Peggy Chiao is a Taiwanese-Chinese filmmaker, producer, distributor, educator, juror, critic, and author. She is known internationally as the "godmother of New Taiwan Cinema".
In 1997, Chiao established Arc Light Films, a production company with pan-Chinese ambition which has produced films with directors like Ann Hui, Stanley Kwan, Wang Xiaoshuai, Olivier Assayas, Yi Chih-yen, Kenny Bi and many more collaborators.
Since then, Chiao has produced critically and commercially successful films encompassing many genres and themes. Her award-winning films include Beijing Bicycle (2001), The Hole (1998), Blue Gate Crossing (2002), Drifters (2003), Green Hat (2004), Betelnut Beauty (2001), HHH: Portrait of Hous-Hsiao-Hsien (2012), Lost in Beijing (2007), Buddha Mountain (2010) and The Drummer (2007), among many others. She also helped initiate the romantic comedy genre in Taiwan and China with films such as Hear Me (2009), Blue Gate Crossing (2002), Love Speaks (2013), and The Stolen Years (2013). She produced period dramas such as Empire of Silver (2009) and Lord of Shanghai (2016), and also documentaries such as Homesick Eyes (1997) and Datong: The Great Society (2011).
She has also explored web platforms with series like Finding Soul (2016), with the Chinese idol group TFBoys.
Chiao was a tireless advocate of the new talents in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China. She is one of the main reasons Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Edward Yang, Ang Lee, Wang Xiaoshuai, Tsai Ming Liang, and many other directors have been introduced to the western world. During the 1980s and 1990s, Chiao has been credited for introducing the world to New Taiwan Cinema, helping define the diverse aesthetics as well as cultural and historical themes in the movement.
In 2007, she was elected as chair of the Golden Horse Film Festival, for which she reformed the jury system, brought in FIPRESCI and NETPAC and established co-production meetings; helping shape Golden Horse into the world-renowned film festival as it is today. Earlier in 1990, Chiao founded the China Times Express Award, which evolved into the Taipei International Film Award.
She has served as juror for many international film festivals including San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Berlin, Brisbane, Sydney, Rome, Venice, San Sebastián, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Mannheim-Heidelberg, Oberhausen, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Jeonju, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, New Delhi, Tashkent and many Chinese film festivals.
Academically, Chiao was the director of the Graduate School of Filmmaking at the Taipei National University of the Arts and has been a professor there since 1985. She has taught in different universities in Taipei, Shanghai, Nanchang, and Beijing.
Chiao has published over 80 books throughout her career, some of which have been assigned as textbooks in film schools in Chinese-language territories.
Career Chiao received her MA at the University of Texas at Austin and was in the Ph.D. program at the University of California, Los Angeles.
As a film critic and author, Chiao has written for major Taiwanese newspapers. She keeps regular columns in China for film magazines and newspapers. Many of her essays have been translated and included in various anthologies. Some of her notable books include New Taiwan Cinema (1987), Hong Kong New Wave (1987) and Aspects of New Asian Films (1991), The auteurs of Taiwan and Hong Kong Films (1995), French New Wave (2004), Musicals (1993), Films of Akira Kurosawa (2018), Latino Cinema (part I&II, 2021), etc.
Chiao was the CEO of National Taiwan Film Year consigned by the Taiwan government in 1993, for which she programmed 16 retrospectives of Taiwan films abroad and various projects to consolidate film industry and culture. This includes producing 6 shorts with youngsters who later became famous directors such as Chen Yu-hsun, Hsiao Ya-chuan, and Lin Cheng-sheng. The following year, Chiao founded the Taiwan Film Center to help develop an international network for local Taiwanese filmmakers, organizing Taiwan Retrospectives at Pesaro, Toronto, New York's Lincoln Center, Chicago's Art Center, etc.
