SIFF PROJECT | Lineup of SIFF PROJECT Committee Unveiled

The lineup of SIFF PROJECT Committee at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) has been unveiled today. Acclaimed actress, director and author Joan CHEN serves as the president, while actress MA Yili and director-screenwriter Sam QUAH join as committee members for this year.

SIFF PROJECT 2026 will take place in Shanghai from June 13 to 16. The Committee will participate throughout the event, offering expert critiques during the presentation sessions for the “NEW TALENT PROJECT”, “GENRE PROJECT”, and “WORK-IN PROGRESS PROJECT (WIP)”. It will also engage in one-on-one communication with filmmakers from the “PRE-PRODUCTION PROJECT” and “CO-PRODUCTION PROJECT”. Ultimately, the Committee will determine the winners of this year’s SIFF PROJECT official awards.

 SIFF PROJECT Annual Focus Committee President Joan CHEN

Actress, Director, Author

Born in 1961 in Shanghai, Joan CHEN began her career at the age of 14 when she was recruited by the Shanghai Film Studio. She rose to national fame with her breakthrough performance in Little Flower, earning the Best Actress Award. After moving to the United States in 1981, she achieved international recognition for her role in Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor, which won nine Academy Awards. Over a career spanning decades, CHEN has appeared in more than 90 film and television projects, with notable credits including Twin Peaks, Heaven & Earth, and The Sun Also Rises. 

CHEN transitioned into directing in 1998. She went on to direct films such as Autumn in New York, while continuing to act in recent projects such as Dìdi. In 2024, she published her autobiographical nonfiction work Mao Yu. 

Beyond her creative work, CHEN has served as a jury member at major international film festivals such as the Berlin International Film Festival and the Venice International Film Festival, and has held prominent roles including Jury President of the FIRST International Film Festival and the Cross Strait Film Festival. She is also among the earliest Chinese members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

SIFF PROJECT Annual Focus Committee Member MA Yili

Actress

MA Yili is a National First-Class Actress and a graduate of the Shanghai Theatre Academy. She has starred in numerous acclaimed television dramas and films, including Struggle, The Road not Taken, The First Half of My Life, Lost, Found, Myth of Love, Blossoms, To the Wonder, and Girl on Edge. Renowned for her exceptional acting skills and versatile portrayals, she has earned widespread recognition and admiration from audiences.

In 2017, she won the Best Actress Award at the 24th Shanghai TV Festival Magnolia Awards for her performance in The First Half of My Life. In 2018, she received the Actress of the Year Award at the 10th China Film Directors’ Guild Awards for Lost, Found. In 2024, she was honored with the Actress of the Year Award at the 2nd China TV Drama Awards for her role in Blossoms.

SIFF PROJECT Annual Focus Committee Member Sam QUAH

Director, Screenwriter

Sam QUAH, graduated from Taipei National University of the Arts, is a prominent Malaysian director active in the Chinese-language film industry. His short film The Free Man won the Best Director Award at the 2015 Krakow International Festival of Short Films and was shortlisted for the Best Live Action Short Film category at the 88th Academy Awards.

In 2019, he garnered significant industry attention with his feature film Sheep Without a Shepherd. His debut feature, A Place of Silence, was selected for the New Wave unit at the 27th Busan International Film Festival and has also sparked extensive discussion across Chinese-speaking regions.

QUAH released The Fire Raven in 2025. This latest work further explores the boundless possibilities of the Chinese-language crime genre.

* In alphabetical order by surname

SIFF PROJECT

SIFF PROJECT was established in 2007. The program has nurtured 122 projects into production. As both an incubator for outstanding cinematic works and a vital platform for discovering emerging Chinese-language talent, SIFF PROJECT has introduced five distinctive sections: GENRE PROJECT, NEW TALENT PROJECT, CO-PRODUCTION PROJECT, PRE-PRODUCTION PROJECT, and WORK-IN PROGRESS PROJECT (WIP). Each section offers tailored services including project incubation, financing, promotion, and matchmaking, specifically designed to support projects at different creative stages and with varying artistic visions.

GENRE PROJECT | NEW TALENT PROJECT | CO-PRODUCTION PROJECT 

PRE-PRODUCTION PROJECT | WORK-IN PROGRESS PROJECT (WIP)

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