Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen is serving as the president of the Asian New Talent jury for the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), which runs until June 21. Chen, who gained international recognition for his Cannes Camera d’Or-winning debut Ilo Ilo (2013), will lead a jury including directors Kamila Andini, Liu Jiayin, and Farkhat Sharipov, along with actress Wen Qi. The jury will assess 12 films from first- or second-time filmmakers across the region. Chen stated that he prefers to watch films “cold,” without reading reviews or synopses, to ensure he is not influenced by outside information. He noted that he views the Asian New Talent section as a significant platform for discovering young talent, citing past successes such as Ning Hao and Makoto Shinkai. Regarding his own work, Chen revealed he is developing a 12-part episodic series with his company, Giraffe Pictures, as a Chinese-Singapore co-production with producer Meng Xie. The series is scheduled to enter production in the coming months and will focus on the themes of food and family. The festival’s programming this year emphasizes the support of emerging Chinese-language talent. This includes the selection of first-time director Keane T.K. Wong’s psychological drama Afterpiece as the festival’s opening film. SIFF also highlighted several initiatives for next-generation filmmakers, such as the SIFF ING Young Filmmakers Program and the SIFF YOUNG × Shanghai Young Filmmakers Support Program. The festival features films from 34 countries and regions, including the first Moroccan film in the main competition in 27 years and first entries from Jordan and Saudi Arabia in the Asian New Talent section. According to Chen Guo, the managing director of the festival’s organizing body, the main competition and documentary sections feature 100 percent world premieres for the first time in the festival’s history. Also, the festival is hosting seminars on the impact of artificial intelligence on cinema.