‘Dune’ Star Chang Chen Introduces Six Rising Taiwanese Actors In Golden Horse & TCCF Showcase

Taiwanese star Chang Chen introduced six rising actors in a showcase co-organized by the Golden Horse Awards and Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) at the seventh edition of TCCF today.

The event, which marks the first collaboration between TCCF and Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards, aims to raise the profile of Taiwanese actors at a time when they’re becoming a key factor in structuring international co-productions.

The six talents included actresses Bai Xiao-ying (Girl), Ho Man-xi (Sunshine Women’s Choir), Ma Shih-yuan (Left-Handed Girl), and Lin Yi-ting (A Dance With Rainbows), along with actors Rosen (Marching Boys) and Jimmy Liu (Blind Love).

Bai and Ho are both nominated for Best New Performer at this year’s Golden Horse Awards, while the remaining four talents were all nominated last year, with Ma winning in the category.

“We’re seeing more co-productions involving Taiwan and it’s encouraging to see this kind of exchange,” said Chang, whose recent credits include Dune and Cannes Directors Fortnight title Lucky Lu. “It’s important for us to learn more about each other, particularly in international co-productions, to avoid misunderstandings that could delay the production process.”

Sue Wang, Chair of TCCF organizer the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), said: “Taiwanese actors are one of the elements that could be used to apply for TAICCA funding, so we need to raise the profile of our acting talent and create more opportunities for them to be seen.”

During the showcase, each of the actors talked about their acting, language and other professional skills and the kind of projects they hope to work on in the future. Bai speaks fluent Japanese, while Rosen and Ma both speak English. Liu was winning Taekwondo competitions before landing a role in Disney+ series American Born Chinese alongside Michelle Yeoh.

Chang, who is currently serving as Chair of the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee, gave the six young actors a few career tips. “It’s not about whether a project is international or not, it’s about being adaptive to different production teams.”

He also passed on some advice that he was given by a director early in his career: “Read autobiographies of as many people as you can. As an actor, you need to experience different lives throughout your career, but at your young age, your experience of life is limited. So read autobiographies to understand the thoughts and emotions of other people.”

Golden Horse Film Festival opens tonight and runs until November 22, with the Golden Horse Awards being held on the final night of the festival. Sabu’s Arrested Memory and Shu Qi’s Girl are heading the nominations. TCCF also opened today and runs until November 9.