Dayyan Eng

Dayyan Eng, known as Wu Shixian to audiences in China, is a Chinese American writer-director with a uniquely international background. Growing up in several countries, he studied film at the University of Washington and transferred to the Beijing Film Academy where he completed undergraduate studies in directing. Starting his career directing TV commercials for the Asian and global markets, Eng first won awards and recognition at Venice, Sundance and Cannes film festivals for a short film in 2001 and for his acclaimed romantic-comedy "Duzi Dengdai (Waiting Alone)" (2004). Eng is the first American to direct a Chinese feature film; the first foreign member of the China Film Director's Guild and made history as the first foreign director to have a film nominated for "Best Picture" at the Chinese academy awards. Eng wrote, produced and directed the genre-bending dramedy/psychological suspense "Inseparable" (2011). The film premiered at the 2011 Busan International Film Festival and stars Daniel Wu with Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey. In 2017, Eng directed the indie fantasy-comedy "Wished" that was co-written with Justin Malen. "Wished" won a Golden Angel Award for an Outstanding Film at the 2017 Chinese American Film Festival.