| Yen Tan | |
|---|---|
 Yen Tan in 2013 | |
| Born | (1975-03-12) March 12, 1975 (age 49) Malaysia |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter, producer |
| Years active | 2002–present |
Yen Tan (born March 12, 1975) is a Malaysian-born American independent film producer and director.
Early life
Tan emigrated from Malaysia at the age of 19 and is based in Dallas, Texas.
Career
He is known for award-winning films Happy Birthday (2002) and Deadroom (2005). He also directed the gay-themed Ciao (2008) that he had co-written with the film's lead actor Alessandro Calza.
His screenwriting lab semi-finalist screenplay Pit Stop was selected by the Outfest Screenwriting Lab. The film also screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. He was also a finalist for the prestigious Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise.
Personal life
Tan is openly gay.
Filmography
Director
- Feature films
- 2002: Happy Birthday
- 2005: Deadroom (Co-directed with James M. Johnston, David Lowery and Nick Prendergast)
- 2008: Ciao
- 2013: Pit Stop
- 2018: 1985
- Shorts
- 2001: Love Stories
- 2008: Coda
- 2011: Wanted
- 2016: 1985
Producer
- 2005: Deadroom
- 2008: Coda (short)
- 2008: My Mom Smokes Weed (short)
Actor
- 2011: 3 Thumbs Up as himself (documentary)
Awards
- For Happy Birthday
- 2002: Won the Jury Prize for "Best Feature - Gay Male" at the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
- 2002: Won New Directors Showcase - Bets Feature award at the Portland LGBT Film Festival
- Also earned an honorable mention at Image+Nation in Montreal
- For Deadroom
- 2005: Won Director's Award at the Texas Film Festival (sharing with James M. Johnston, David Lowery and Nick Prendergast)
References
- Kohn, Eric (October 25, 2018). "Yen Tan Has Been Making Movies For Over 15 Years, But Says 'Being a Queer Asian' Has Hurt His Career". IndieWire.
- Buchanan, Kyle (December 10, 2008). "So Long, Farewell". The Advocate.
- Dallas Voice: 'Ciao' now available on DVD
- Queerious: Yen Tan's Pit Stop
External links
 | This article about a United States film director born in the 1970s is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
- 1975 births
- Living people
- Malaysian film producers
- American film producers
- Malaysian film directors
- Film directors from Texas
- Malaysian emigrants to the United States
- American LGBTQ film directors
- LGBTQ film producers
- American gay men
- Malaysian gay men
- American LGBTQ people of Asian descent
- 20th-century American LGBTQ people
- 20th-century Malaysian LGBTQ people
- 21st-century American LGBTQ people
- 21st-century Malaysian LGBTQ people
- American film director, 1970s birth stubs