Anthony Chen Talks Heading Shanghai Film Fest's Asian New Talent Jury, Reveals First TV Series

Time has been at a premium for Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen so far in 2026. He's been on the road with his latest production, We Are All Strangers, which bowed in competition at Berlin in February before opening both the Hong Kong International Film Festival and Italy's Far East Film Festival in Udine in April.

The film — a layered family drama — closes out what Chen calls his "Growing Up" trilogy, following his Cannes Camera d'Or-winning debut Ilo Ilo (2013) and 2019's Wet Season in delving as deeply into the rise and fall of relationships as into life in his home country.

Chen serves as president of the Shanghai International Film Festival's Asian New Talent jury, a role that will allow him to discover new talent and evaluate 12 films from the region, all from first- or second-time filmmakers.

"The Asian New Talent section wears its legacy proudly, with the likes of Chinese hitmaker Ning Hao (Mongolian Ping Pong) and Japanese anime auteur Makoto Shinkai (The Place Promised in Our Early Days) unearthed via its competition," Chen explained on the eve of the festival.

Chen has high praise for the festival, which he credits with launching his career after winning the Camera d'Or in Cannes and multiple Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan.

"I was very fortunate," Chen said. "My first film, Ilo Ilo, won over 40 awards around the world, including the Camera d'Or in Cannes and multiple Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan. That essentially launched my career and opened so many doors and opportunities.

Alongside directors Kamila Andini (Indonesia), Liu Jiayin (China) and Farkhat Sharipov (Kazakhstan), plus Taiwanese actress Wen Qi, Chen will have 12 films from across the region to assess.

"As a director myself, you also can't help but be drawn to masterful mise-en-scène and cinematic language. But the best ones are always those that understand 'less is more,'" Chen noted.

Chen sees the Shanghai festival playing a key role in the development of Chinese-language and Asian cinema, particularly through its Asian New Talent section.

"The Asian New Talent section, in particular, is a shining example of Shanghai's role in discovering young Asian filmmakers. If you look at the list of filmmakers who came through this section, it's quite luminous," Chen said.

And Chen has his own news to share with the industry: he's developing a new TV series, a 12-part episodic series that marries food and family, and will go into production in the next few months.

"So Chen knows the good that festivals can do," said Chen. "He knows there might be tough choices ahead — but with plenty of coffee at hand, he's up for the challenge.

About the city of Shanghai, Chen said: "I love Shanghai. It's one of my favorite cities in the world, and so different from every other Chinese city because of its East-meets-West legacy."