We were lucky to catch up with Shih-chun Hsiao recently and have shared our conversation below.
Shih-Chun, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
I’m currently working on a documentary titled Play It Up. This project is particularly special to me, not only because it’s my first feature documentary editing job, but also because of its powerful story about how music education can build and strengthen communities.
When we think of music education, we often associate it with privilege and elite institutions. However, this documentary shifts the focus to places like El Paso, Texas, and remote towns in Alaska, where music education is making a profound impact. What I love about this project is how it highlights educators who prioritize holistic development over training professional musicians. Their approach uses music as a tool to teach children respect for their surroundings, collaboration, and how to become better individuals.
The project invites audiences to witness how music education transforms students—helping them become more respectful, positive, and joyful individuals. This experience has deepened my belief in the power of art and education to create lasting change in people’s lives.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a filmmaker from Taiwan, but filmmaking wasn’t my first career path. I majored in Earth Science in college and 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 began in 2018 when a stranger reached out to praise a short film I made during college—a story about a swimmer battling his nerves. He shared how the film helped him manage his own anxiety and how watching it, along with its music, became part of his preparation before competitions. His message impact on me. It made me realize I had the potential to inspire and connect with others through storytelling. Shortly after, I fully committed to the world of film production.
I focus on narrative film editing and directing, with a particular passion for stories about immigrants and minority communities. My technical background, combined with my cultural insights, allows me to bring these compelling narratives to life in unique and impactful ways.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding part of filmmaking is sharing it with audiences and seeing how it resonates with them on a personal level. For instance, at a screening of A Better Place, a film I directed and edited, a senior citizen approached me afterward to share how the film reminded him of his childhood, running around his family farm, which they eventually had to leave due to urbanization.
Although films are fiction, they often reflect parts of real life. When we tell a story from the heart, the moments in the movie, the interactions between the characters, and the story’s setting can deeply connect with viewers. I make films for people, for the audience. Knowing that I provided meaningful entertainment and sparked thoughtful conversations is truly rewarding.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
As an immigrant filmmaker from Taiwan now working in Los Angeles, I wish I had known more about the unique challenges immigrant filmmakers face—for instance, understanding what kinds of cultural content to create, how to balance authentic storytelling with broader audience appeal, and how foreign content are perceived in the U.S. I also wish I had more career guidance for navigating the industry as a minority filmmaker. Mentorship, networking opportunities, and strategies would help us find our own unique paths in filmmaking.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hsiaoshihchun/
