Yihwen Chen

Yihwen Chen
Born1985 (age 39–40)
Alma materRMIT School of Creative Media
Occupations
  • Filmmaker
  • journalist
Years active2010–present

Yihwen Chen (born 1985) is a Malaysian documentary filmmaker and journalist. Her body of work primarily revolves around human rights, gender inequality as well as social and environmental justice.

Early life and education

Chen studied Creative Media in Film & TV Production at RMIT School of Creative Media in Melbourne.[1]

Career

Chen's debut short film Like Toy Dolls won the BMW Shorties Malaysia Grand Prize in 2010,[2] after which the initiative helped produce Chen's next short film Memoria,[3] starring two young girls and dealing with "betrayal [and] healing".[1] It premiered as part of the International Competition selection at the GwangHwaMun International Short Film Festival (GISFF), then called Asiana International Short Film Festival after the Korean airline who sponsored it,[4] in 2011.[1]

After years of working on documentaries for Netflix, BBC, CNA, History, CNN International and Crime & Investigation Network,[5] Chen returned to directing her own films in 2019 with the documentary short The Hidden Cut, tackling female circumcision.[6] Later that same year her debut feature-length documentary on Malaysia's blind football team, Eye on the Ball, premiered in London.[7] Her next docu-short The Boys Club (2021) reflects on the sexual harassment, bullying and misogyny that Chen had to endure in the making of Eye on the Ball, which eventually led to her having to leave her workplace. The short has been selected by the Busan International Short Film Festival and became the first Malaysian documentary to win the NETPAC award.[6][8] Chen has spoken out about wanting to use the film to push for anti-sexual harassment legislation and organise panel discussions around it.[6]

In 2025 Chen's second feature-length documentary Queer As Punk premiered at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival.[9] The film follows the Malaysian LGBTQ punk band "Shh...Diam!". Shot over six years Chen captures the lead singer Faris' transition journey, individual portraits with the band members and the societal challenges queer and trans people face in Malaysia. The result has been described as a "music documentary that pushes past the genre’s boundaries".[10] It was acquired by French distributor Mediawan Rights.[11]

Filmography

Year Title Director Producer Notes Ref(s).
2010 Like Toy Dolls Yes Yes Short film [2]
2011 Memoria Yes Yes Short film [1][3]
2019 The Hidden Cut Yes — Documentary short [6]
Eye on the Ball Yes Yes Documentary feature [12]
2021 The Boys Club Yes Yes Documentary short [6]
2024 Queer As Punk Yes Yes Documentary feature [9]

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Nominated Work Result Ref(s).
2010 BMW Shorties Malaysia Grand Prize Like Toy Dolls Won [2]
2011 GISFF International Competition Memoria Nominated [1]
2019 Society of Publishers in Asia Excellence in Reporting Women's Issues The Hidden Cut Won [7][6]
2022 Busan International Short Film Festival NETPAC Award The Boys Club Won [13]
2025 Guadalajara International Film Festival Maguey Award Queer As Punk Nominated [14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "MEMORIA - GwangHwaMun International Short Film Festival". GISFF.kr. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  2. ^ a b c BMW Shorties Malaysia (15 August 2015). BMW Shorties 2010 Grand Prize Winner: Like Toy Dolls by Chen Yih Wen (film). Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ a b BMW Shorties Malaysia (2 September 2022). Memoria - A BMW Shorties Production by Chen Yih Wen - 2011 (film). Retrieved 24 July 2025 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ Lee, Sun-min (17 October 2021). "GwangHwaMun film festival has a new name and aim". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  5. ^ "Yih Wen Chen". Pulitzer Center. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Jayatilaka, Tania (24 August 2022). "Award-Winning Malaysian Filmmaker Yih Wen Chen's Stories Start with a Gut Feeling". Tatler Asia. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  7. ^ a b "DIRECTORS EXCHANGE - (Re)claiming authority over Narratives". Teddy Award. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  8. ^ Yohan, Dashran. "The Boys Club: A Documentary on Sexual Harassment". BFM 89.9 (Podcast). Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Queer as Punk". Berlinale. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
  10. ^ Goslawski, Barbara (1 May 2025). "Queer as Punk Review: Music as Resistance in Malaysia". POV Magazine. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
  11. ^ Whittock, Jesse (11 February 2025). "Mediawan Rights Boards Yihwen Chen's Doc 'Queer As Punk' Ahead Of Berlinale Premiere". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  12. ^ Goh, Stephanie (10 October 2019). "Harimau Buta Will Be Challenging Us To Blind Football This Weekend". TallyPress.com. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  13. ^ Hassandarvish, Milad (9 May 2022). "First for Malaysia: Anti-sexual harassment short film wins Asian Pacific Cinema award at Busan film fest". Malay Mail. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  14. ^ Gallegos, Ricardo (9 May 2025). "Festival Internacional de Cine de Guadalajara 2025: Películas, sedes, invitados y más (FICG)". La Estatuilla (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 July 2025.
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