Introducing Taiwanese Canadian Filmmaker Athena Han
At the age of 13, Athena Han immigrated to Canada with her family. Like many second-generation immigrants, one of her parents resided in Taiwan for a long period, working hard to support the family. In such a situation of being apart for extended periods, the relationship between family members inevitably becomes somewhat unfamiliar. Based on this observation, in 2013, she embarked on a journey to Taiwan and captured her first work, Home. For nearly 10 years since then, the theme of family has been an indispensable element in her works, and her immigrant background has constantly led her to contemplate her self-definition through her creations.
Athena will appear at the Vancouver Taiwanese Film Festival as a guest speaker. This panel is an opportunity for her to connect with the younger generation of storytellers and share her stories working in both the Taiwanese and Canadian film industries.
Time: Sunday, Sept. 10th, 4:30 PM
Location: Vancouver International Film Centre
Free Admission
Panel will open with Short Films and close with the Film Fest Closing Ceremony.
Guest Speaker
Athena Han
Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Athena graduated from SFU Film Production program and was a mentee at Vancouver International Film Festival 2019. Being a Taiwanese-Canadian writer-director, she likes to tell stories that explore family dynamics, culture clashes, and self-identity. She has had experience directing in both Taiwan and Canada. Her films have been showcased in numerous film festivals such as Cinequest, Rhode Island International Film Festival, Taiwan’s Golden Harvest Award, Whistler Film Festival, and Los Angeles Asian Film Festival. She has also received awards such as A&E Short Filmmaker Award for Best Film and Shaw Media Fearless Female Director Award. During the pandemic, she made the short Hey Yú as part of a charity anthology film with the French VOD platform Outbuster. In May 2023, her commercial work for Coastal FC Language We Know was also just released. Athena is now currently in the development of her first feature film Precious Yellow Metals and in pre-production for her next short film Sitting Bird.
English (Canada) 
繁體中文