Filmography Year Title Category Director Position Accolades2021Farewell, My LadFeature FilmsYin RuoxiProducer - Shanghai International Film Festival China Movie Channel Media Award Best Actress / Best New Actor – Nomination of Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best New Director2019Qing’s JourneyDocumentaryGao TunziProducer - Universe Multicultural Film Festival Culture Heritage Film Award – Beijing Ethnographic Film Festival – Asia Pacific Screen Awards Nomination of Best of Documentary2018A Dog’s LifeAnimation FeatureChang YiAssociate Producer - Golden Horse Awards Nomination of Animation Long Feature – Osaka Asian Film FestivalNomination of Best Animation film – Animafest Zagreb Nomination of Best filmA Land ImaginedFeature FilmsYeo Siew- huaAPSA Mentor - Locarno Film Festival Golden Leopard – Asia Pacific Screen AwardsYoung Cinema Award – Golden Horse Awards Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Music2016Finding SoulWeb SeriesFenfen ChengProducer - Asia New Media Film Festival, Seoul Best Web SeriesMr. Zhu's SummerFeature FilmsSong Hao-linProducer - Golden Rooster Awards Nomination of Best Children's Film / Best Directorial Debut2015Lord of ShanghaiFeature FilmsSherwood HuProducerShanghai International Film Festival Closing Film2014-2015In FocusTalk ShowProducer/Host Guest: John Woo, Yimou Zhang, Wen Jiang, Xiaogang Feng, Peter Chan, Sylvia Chang, Hao Ning, Tianming Wu, Jean-Jacques Annaud, Xu Zheng, Yinan Diao, Han Han, Yang Lu, Alex Law, Mabel Cheung, Baoping Cao, Stan Lai, Changwei Gu, Jian Cui, Ziyi Zhang, Bingbing Li, Amber Kuo, Lei Huang, Danqing Chen, Shaohong Li, Li Fang...2013The Stolen YearsFeature FilmsWong Chun-chunAssociate ProducerLove SpeaksFeature FilmsLi ZhiProducer2012Datong: The Great SocietyDocumentaryEvans ChanProducer - Nanfang Metropolis Daily Best Film Award – New Taipei Film FestivalClosing FilmTwo Or Three Things About Kang YouweiDocumentaryChen Yao-mingProducer - Nanfang Metropolis Daily Best Film Award – New Taipei Film FestivalClosing Film2011ThiefShort FilmsJay ChengProducer - Golden Horse Awards Best Short Feature Film - Golden Harvest Awards Best Director / Excellent Performance
- Golden Bell Awards Best Miniseries or Television Film／Best Directing for a TV movie - Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia "International Competition" Best Short Feature Film / Best ActressTempest of First LoveFeature FilmsChiang Fong-honProducer - New Taipei City Film Festival Opening Film2010CherishDocumentaryWang Cheng-yangProducer - Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia "STOP! Global Warming Competition" Best Award / Audiences-selected awardLove You Ten Thousand YearFeature FilmsKitamura ToyoharuProducer - Osaka Asian Film Festival Most Popular Film Popularity AwardMe，19Feature FilmsCheng Nai-fangProducer - Kuandu Art Festival Opening FilmBuddha MountainFeature FilmsLi yuAssociate Producer- Tokyo International Film Festival Best Actress / Best Art Contribution - Nominated：Golden Horse Awards Best Leading ActressLike a DreamFeature FilmsClara LawProducer - Nominated：Golden Horse Awards Best Feature Film / Best Director / Best Leading Actor / Best Leading Actress / Best Original Film Score / Best Original Screenplay / Best Cinematography / Best Sound Effects / Best Art Direction2009BirthdayShort FilmsWang Cheng-yangProducerGolden Harvest Award First AwardHear MeFeature FilmsCheng Fen-fenProducer - Taipei Film Festival Best Actress - Osaka Asian Film Festival Most Popular Film Popularity Award - 2009 Box-office Champion in Taiwan
