Shirley Chen to receive Excellence in Acting Award at OIFF 2025

Short Films Block E — Sunday, June 22 @ 2pm | Wright Opera House

To speak about Shirley Chen’s career as a “meteoric rise” doesn’t do justice to the range that she has shown in so many films over the last several years. In 2018, Chen received an award for Best Acting in a Narrative Short at SXSW for her starring role in Krista. Last year, Chen shared a jury prize for acting at the Sundance Film Festival for Oscar-nominee Sean Wang’s film Dìdi. In the movie, Chen plays Vivian Wang, the protagonist’s sister, with a bracing degree of vulnerability, humor, and guts. 

Over the last year, Chen has been visible on the global film festival circuit with two incredible performances. In The Truck, directed by OIFF alumna Eliabeth Rao, and Good Boy Banjo, a film by Jackie! Zhou, Chen shows remarkable range in demanding roles that encompass comedy, tragedy, and even a bit of the absurd. 

At OIFF, Chen is the second performer to receive an Excellence in Acting Award, succeeding Academy Award-nominee Paul Raci, who received the Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award in 2023. When the festival leadership decided to honor another actor for OIFF 2025, they turned to Chen as someone whose performances inspire the kind of kinetic excellence that makes narrative films worth watching. 

Chen will receive the Excellence in Acting Award on June 20th at the Wright Opera House. The program is part of Shorts Films Block E, and will begin with a retrospective look at Krista, followed by The Truck, and Good Boy Banjo. Director Jackie Zhou! will be in attendance to discuss the process of collaborating with Chen following the screening. A happy hour with live music will precede the program in the Tavern at the Wright Opera House.