LiangChen Film Studio Productions

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After more than four years of conceptualization, my film To Say Goodbye is To Die a Little has officially wrapped production.

The film explores the life of an American middle-class family following an unexpected tragedy. The daily lives of the family members reflect three archetypes found in modern society: a young person who is self-righteous, full of personality and pride, oscillating between striving and giving up; a middle-aged man who, unable to prove his success or failure, puts on a brave face while being utterly exhausted; and a middle-aged woman who is marginalized no matter what, burdened with family responsibilities, and struggling in solitude against unavoidable hardships.

The world is undergoing immense changes, and everyone seems to be struggling, living in loneliness. When the words "pain" and "farewell" are placed together, one naturally thinks of death; but death is not the only way to say goodbye. Slowly facing death is the most heartbreaking process, signifying that you will never see the other person again in this life. There must be many things and people in this world that we are reluctant to let go of, regrets of not even having the chance to say goodbye...

Nothing lasts forever. There will always be moments of farewell. Before that moment comes, let us strive to live our lives to the fullest.

 To Say Goodbye is to Die a Little tells the story of an American middle-class family struggling after a series of misfortunes. The silent endurance and unspoken conflicts among the family members ultimately lead them to face the family's final decision. The story follows a daughter who, after enduring severe bullying at school during her adolescence, faces a tragic accident; a once successful mother who, after another accident, has to give up her career to become a full-time caregiver; and a father who, while facing a mid-life crisis at work, hides the worsening of his Parkinson's disease from his family. The film portrays the unavoidable decisions faced by an ordinary family amidst issues such as children's growth, school bullying, career sacrifices, getting old, financial scams and declining health. 

 Los Angeles Short Film Award 2024, Honorable Mention

Austin International Art Festiva 2024, Semi-Finalist

Berlin Shorts Award 2024, Semi-Finalis

Director: Liang Chen

Producer: Liang Chen, Li Li

Music Producer: Liu wen "Wendy"

Cinematographer: Li Yongjie

Editor: Liang Chen; Li Yongjie

actor: Barbara Reininger, Mike Murphey, Stephani Anson

This short film, set in ancient China, uses three storylines to explore the different emotions experienced by youths and their elders as they make choices for their lives. The film is highly philosophical, combining traditional Chinese art forms such as ink-and-paper painting with a contemporary story about love and relationships. The interactions between the old and the young reveal their similarities but also the disparity that comes with age. 

Berlin Shorts Award 2023, Best Music Video, Winner

New York City (NYC) Independent Film Festival 2023, Best Music Video, Winner

Global Star International Culture Festival 2023, Best Music Video, Winner

Seattle independent film festival 2023, Winner

Clown International Film Festival 2023, Winner

San Diego International Film Awards 2023,Winner

New York Film Monthly 2023, Winner

Hollywood Gold Awards 2023, Winner

Austin International Art Festival 2023, Winner

The IndieFEST Film Awards 2023, Winner

Berlin New Wave Film Festival 2023, Winner

New York Movie Awards 2023, Winner

Paris International Short Festival 2023, Finalist

Chicago Filmmaker Awards 2023, Finalist

Hawaii International Film Awards 2023, Finalist

San Francisco Arthouse Short Festival 2023, Finalist

Director: Liang Chen

Music Composer: Liu Wen "Wendy"

Music Producer: Liu wen "Wendy"

Singer: Xiong Rulin

Producer: Liang Chen

Cinematographer: Li Yongjie

Editor: Liang Chen; Li Yongjie

This short film, set in ancient China, uses three storylines to explore the different emotions experienced by youths and their elders as they make choices for their lives. The film is highly philosophical, combining traditional Chinese art forms such as ink-and-paper painting with a contemporary story about love and relationships. The interactions between the old and the young reveal their similarities but also the disparity that comes with age. 