- Nominated：Golden Horse Awards FIPRESCI PrizeEmpire of SilverFeature FilmsChristina YaoProducer - Berlin International Film Festival "Panorama" - Shanghai International Film Festival Jury Prize - Hawaii International Film Festival Best Narrative Feature - 2009 CCTV TV Media Awards Most Focused-in Director2008 HopscotchShort FilmsChiang Hsiu-chiungProducer - Golden Horse Award Best Short Feature Film - Asia Pacific Film Festival Best Short Feature Film2007 The DrummerFeature FilmsKenneth BiProducer - Golden Horse Award Best Supporting Actor - Nominated – Hong Kong Film Award Best Sound Design / Best Original Film Song Lost in BeijingFeature FilmsLi yuAssociate Producer - Nominated : Berlin International Film Festival Golden Bear Award - Tribeca Film Festival Screenplay Honor - The Eurasia International Film Festival Best Actress - World Film Festival of Bangkok Jury Prize2005How's Life?Short FilmsTommy YuProducer - Lumière Film Festival Best Film Second Runner-up - Golden Horse Awards Best New Actor / Best Short Film
- Golden Harvest Awards Best DV Drama Awards
- The International Student Film and Video Festival of Beijing Film Academy
Best Chinese Film Karmic MahjongFeature FilmsWang Guan-liProducerStolen LifeFeature FilmsLi Shao-hongAssociate Producer - Kerala International Film Festival Best Film - Tribeca Film Festival Best Film2004 Love of MayFeature FilmsTsui Siu-mingProducerGreen HatFeature FilmsLiu Fen-douAssociate Producer- Tribeca Film Festival Best Director / Best Film - Thessaloniki International Film Festival FIPRESCI Prize
- Noir in Festival Special Mention - São Paulo International Film Festival New Directors Competition2003Darkness BrideFeature FilmsKwok Wai-lunProducerDriftersFeature FilmsWang Xiao-shuaiProducer - Cannes Film Festival "Un certain regard"- Cinemaya Film Festival Best Actor & NETPAC Award - Film Festival of the 3 Continents Opening Film2002Blue Gate CrossingFeature FilmsYee Chin-yenProducer- Nominated – Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Asian Film2001Betelnut BeautyFeature FilmsLin Cheng-shengProducer - Berlin International Film Festival Best Director, New Talent AwardBeijing BicycleFeature FilmsWang Xiao-shuaiProducer - Berlin International Film Festival Jury Grand Prix, New Talent Award - Nominated – Golden Horse Awards Best Feature Film / Best Director / Best New Performer / Best Original Screenplay / Best Cinematography / Best Film Editing2000Mirror ImageFeature FilmsHsiao Ya-chuanAssociate Producer - Taipei Film Festival Best Film / Best New Director - Fukuoka International Film Festival Audience Award - Vancouver International Film Festival Young Director Award - Cannes Film Festival Directors' Fortnight1998The HoleFeature FilmsTsai Ming-liangProducer - Cannes Film Festival Competition FIPRESCI Prize - Chicago International Film Festival Gold Hugo Awards - Taipei Film Festival Jury Prize - Singapore International Film Festival Best Film, Best Actor / Best Actress1997HHH:Portrait of Hou Hsiao- hsienDocumentaryOlivier AssayasProducer - Venice Film Festival – Berlin International Film FestivalStill Love You After All TheseDocumentaryStanley KwanProducer - Venice Film Festival – Berlin International Film FestivalAs Time Goes ByDocumentaryAnn HuiProducer - Venice Film Festival – Berlin International Film FestivalHomesick EyesDocumentaryHsu Hsiao- mingProducer - Berlin International Film Festival Youth Forum Ecumcuical Awards – Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival FIPRESCI Prize – Golden Horse Award Best Documentary – Hawaii International Film Festival Best Documentary1991Center StageFeature FilmsStanley KwanWriter - Berlin International Film Festival Best Actress - Golden Horse Awards Best Leading Actress / Best Cinematography - Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Actress, Best Cinematography / Best Art Direction/ Best Original Film Song - Chicago International Film Festival Silver Hugo Award for Best Actress - Japan Movie Critics Award Best Foreign Actress
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