Dayyan Eng

Dayyan Eng, known as Wu Shixian in China, born in Taiwan in 1975, is a Chinese-American filmmaker of Chinese, English, and Persian ancestry, who grew up in three continents. He studied film arts at the University of Washington and transferred to the Beijing Film Academy, where he finished his undergraduate studies in directing. Eng started his career directing numerous TV commercials and music videos for the Asian market before he segued into films. Eng first won awards and recognition at the Venice Film Festival, Sundance and Cannes film festivals for his film Bus 44, and for his acclaimed romantic-comedy Waiting Alone. Eng is the first American to direct a Chinese feature film; the first foreign director invited into the China Film Director's Guild; and made history as the first and only foreign director to date to have a film nominated for Best Picture at the Chinese academy awards. In addition, Eng's films have also garnered accolades and awards for the actors he's worked with, which have included top stars in Asia and Hollywood. Career In 2001, Eng wrote and directed Bus 44 starring Chinese film star Gong Beibi. The film premiered and won awards at the 2001 Venice Film Festival and 2002 Sundance Film Festival, and was invited to 2002 Cannes Film Festival "Directors' Fortnight" - becoming the first Chinese short film to be invited in all three festivals' history. The film was covered extensively in the Chinese media and was critically acclaimed in both China and Europe and gained TV and theatrical distribution in territories worldwide. In 2005, Eng wrote, produced, and directed a Chinese independent feature film Waiting Alone, starring an ensemble cast of Chinese stars including Xia Yu, Li Bingbing, Gong Beibi and featuring cameos from some of Asia's most well-known actors including Chow Yun-fat. The film has been called one of 2005 "best films" by over 50 media. Waiting Alone became a hit after its September 2005 domestic China wide-release, and went on to receive 3 nominations, including Best Picture, at the Chinese academy awards (Golden Rooster Awards) -- the first ever in the history of the awards by a foreign director. The film to date still remains the highest-rated romantic comedy from China on Douban and other review sites. Eng was invited, in 2007, to direct the first-ever opening short for the Chinese academy awards.