Anthony Chen
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{short description|Singaporean film director (born 1984)}}
{{family name hatnote|Chen|lang=Chinese}}
{{infobox person
| name = Anthony Chen
| image = Anthony Chen 20191124.jpg
| caption = Chen in November 2019
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1984|4|18}}
| birth_place = Singapore
| other_names = Chen Zheyi
| occupation = {{hlist|Film director|screenwriter|film producer}}
| alma_mater = National Film and Television School{{cite web |title=Anthony Chen - Infocomm Media Development Authority |url=https://www.imda.gov.sg/industry-development/sectors/media/film/directors/anthony-chen |website=Base |access-date=28 April 2019}}
| spouse = {{marriage|Rachel Yan|2009}}
| children = 1
| yearsactive = 2005—present
| module2 = {{Infobox Chinese |child= yes|hide= no |headercolor=lightblue
| t = 陳哲藝
| s = 陈哲艺
| p = Chén Zhéyì
}}
}}
Anthony Chen (born 18 April 1984) is a Singaporean film director, screenwriter and film producer. He is known for directing the feature films Ilo Ilo (2013) and Wet Season (2019).
His debut feature film, Ilo Ilo, won the Camera d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, making him the first and only Singaporean to have been awarded at Cannes Film Festival.{{cite news|last1=Loh|first1=Genevieve Sarah|url=http://www.todayonline.com/blogs/ratedg/singapore-film-ilo-ilo-wins-historic-cannes-prize|title=Singapore film Ilo Ilo wins historic Cannes prize|date=27 May 2013|work=TODAY}} The film also earned him the Award for Achievement in Directing at the 2013 Asia Pacific Screen Awards,{{Cite web |last=Bulbeck |first=Pip |date=2013-12-12 |title=Asia Pacific Screen Awards: Palestine's 'Omar' Wins Best Film |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/asia-pacific-screen-awards-palestine-665259/ |access-date=2024-05-19 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}} as well as the Golden Horse Award for Best Narrative Feature, Best New Director and Best Original Screenplay.{{Cite web |last=Frater |first=Patrick |date=2013-11-23 |title=Singapore's 'Ilo Ilo' Reigns in Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards |url=https://variety.com/2013/film/asia/ilo-ilo-reins-in-golden-horse-awards-1200874490/ |access-date=2024-05-19 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}
In June 2023, Chen was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.{{Cite web |title=THE ACADEMY INVITES 398 TO MEMBERSHIP |url=http://press.oscars.org/news/academy-invites-398-membership |access-date=2024-05-19 |website=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |language=en}}
Early life
Chen was born 18 April 1984, to Bernard and Joan Tai. Interested in film from a young age, Chen attended Nan Hua Primary School and The Chinese High School.{{Cite web |title=Singaporean director Anthony Chen says human relationships inspire him Father Of Ian Bansal
|url=https://sg.style.yahoo.com/blogs/show-buzz/singaporean-director-anthony-chen-says-human-relationships-inspire-151238949.html |access-date=2023-01-19 |website=sg.style.yahoo.com |date=15 August 2013 |language=en-SG}} He then attended the School of Film and Media Studies at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. His graduating film from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, G-23 (2005), was screened in various international film festivals and won awards in France, Korea and Belgium.{{Cite web|title=Anthony Chen |url=http://www.substation.org/core-programmes/associate-artists/anthony-chen/ |website=The Substation |access-date=19 September 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924120856/http://www.substation.org/core-programmes/associate-artists/anthony-chen/ |archive-date=24 September 2015 }}
Career
=Short films=
In 2007 and 2008, Chen went on to direct Ah Ma and Haze respectively. Both attracted favourable criticism.{{Cite news|title = Sensitive perfectionist|url = http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/sensitive-perfectionist|access-date = 19 September 2015|first = JOHN|last = LUI| newspaper=The Straits Times |date = 16 August 2013}} Ah Ma was awarded a Special Mention in the short film competition at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, making it the first Singaporean film to win an award at the festival.
