About the Film

In 2020, there were over 100,000 Americans teaching English to millions of Chinese students online. With billions of dollars in venture capital funding, the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) industry was poised to become the largest sector in the ed tech space. Then, in 2021, with US-China tensions rising, the industry collapsed overnight with the announcement of a new policy restricting for-profit education in China.  English Hustle follows teachers in the USA and the Philippines living through this rollercoaster, with insights from experts on Chinese history, politics and foreign affairs.

Meet the Team

  • Charles Abelmann

    PRODUCER / DIRECTOR

    Trained as an educational researcher, Charles Abelmann has extensive experience working in education in the US and China. He managed World Bank education projects in China and has led private and public schools in the US and advised Chinese school leaders and policy makers. He previously produced a film about John Dewey’s travels to China by retracing his steps with twelve student filmmakers (view here). Abelmann’s film, The Smallest Living Things, tells the story of a self-made farmer’s quest to care for microbiomes. The film is published in Palladium Magazine.

  • Ben Kolak

    CO-PRODUCER / US

    For over fifteen years, Ben Kolak has worked as a documentary cinematographer and producer, with a focus on education. His work has appeared in outlets including Netflix, PBS, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

  • Kerry Stevens

    EDITOR

    Kerry Stevens is a recent Depaul University graduate and an editor with Truth & Documentary, cutting projects for Chicago’s public radio affiliate, WBEZ, as well as for the University of Chicago and many artists and nonprofits.

  • Jarell Serencio

    CO-PRODUCER / PHILIPPINES

    Jarell runs Man Overboard Productions, a Davao City based company specializing in socially relevant regional stories. manoverboardph.com

  • Artima Sakulkoo

    CO-PRODUCER / BANGKOK

    Artima is a Bangkok-based filmmaker and recent graduate of Lindenwood University. www.artimasakulkoo.com

  • Sophia Rhee

    IMPACT PRODUCER

    Sophia is a screenwriter and documentary impact producer based in Chicago, IL. Trained as a visual artist and ethnographer, she has worked on non-fiction films and contemporary moving image artworks that have been presented at the Berlin International Film Festival; Metro Pictures, New York; and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.

  • Xiaoyu Yin

    RESEARCHER / ASSISTANT EDITOR

    Xiaoyu has contributed to the Beijing bureaus of VICE, NBC, and Al Jazeera and is a recent Masters graduate of the University of Chicago.

  • Jessie (Yutong) Xie

    ASSISTANT EDITOR

    With a background in Film and TV production, Jessie is currently pursuing an M.S. in Media Ventures at Boston University, exploring the intersection of media, technology, entrepreneurship, and content. www.jessiexie.com

  • Casey Chin

    DESIGNER

    Casey Chin is an Art Director and Graphic Designer whose design and motion work has appeared in many outlets including WIRED and The Wall Street Journal. www.caseybchin.com

  • Additional Cinematographers

    Joyce Techa (Bangkok), Mark Limbaga (Philippines), Kenneth Burcelis (Philippines), Gabriel James (Oregon)

Meet the Teachers

  • Teacher Lexi

    NOBELSVILLE, INDIANA, USA

    All from a basement closet in her Indiana home, Lexi taught for twelve different EFL companies, gained a sizable YouTube following through her EFL-centered vlog, and earned enough from teaching and affiliate marketing to fund the extracurricular activities of her seven homeschooled children.

  • Teacher Jean

    BAGO APLAYA, DAVAO, PHILIPPINES

    As a single mother, Jean’s employment at 51Talk, a Philippines-based EFL company, helps her support her three daughters as she completes her own college education.

  • Teacher Tim

    BANGKOK, THAILAND

    The EFL industry affords Tim the opportunity to live the life of a digital nomad. He details his travels on his popular YouTube channel, OnlineTeacherDude.

  • Teacher Ivan

    BANAY BANAY, DAVAO ORIENTAL, PHILIPPINES

    Though he is a full time public school teacher during the day, Ivan supplements his income by teaching part-time with 51Talk at night in order to care for his elderly parents.

Meet the Commentators

  • Ted Fishman

    Ted Fishman is a financial and economic journalist whose work has appeared in many publications and whose commentaries have been featured on both radio and television programs. His book China, Inc. became a best seller has been translated into twenty four languages.

  • Dali Yang

    Dali Yang has been a faculty member at The University of Chicago since 1992 and has since served as the Chairman of the Political Science Department and Director of the Center for East Asian Studies and of the Committee on International Relations. His research is focused on Chinese politics as well as Chinese foreign relations.

  • Yong Zhao

    Yong Zhao is both a Foundation Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of Kansas and a professional fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Health and Education Policy at Victoria University in Australia. He has also spent time at the University of Oregon serving as the Presidential Chair and Director of the Institute for Global and Online Education as well as as a Professor in the Department of Educational Measurement Policy and Leadership. His work centers around globalization and technology in education.

Advisors

  • Yong Zhao, PhD

    Yong Zhao is a Foundation Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of Kansas. He previously served as the Presidential Chair and Director of the Institute for Global and Online Education in the College of Education, University of Oregon, where he was also a Professor in the Department of Educational Measurement, Policy, and Leadership.

  • Dr. Luis Benveniste

    Dr. Luis Benveniste is the Human Development Regional Director for Latin American and the Caribbean at the World Bank. He was a co-author of the World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development. Dr. Benveniste has also previously worked on a wide variety of World Bank education projects in East Asia. He received a Ph.D. in International Comparative Education from Stanford University.