Cai graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in 1992.

Cai was part of the team, along with Zhang Yang, Diao Yi'nan, and Liu Fendou, that co-wrote the screenplays for two of Zhang's films: Spicy Love Soup (1997) and Shower (1999).

Cai also cowrote a script for Zhang's Sunflower (2005).

[2] In 2011, Cai won the Silver Lion for the Best Director at the 68th Venice International Film Festival with the film People Mountain People Sea.

This article about a Chinese film director is a stub.