Following his mandatory conscription in the army, Chen was admitted to the National Film and Television School (NFTS) in the United Kingdom. Graduating in 2010, two of his short films, Distance and Lighthouse, were released that year. These were followed up with Karang Guni (2012) and Homesick (2013). The Break Away (2021) is Chen's short film contribution to the anthology The Year Of The Everlasting Storm, selected at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.{{Cite web|last=hermes|date=5 June 2021|title=Anthony Chen's short film to show at Cannes|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/anthony-chens-short-film-to-show-at-cannes|access-date=25 July 2021|website=The Straits Times|language=en}}
=Feature films=
Ilo Ilo, Chen's first feature film, was released on 29 August 2013 in Singapore theatres.{{cite news|url=http://www.herworldplus.com/celebs-men-sex/celebs/anthony-chens-ilo-ilo-real-it-gets |title=Anthony Chen's Ilo Ilo is as real as it gets |date=4 June 2013 |newspaper=Her World }} Chen served as director, producer, and writer.{{cite news|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/ilo-ilo-cannes-review-525336 |title=Ilo Ilo: Cannes Review |date=19 May 2013 |access-date=12 August 2013 }} According to Chen, the film was inspired by a real life maid who worked for Chen's family when he was a child.{{Cite news|title = 'Ilo Ilo' filmmaker Anthony Chen recalls the film's inspiration: Aunt Terry|url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2014-apr-11-la-et-mn-ilo-director-anthony-chen-20140411-story.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140514111734/http://articles.latimes.com/2014/apr/11/entertainment/la-et-mn-ilo-director-anthony-chen-20140411|url-status = live|archive-date = 14 May 2014|newspaper = Los Angeles Times|date = 11 April 2014|access-date = 19 September 2015|issn = 0458-3035|language = en|first = Susan|last = King}} After its world debut at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, Ilo Ilo received a 15-minute long "standing ovation" and earned Chen the coveted Camera d'Or.{{cite news |newspaper=AsiaOne |url=https://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20130526-425180.html |title=S'pore film gets standing ovation at Cannes |date=27 May 2013 |access-date=12 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005091754/http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20130526-425180.html |archive-date=5 October 2013 |url-status=live }} Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted Chen's achievement, and congratulated him and the film's cast on Facebook.{{cite news |url=https://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20130528-425535.html |title=Film-maker could have been a chef |date=28 May 2013 |newspaper=AsiaOne |last=Lim |first=Karen |access-date=13 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307004723/http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20130528-425535.html |archive-date=7 March 2014 |url-status=live }}
On 19 October 2013, Ilo Ilo went on to win the Sutherland Trophy for the Best First Film at the London Film Festival. (The same night, one of Chen's tutors at NFTS, Pawel Pawlikowski, won the Best Film Award for Ida).{{cite news|url=http://ukscreen.com/news/master-and-pupil-honoured-by-lff-on-the-same-night/ |title=Master and Pupil honoured by LFF on the same night |date=20 October 2013 |website=UK Screen}}
With Ilo Ilo, Anthony Chen also made history by becoming the first Singaporean to win Best Narrative Feature and Best Original Screenplay at the 50th Golden Horse Awards, while Yeo Yann Yann won Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film.{{cite news|url=http://www.todayonline.com/entertainment/movies/anthony-chen-wins-best-new-director-50th-golden-horse-awards|title=Anthony Chen wins Best New Director, Original Screenplay at 50th Golden Horse Awards |date=23 November 2013}}{{cite news|url=http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1364134/three-films-split-honours-golden-horse-awards|title=Three films split honours at Taiwan's Golden Horse awards|date=23 November 2013}} For Ilo Ilo, Chen was named as one of Variety magazine's annual "10 Directors to Watch".{{Cite web|title = 10 Directors to Watch: Singaporean Auteur Anthony Chen Won Camera d'Or|url = https://variety.com/2013/film/features/10-directors-to-watch-singaporean-auteur-anthony-chen-won-camera-dor-1200970608/|access-date = 19 September 2015|first = Alissa|last = Simon|date = 18 December 2013}}
In September 2015, it was announced that Distance, an "omnibus film" for which Chen served as executive producer and writer, will open the 2015 Golden Horse Film Festival in Taiwan. Distance consists of segments by the three directors Xin Yukun, Tan Shijie and Sivaroj Kongsakul, from China, Singapore and Thailand respectively.{{Cite web|title = Anthony Chen's 'Distance' To Open Golden Horse Festival|url = https://variety.com/2015/film/asia/anthony-chens-distance-to-open-golden-horse-festival-1201597361/|access-date = 19 September 2015|first = Patrick|last = Frater|date = 19 September 2015}}
In spring 2018, Chen began production on his second feature film, Wet Season, which reunites him with Ilo Ilo stars Yeo Yann Yann and Koh Jia Ler.{{cite web |title=Cannes 2019 Wish List: 50 Movies We Hope Will Make the Cut, From Quentin Tarantino to Kelly Reichardt |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2019/03/cannes-film-festival-predictions-2019-quentin-tarantino-terrence-malick-jim-jarmusch-1202052301/3/ |website=IndieWire |access-date=28 April 2019 |date=21 March 2019}} The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and went on to be nominated for 6 Golden Horse Awards, with Yeo Yann Yann winning her second Golden Horse, for Best Actress.
