ACC's New York Fellowship Program has a new member to our enriching community of talented fellows and distinguished alumni. Kearen Pang is a Hong Kong-born theatre actress, playwright, filmmaker, and screenwriter. She has been an active member in the local theatre scene since graduating from the Hong Kong Academy of the Performing Arts (HKAPA). Her extensive theatre experience is a culmination of commitment, passion and experimentation: from being a theatre actress at Chun Ying Theatre to being a director producing and enacting her own series of one-woman shows.


Kearen Pang (2nd from right) jumps right into her ACC Fellowship and meets with ACC grantees and friends in New York

However, Kearen’s pivotal moment in her career was her first cultural exchange on a scholarship grant to Paris. Her three-month stay consisted of studying Mime and Movement at Studio Magenia, and the eye-opening experience spurred her creative agency to produce innovative works. Her debut one-woman show, 29+1—a double Bildungsroman about two women meeting at life’s crossroads while on the cusp of their thirties—ran for 12 years, garnering a total of 48,000 audiences. Kearen’s transition from theatre to the big screen was nothing short of challenging, yet her positivity, passion and energy fuelled her in breaking through the film scene as an emerging female director.

Kearen’s first feature adaptation film of 29+1 would later earn her the Directors’ Choice Awards: Bill Muller Experience in Screenwriting Award at the Sedona International Film Festival, and Best in Director Award at the Nice International Festival. Her directorial debut earned her Best New Director at the 37th Hong Kong Film Awards.

As a Jackie Chan Foundation fellow, Kearen is ready to embark on another journey of self-discovery and artistic inspiration. Having previously visited New York for a brief period of time, she is excited to be back and be inspired by the vibrant multi-media arts scene of the Big Apple. Hoping to stimulate artistic dialogue through cultural exchange, Kearen aims to broaden her exposure as a multimedia artist and filmmaker by stepping out of her comfort zone, meeting different people and listening to their stories.

Below: Kearen on The Highline in New York City