Dayyan Eng
Dayyan Eng, known as Wu Shixian in China (Chinese: 伍仕贤; pinyin: Wǔ Shìxían) (Born in Taiwan in 1975), is a Chinese-American filmmaker. He studied film arts at the University of Washington and transferred to the Beijing Film Academy, where he finished his undergraduate studies in directing.
In 2001, he wrote and directed Bus 44 (Chinese: 车四十四; pinyin: Chē Sì Shí Sì) 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 and directed a Chinese independent feature film Waiting Alone (Chinese: 独自等待; pinyin: Dú Zì Děng Dài), starring an ensemble cast of Chinese stars including Xia Yu, Gong Beibi, Li Bingbing, 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.
Eng, most recently, wrote and directed Inseparable starring Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey, Daniel Wu, Gong Beibi, Yan Ni, and Peter Stormare. The quirky dramedy debuted at the Busan International Film Festival in 2011 to positive reviews and was released in China in May 2012.
Selected filmography
As Writer, Director, Producer:
- Inseparable (Chinese: 形影不离; Pinyin: Xing Ying Bu Li) (2011)
- Waiting Alone (Chinese: 独自等待; Pinyin: Dú Zì Děng Dài) (2005)
- Bus 44 (Chinese: 车四十四; Pinyin: Che Si Shi Si) (2001)
Awards
- 2013: Chinese American Film Festival - Best US-China Co-Production Film Award (Inseparable)
- 2005: Golden Rooster Award - Best Picture Nomination (Waiting Alone)
- 2005: Beijing Film Festival - Best First Feature Award (Waiting Alone)
- 2001: Venice Film Festival - Special Jury Award (Bus 44)
- 2002: Sundance Film Festival - Jury Honorable Mention (Bus 44)
- 2002: Cannes Film Festival - Directors' Fortnight (Bus 44)
- 2002: Florida Film Festival - Grand Jury Award (Bus 44)
External links
- Official website
- Official Waiting Alone Site
- Official Bus 44 Site
- Dayyan Eng at the Internet Movie Database