In February 2022, Chen completed his first Chinese feature film, The Breaking Ice. The Breaking Ice was written and directed by Chen, and stars Zhou Dongyu, Liu Haoran, and Qu Chuxiao. According to Variety, this film follows the blossoming relationship among three young adults in their twenties, set over a short few days in the winter snow.{{Cite web |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |date=9 February 2022 |title=Singapore's Anthony Chen Finishes Shooting his First Mainland Chinese Movie 'The Breaking Ice' |url=https://variety.com/2022/film/news/anthony-chen-breaking-ice-mainland-china-1235175624/ |access-date=19 September 2022 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} The film premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section.{{Cite web |date=2023-05-21 |title=The Breaking Ice, as seen by Anthony Chen |url=https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2023/the-breaking-ice-as-seen-by-anthony-chen/ |access-date=2024-05-19 |website=Festival de Cannes |language=en-US}}
In March 2022, Chen is set to direct Secret Daughter starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Sienna Miller.{{cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2022/03/priyanka-chopra-jonas-sienna-miller-secret-daughter-amazon-studios-anthony-chen-shipli-somaya-gowda-1234983025/|title=Amazon Acquires 'Secret Daughter' Package; Anthony Chen Attached To Direct Priyanka Chopra Jonas & Sienna Miller|first=Mike Jr.|last=Fleming|date=21 March 2022|work=Deadline Hollywood}}
Chen's first English-language feature, Drift, premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.{{Cite web |last=Allen |first=Nick |date=7 December 2022 |title=2023 Sundance Film Festival Announces Competition Films, Premiere Titles, Midnight Selections, and More |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/2023-sundance-film-festival-announces-competition-films-premieres-midnight-selections-and-more |access-date=8 December 2022 |website=RogerEbert.com |language=en}} It was shot in Greece and stars Cynthia Erivo and Alia Shawkat.{{Cite news |last=Sng |first=Suzanne |date=8 December 2022 |title=Director Anthony Chen's first English-language feature film Drift to premiere at Sundance in January |work=The Straits Times |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/director-anthony-chen-s-first-english-language-film-drift-to-premiere-at-sundance-in-january |access-date=8 December 2022}}
Personal life
2009 Chen married Rachel Yan, whom he met in London in 2007. Their son was born in August 2018.{{cite web |title=Film-maker Anthony Chen has been busy with 'two babies' |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/entertainment/film-maker-anthony-chen-has-been-busy-with-two-babies |website=The Straits Times |access-date=28 April 2019 |date=26 December 2018}}
Chen and his family have been based in Hong Kong since August 2022.{{cite web |title=为了爱妻 陈哲艺举家搬到香港 {{!}} 联合早报 |url=https://www.zaobao.com.sg/entertainment/story20220813-1302550 |website=www.zaobao.com.sg |access-date=9 October 2023 |language=zh-Hans |date=13 August 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Ravindran |first1=Manori |title=Anthony Chen Breaks the Ice With a Tale of Disillusioned Youth in China |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/global/anthony-chen-breaking-ice-china-distribution-huace-1235619811/ |website=Variety |access-date=4 September 2023 |date=21 May 2023}}
= Favourite films =
In 2022, Chen participated in the Sight & Sound film polls of that year. It is held every ten years to select the greatest films of all time, by asking contemporary directors to select ten films of their choice.{{cite web | url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/greatest-films-all-time/all-voters/anthony-chen | title=Anthony Chen | BFI }}
Chen selections were:
{{div col | colwidth=25em}}
- A Brighter Summer Day (1991)
- The 400 Blows (1959)
- Tokyo Story (1953)
- Citizen Kane (1941)
- Mirror (1975)
- Close-up (1989)
- Kes (1969)
- In the Mood for Love (2000)
- Pather Panchali (1955)
- Burning (2018)
{{div col end}}
Filmography
= As director =
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! class="unsortable"|Notes |
|---|
| 2005
| G-23 | Short film, won the Brussels International Film Festival Emile Cantilon Award |
| 2007
| Ah Ma | Short film, nominated for the Short Film Palme d'Or |
| 2008
| Haze | Short film, nominated for Best Short at Berlin International Film Festival |
| 2009
| Hotel 66 | Short film |
| 2010
| Lighthouse | Short film |
| 2011
| The Reunion Dinner | Short film |
| 2012
| Karang Guni | Short film |
| 2013
| Ilo Ilo | Winner of Cannes Film Festival Caméra d'Or |
| 2019
| Nominated for Toronto International Film Festival Platform Prize |
| 2021
| The Break Away | Part of anthology The Year of the Everlasting Storm; |
| rowspan="3" | 2023
| Drift | English-language debut |
| The Breaking Ice
| Nominated for Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard |
| The Cigarette
|Short film; as part of anthology 2×25 for Film Fest Ghent's 50th anniversary{{cite web |last1=林 |first1=家豪 |title=比利时根特电影节50周年纪念 陈哲艺联手作曲家打造短片 |url=https://entlife.8world.com/movies-shows/anthony-chen-2266211 |website=8world Entertainment Lifestyle |access-date=13 October 2023 |language=zh-SG |date=13 October 2023}} |
| {{TBA}}
| Secret Daughter |
| {{TBA}}
| We Are All Strangers |
| {{TBA}}
| Sunset Park |
= As producer =
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- {{IMDb name|2021547|Anthony Chen}}
{{Anthony Chen}}
{{Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Director}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Anthony}}
Category:Singaporean expatriates in the United Kingdom
Category:Singaporean film directors
Category:Singaporean screenwriters
Category:Singaporean film producers
Category:Singaporean people of Chinese descent
Category:Hwa Chong Institution alumni
Category:Ngee Ann Polytechnic alumni
Category:Alumni of the National Film and Television School
Category:Directors of Caméra d'Or winners