Meet Shih-chun Hsiao

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shih-chun Hsiao. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shih-Chun below.

Shih-Chun, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

Artists observe, capture moments from life, and tell stories—and cinematic art is no exception. As a film editor and director, I believe that every story is rooted in our lives, experiences, and emotions.

In the creative process, once I identify the emotional core or tone of a story, I always look to my personal experiences for inspiration. I ask myself questions like, “How did I feel at that moment?” “What were my sensory impressions?” “How did time seem to pass during that experience?” Our brains are like movie projectors—they never replay our memories and emotions in a perfectly linear way. Ironically, the moments when we feel a sense of belonging, safety, and warmth tend to be brief in our memories, while feelings of pain and hardship remain vivid and seem to stretch on.

This contrast in how we experience time is a powerful tool in cinema. By tapping into these memory dynamics, we can create films that evoke visceral, authentic emotions, allowing audiences to deeply connect with the story.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a filmmaker from Taiwan, specializing in movie directing and editing. I have directed two award-winning short films and edited several others. My directorial work, Philosopher’s Tofu, won Best Short Film at the 2021 New York 21 Island Film Festival, and A Better Place was nominated for the Jury Award at the prestigious 2024 Austin Film Festival. As an editor, I worked on Fili, which was selected for the 2023 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. Additionally, Two Breaths was nominated for Best Film Made in Hawaii in 2024, and Launch Fever, a Sloan Foundation grant film, received critical acclaim and won Best Short Film at the 38th Annual Imagen Awards.

Interestingly, filmmaking wasn’t my first career path. After graduating, I worked as an oil field engineer for five years, leading a field team that used wireline tools to survey oil wells. My shift to filmmaking came in 2018 when a stranger reached out to praise my short film, a story about a swimmer who battles his nerves. He shared that the film had a similar effect on him, helping him manage his anxiety, and that watching it, along with the music, became part of his routine before competitions. This simple message had a profound impact on me, making me realize that I had the potential and talent to inspire and connect with others through film. I fully committed to the world of film production shortly after.

I focus on narrative film editing and directing, with a particular interest in stories about immigrants and minority communities. My background in technology, combined with my cultural insights, allows me to bring these compelling narratives to life. Currently, I am working on a feature film titled White Silhouette, an immigrant family drama about a middle-aged father trying to gather his family for a photo shoot, only to discover the coldness and disconnection between the family members.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

As a filmmaker, I believe the three most important qualities are perseverance, observation, and faith in your work.

Perseverance is crucial in the film industry. The journey of a filmmaker is filled with highs and lows, and the path can often feel uncertain. Film production is highly competitive and fast-paced. As a freelance filmmaker, you might apply for countless jobs in a year, go through multiple interviews, and face rejections more often than you’d like to admit. In my career, I learned that hearing “no” is more common than hearing “yes,” and this reality can be discouraging if you let it. But perseverance is about maintaining momentum despite setbacks—continuing to work on your craft, pushing forward, and not letting the disappointments define your progress. Over time, the opportunities come, but they come to those who don’t give up. In the long run, it’s about trusting that your hard work, dedication, and constant improvement will eventually pay off. Staying resilient is what keeps a filmmaker in the game.

Observation is an essential skill for any artist, and it is the foundation of creative storytelling. The way we view the world, the perspectives we choose, and our interpretation all shape the art we create. Just like a painter captures objects differently depending on how they see light and shadow or a musician composes music based on the way they feel the rhythms of nature, for filmmakers, our art is deeply rooted in studying people—how they react, how they speak, how emotions move across their faces. Observing these subtleties daily helps us bring authenticity to our films. I’ve come to realize that careful observation is what sets compelling stories apart from the rest.

Faith in your work is perhaps the most personal, yet vital, quality for a filmmaker. I’ve received critiques from many corners—audiences, critics, and even respected filmmakers—but I’ve learned that critique, while valuable, is still just opinion. Not everyone will agree with your creative choices, and that’s okay. Each filmmaker has their own unique voice, and your job is to stay true to it. The decisions you make—whether in editing, directing, or storytelling—are reflections of your vision and intuition. Consistency and conviction are what give your work authenticity. You won’t always please everyone, but as long as you remain honest with yourself and believe in your choices, you will connect with those who resonate with your art. I’ve learned to trust my instincts, and this faith has been key to my growth as an artist.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

A seasoned producer once told me, “Film production is about looking for trouble,” and that statement rings true in my current project as a director. One of the biggest challenges I’m facing is managing the constant, unexpected obstacles that arise during production. I’ve come to realize that perfectionism doesn’t work in filmmaking. Instead, it’s the optimists and those who can adapt that keep things moving forward.

In this project, like in many others, setbacks are inevitable—whether it’s equipment malfunctions, scheduling conflicts, or sudden changes that disrupt plans. Recently, I’ve had to deal with location issues and crew scheduling problems, which forced us to rethink entire shoot days. It’s moments like these where frustration could easily take over, but I’ve learned that staying flexible and turning setbacks into opportunities is crucial. Complaining doesn’t help; instead, I focus on using these challenges to fuel creativity.

Filmmaking is a creative process, and production should be approached the same way. When things go off course, we pivot and find new ways to make the most of the situation. I’ve found that embracing these “happy accidents” often leads to better results than originally planned. As the film director, my job is to keep the team motivated and confident that we can turn challenges into something even more exciting and creative than we first envisioned.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hsiaoshihchun/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shih-chun-hsiao-b0142492/