery
+ All of the Above
Also includes:
- Private hosted zoom screening and Q+A with the director
-
Download link to Chungliang teaching “1st Circle” on Esalen's Tai Ji Deck
-
Signed movie poster for "Moving Joy"
-
THANK YOU featuring your name on the "Moving Joy" website
-
Streaming link to a “Moving Joy” watch party
$5,000
Tax Deductable*
"Chungliang has found a way to explain ‘the hero’s journey’ to help others follow their bliss."
The Team
Brittany Lee Sanders - Producer / Director
Brittany is an Asian-American visual artist and filmmaker. Her artist books and paintings are in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Getty Museum. Along with her personal artwork, Sanders has worked on multiple award-winning films including: Bird by Bird with Annie about the writer Anne Lamott, Wrestling with Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner, and Fighting for Life about military medics serving on the front line. Sanders graduated with Honors from Brown University.
Brittany Lee Sanders -
Producer and Director
Brittany is an Asian-American visual artist and filmmaker. Her artist books and paintings are in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Getty Museum. Along with her personal artwork, Sanders has worked on multiple award-winning films including: Bird by Bird with Annie about the writer Anne Lamott, Wrestling with Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner, and Fighting for Life about military medics serving on the front line. Sanders graduated with Honors from Brown University.
Zsolt Kadar - Cinematographer
Zsolt is a recipient of a Guggenheim in photography, working in both black and white and color. Along with his photographic projects, he has worked on The Devil’s Own, Monsoon Wedding, and Dunkirk. He was cinematographer for video installation pieces by artist An-My Lê that screened at The Museum of Modern Art.
Avery Storms - Illustrator
Avery is a multidisciplinary artist focusing on visual narratives. Storms’ paintings and illustrations draw from the freedom with which historical and contemporary styles are combined in comics. He graduated in 2018 from Maryland Institute College of Art. Avery Storms is the grandson of Chungliang Al Huang.
Christopher Gallo - Cinematographer
Gallo is a globally-minded cinematographer whose work spans features, documentaries, commercials, and music videos—bringing truth, beauty, and authenticity to every frame. His credits include the #1 iTunes/Netflix documentary HEAL, and his films have screened at Sundance, Cannes, SXSW, and Venice. Equally at home filming for National Geographic or Nike, Gallo is known for his unflinching eye, human connection, and visual storytelling. Off set, he’s a mentor, father of three, and lover of surf, motorcycles, and Sunday spaghetti with family.
Dora Wu - Editor
“Siyi” Wu is a BIPOC editor and immigrant storyteller working across narrative and documentary films in the U.S. and internationally. 10 years ago, She moved to Los Angeles to pursue her MFA in Filmmaking at Chapman University. Her recent work includes editing the feature documentary The Rise of Electric Car (the trilogy of Who Killed the Electric Car? ), Hall of Legend: Uzi for League of Legends, and credits include Emmy-nominated Wuhan! Wuhan!, Academy Award-qualified Harper and Academy Award nominated short Some Nerve. She has also assisted on major projects such as Netflix’s The Brothers Sun, Big Vape, and AMC’s Queer for Fear. Dora is passionate about telling heartfelt, unique stories that inform, inspire, and spark cultural and social change.
Avery Storms - Illustrator
Avery is a multidisciplinary artist focusing on visual narratives. Storms’ paintings and illustrations draw from the freedom with which historical and contemporary styles are combined in comics. He graduated in 2018 from Maryland Institute College of Art. Avery Storms is the grandson of Chungliang Al Huang.
American Film Foundation
American Film Foundation is a Santa Monica based non-profit 501(c) production company that has produced both Academy and Emmy Award winning documentaries. The company's projects range from theatrical documentary films and television series to dramatic feature films.
American Film Foundation has received three Academy Awards and ten Academy Award nominations, an Emmy award and two Emmy nominations.