 Hollywood Gold Awards, Winner, 2023

Hollywood Int'l Golden Age Festival, Winner, 2023

Berlin New Wave Film Festival, Winner, 2023

London Indie Short Festival Best Narrative Int'l Shorts, Winner, 2023

Indie Short Fest, Winner, 2023

The IndieFEST Film Awards, Winner, 2023

London Indie Short Festival, Winner, 2023

San Francisco Arthouse Short Festival, Winner, 2023

Dallas Movie Festival, Best Short, Winner, 2023

Austin Int'l Art Festival, Winner, 2023

Portland New Alternative Voices, Winner, 2023

Santa Barbara International Movie Awards, Winner, 2023

Andromeda Film Festival, Winner, 2023

Sacramento Independent Film Festival, Winner, 2023

Vienna Indie Short Film Festival, Semi-Finalist, 2023

Paris International Short Festival, Semi-Finalist, 2023

Calgary Independent Film Festival, Semi-Finalist, 2023

Berlin Short Award, Semi-Finalist, 2023

Santa Fe Independent Film Festival, Semi-Finalist, 2023

Dubai Independent Film Festival, Semi-Finalist, 2023

San Diego Int'l Film Awards, Semi-Finalist, 2023

Brooklyn Int'l Short Awards, Semi-Finalist, 2023

Screenplay Consultant: Christi Chin Mei

Art Consultant: Liu Changhan, Yang Mingyi, Junrui Garcia

Director: Liang Chen

Talent: He Furong, Jiang Yutong

Cinematographer: Li Yongjie

Editor: Li Yongjie

Music: Liu Wen "Wendy"

Based on a true story, Stowaways is a film about the lives of Chinese immigrants in the United States. In the early 1990s, a group of underprivileged young people from mainland China chose to cross the ocean and sneak into the US, in hopes of finding gold in America. More than two decades later, have they achieved their dreams in America? How are they getting along?

Hollywood Gold Awards, Best Feature Film, Winner, 2022

London Movie Awards, Best Screenplay, Winner, 2022

Paris Film Awards, Best Screenplay, Winner, 2022

Florence Film Awards, Official Selection, 2022

Hollywood Independent Filmmaker Awards & Festival, Official Selection, 2021

LA Hollywood Asian Film Festival, Best Feature, Winner, 2020

WorldFest Houston, Silver Remi Award of Directing, Winner, 2020 

IndieFest, Best Feature Award, Winner, 2020

Four Corners Film Festival, Best Narrative Feature, Finalist, 2020

Montreal Independent Film Festival, Best International Narrative Feature, Finalist, 2020

Cannes 7th Art Awards, Cannes International Independent Film, Official Selection, 2020

Chicago Indie Film Awards, Best Narrative Feature, Official Selection, 2020

Covellite International Film Festival, Official Selection, 2020

Rome Prisma Independent Film Awards, Official Selection, 2020

International Art Film Festival, Official Selection, 2020

Director: Liang Chen

Produced by: Li Li

Presented by: Christi Chin Mei, Liang Chen, Chen Ning

Cast: Liang Chen, Xie Yufang, Zhang Rongxuan, Liu Xiangchen, Layton Payne, Giovanni Silva

Cinematographer: Li Yongjie

Editor: Cui Rong

Music: Wu Xiaoping

This is the stage play version of the film STOWAWAYS. Based on a true story, it is a play about the lives of Chinese immigrants in the United States. In the early 1990s, a group of underprivileged young people from mainland China chose to cross the ocean and sneak into the US, in hopes of finding gold in America. More than two decades later, have they achieved their dreams in America? How are they getting along?

Hollywood Gold Awards, Best Original Screenplay Award, 2022

London Movie Awards, Best Original Screenplay Award, 2022

Paris Film Awards, Best Original Screenplay Award, 2022

Screenplay: Christi Chin Mei

Director: Liang Chen

Presented by: Christi Chin Mei, Liang Chen

Composer/Lyricist: Liu Wen "Wendy"

Arranger: Wang Dong Music Studio

Artist: Xiong Rulin

Golden Rooster Awards 2022

Faro Island Film Festival 2022

China Film Critics Association Award 2022

Academy Award of Beijing Film Academy 2022

Iqiyi TV and Movie Awards 2022

Allywood Film Critics Association Awards 2022

Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA 2020

International Online Cinema Awards (INOCA) 2020

Hong Kong Film Awards 2020

Chlotrudis Awards 2020

Austin Film Critics Association 2020

Sound Guild Awards,China 2019

Miami Film Festival 2019

Indiewire Critics' Poll 2019

Golden Rooster Awards 2019

Faro Island Film Festival 2019

Chinese Film Media Awards 2019

China Film Director's Guild Awards 2019

Camerimage 2019

Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards 2019

Asian Film Critics Association Awards 2019

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA 2019

Tencent Video TV And Movie Award 2018

Makeup and Hairstyling Guild Awards, CN 2018

London Film Festival 2018

Iqiyi TV and Movie Awards 2018

Golden Horse Film Festival 2018

Chinese American Film Festival (C.A.F.F.) 2018

Canada China International Film Festival (CCIFF) 2018

Golden Phoenix Awards, China 2013

Beijing Student Film Festival 2011