Holly Mai-Kin Kaplan is a second-generation Chinese-American filmmaker born and raised in New York City. Driven by ties to her mixed Cantonese heritage, Holly's work highlights underrepresented stories, focusing on the Asian diaspora and femme perspectives. Her films have been featured on Omeleto, the Shiny Awards Creator List, and have screened at over 50 film festivals worldwide.
In 2022, Holly was selected for NALIP and NETFLIX's “Narrative Short Incubator for Women of Color,” where she wrote, directed, and produced SUNFLOWER GIRL starring Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja (AFTER YANG). The film premiered at the Uppsala Film Festival, screened at Galway Film Fleadh’s GENERATION strand, was nominated for the Oscar-qualifying "Mark Braunstein Award for Best Short Narrative" at the Woodstock Film Festival. The short won the Audience Award at France's largest youth film festival, Ciné Junior, where it was licensed to Benshi. Holly is currently developing a feature-length SUNFLOWER GIRL. She was a 2025 BendFilm: Basecamp Fellow and completed the feature film script as a Stowe Story Labs Feature Campus Participant.
Holly has served as a Co-Executive Producer/Director's Assistant on PRETTY LITTLE LIARS: ORIGINAL SIN (HBO Max) and was an apprentice to late independent Producer/Director Ben Barenholtz. Holly earned her BA in Film & Media Arts from American University and attended the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. She also works in film exhibition at major New York film festivals through IATSE Local 306 and mentors teen filmmakers at Reel Works.