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Zhen Li  is a Chinese-born animation artist based in the US. She has a background in architectural design and live-action producing before turning to animation. Her narrative work grows from systems of metaphors, using hands-on techniques to tell stories of folded feelings and intimate misalignments.

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In 2023, her MFA first-year short fur, a film about a crush gone moldy, screened at Sundance and Annecy, won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Animated Short at Seattle IFF and the Anča Award for Best Student Animated Short, and was longlisted for the 2024 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. In 2024 and 2025, her MFA thesis film received funding from Rooftop Films and supporting residencies at Yaddo and Filmværksted Viborg. She is also the 2023 recipient of the Stephen Hillenburg Animation Honor of the Princess Grace Award.

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Zhen received a BA in architecture and psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MFA in experimental animation from California Institute of the Arts. She has taught filmmaking at CalArts, and has created commissioned work for Rooftop Films, Little Monster Films, and various independent filmmakers.

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