Anthony Chen (Chinese: 陈哲艺; born 18 April 1984) is a Singaporean film director, screenwriter and film producer. He is known for directing the feature films Ilo Ilo (2013) and Wet Season (2019). His debut feature film, Ilo Ilo, won the Camera d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, making him the first and only Singaporean to have been awarded at Cannes. The film also earned him the Achievement in Directing award at the 2013 Asia Pacific Screen Awards, and the Golden Horse Award for Best Feature Film, Best New Director and Best Original Screenplay.
Read moreShow less
Biography from TMDB.
- April 18, 1984 (42)
- Singapore
- Director, producer and writer
- 11 on MovieCove · 31 credits in all
What are Anthony Chen's films like?
Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 9
Light 2 · Serious 5 · Dark 2
Grounded 6 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0
Gentle 3 · Charged 5 · Intense 1
A split, not a type: Steady 3 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0
Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 0 · Relentless 0
Casual 2 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 2
Easy watch 0 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 6
Resolved 1 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 3
Moods and endings
- Bittersweet8
- Ambiguous1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Anthony Chen's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 11 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Anthony Chen's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
31 credits, 11 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
She Said (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)
Four Seasons in Java (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)
We Are All Strangers(2026)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Sleep No More(2026)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Crocodile Tears (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Reflection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
This City Is a Battlefield (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
Happyend(2024)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Drift(2023)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
The Cigarette (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
The Breaking Ice(2023)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Arnold Is a Model Student (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
Ajoomma(2022)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
The Break Away (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Distance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Wet Season(2019)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Pop Aye(2017)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Distance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
Ilo Ilo(2013)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all filmsHomesick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Karung Guni (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
The Reunion Dinner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Hotel 66 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Lighthouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Haze (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Ah Ma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
G23 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Secret Daughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Talk To Me When You Are Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 31 titles, 29 of them dated from 2005 to 2026.
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
Awards
2 major awards from 7 major nominations, 2007–2026.
- Berlinale award, nominated · Best Film
- Cannes award, nominated
- Cannes award, nominated
- Cannes award, won
- Berlinale award, nominated · Best Short Film
- Cannes award, won · Short Film
- Cannes award, nominated
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Anthony Chen's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 70th percentile, the median of all 11; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 73rd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up3
- 50th to 74th6
- 25th to 49th2
Shape of the crowd
6 of their 11 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser6
- Mixed4
Reviewers score the atmosphere 74/100 and the pacing 46/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Anthony Chen work with?
People who share at least 2 of Anthony Chen's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Hoping Chen shares the most, 5.
Actors
- Jia Ler KohShared titles: We Are All Strangers (2026), Wet Season (2019), Ilo Ilo (2013)See all 3 shared titles with Jia Ler Koh
- Yann Yann YeoShared titles: We Are All Strangers (2026), Wet Season (2019), Ilo Ilo (2013)See all 3 shared titles with Yann Yann Yeo
- Dongyu ZhouShared titles: The Breaking Ice (2023), The Year of the Everlasting Storm (2021)See all 2 shared titles with Dongyu Zhou
Composers and editors
- Hoping ChenShared titles: We Are All Strangers (2026), Drift (2023), The Breaking Ice (2023), The Year of the Everlasting Storm (2021), Wet Season (2019)See all 5 shared titles with Hoping Chen
- Kin LeonnShared titles: We Are All Strangers (2026), The Breaking Ice (2023)See all 2 shared titles with Kin Leonn
- Joanne CheongShared titles: Wet Season (2019), Ilo Ilo (2013)See all 2 shared titles with Joanne Cheong
Producers
- Wenhong HuangShared titles: We Are All Strangers (2026), Ajoomma (2022), Wet Season (2019), Pop Aye (2017)See all 4 shared titles with Wenhong Huang
- Meng XieShared titles: The Breaking Ice (2023), The Year of the Everlasting Storm (2021), Wet Season (2019)See all 3 shared titles with Meng Xie
- Tan Si EnShared titles: The Year of the Everlasting Storm (2021), Wet Season (2019), Pop Aye (2017)See all 3 shared titles with Tan Si En
- Teoh Yi PengShared titles: We Are All Strangers (2026), Drift (2023)See all 2 shared titles with Teoh Yi Peng