On September 27, 2025, Shu Qi’s self-directed and self-written debut feature film “The Girl” has been making waves in the international film festival circuit. After being selected for the main competition at the Venice Film Festival and the spotlight section at the Toronto International Film Festival, Shu Qi achieved another milestone on September 26 at the 30th Busan International Film Festival by winning the Best Director award. This marks a significant transition for her from being an actress to a director.
The 30th Busan International Film Festival came to a close on September 26, announcing the winners of the “Busan Award.” Shu Qi, who was originally scheduled to fly to Milan, Italy for a fashion event, received a message from the film crew and immediately adjusted her itinerary to return to Busan for the closing ceremony.
Making her debut in 1995, Shu Qi was emotional when receiving the award, expressing gratitude to the film industry and fellow filmmakers for their nurturing over the past 30 years. She thanked Director Hou Hsiao-Hsien, acknowledging that without him, the film and award wouldn’t have been possible. She also expressed gratitude to her husband, Feng Delun, for his understanding of her busy schedule, as well as to her parents. Additionally, Shu Qi thanked cinematographer Yu Jingping, editor Zhang Shuping, musician Lim Giong, producer Yeh Ru-fen, and the investors for their unwavering support of this art film.
In her heartfelt speech, Shu Qi expressed her hope that all the wounded girls could step into their beautiful futures.
Yeh Ru-fen remarked that the recognition of “The Girl” at international film festivals validates Shu Qi’s years of accumulated acting energy, which has now been transformed into a moving force through her directorial perspective. Yeh Ru-fen expressed great pride in Shu Qi winning her first directing award, thanking the discerning eyes of the Busan Film Festival jury and noting the joy among the “The Girl” crew and cast.
Inspired by Shu Qi’s childhood trauma, “The Girl” is set in late 1980s Taipei and tells the story of a troubled low-income family, touching on themes of domestic violence, alcoholism, and intergenerational trauma. Shu Qi revealed in an earlier interview that during the initial scriptwriting of “The Girl,” she modeled the protagonist after herself but only about 30% of the final product reflects her own life experiences.
“The Girl” originated more than a decade ago when director Hou Hsiao-Hsien suggested that Shu Qi try directing. Following his advice, Shu Qi underwent a lengthy and challenging scriptwriting process. After multiple revisions, she took on the task with determination, spurred on by a sudden impulse during her time as a Venice Film Festival judge in 2023 that if she didn’t finish the script soon, it might never happen.
After the judging period, Shu Qi decided to stay in Italy and spent 13 days at a hotel in Milan. Finally, with a burst of energy, she completed the script that had been intermittently worked on for a decade.
According to the film distributor, “The Girl” is set to be released in Taiwan on October 31.