Peggy Chiao Hsiung-ping, or Peggy Chiao as she is widely known, is one of Taiwan's most renowned film scholars and critics, with an extraordinary range of accomplishments to her name. Author of books on the New Wave in Taiwanese Cinema, Auteurs and Genres of Chinese Cinema, The Cinema of Hong Kong, Arts and National Cinema, Encounters with Great Directors, Contemporary Cinema, Musicals and a study of the Kuolien Studios among others, she is also the editor of five series of cinema publications that total an amazing 60 books. She is also a scholar, a teacher of art history, criticism, and creative filmmaking as well as translator of four books.

As a leading force in the promotion of New Taiwanese cinema, Peggy Chiao has produced innumerable award-winning films, including, recently, the first two instalments of a new project called Tales of Three Cities. Beginning with Betelnut Beauty (2001) and Beijing Bicycle (2002), this project will eventually comprise a package of six feature films by directors from Beijing, Taipei, and Hong Kong, with the aim of providing a new look at the development of China in different political regimes.

Peggy Chiao was instrumental in founding the China Express Film Awards in 1989 and in organizing the Taiwan Film Year campaign in 1993. Both these steps were crucial in consolidating the Taiwanese film industry and helping to advance the careers of many new directors.

In 1997 she established Arc Light Films and worked with several renowned directors such as Tsai Ming-Liang, Wang Xiaoshuai, Ann Hui, Stanley Kwan and Olivier Assayas. She has won various international awards including the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, and Top Prize in Tribeca International Film Festival. In 1996, she received Diamond Lady for Artistic Achievement award by People magazine in Taiwan, and in 2006 she was voted one of the Twenty Most Influential Women in Chinese Language Cinema by the American trade magazine, Variety, in Beijing.

Given her long innings as a jury member in over fifty international festivals, Peggy’s views on cinema are greatly valued. She is active and indefatigable on the conference and seminar circuit too, having participated in many academic conferences and seminars in reputed universities. Peggy is currently working on two major films - The Silver Valley by director Christina Yao and The Drummer by director Kenneth Bi.

Peggy Chiao will give the annual Osian’s-Cinefan Lifetime Achievement Award Lecture on “Trans-Chinese Cinema - Past and Present”. The lecture will focus on the different Chinese Language Cinemas, their separation and their eventual coalescing.

DATE: 17 JULY 2006
TIME: 2 P.M.
PLACE: SF 4, Siri Fort Auditorium, New Delhi