Features

It was an absolute honor and delight for my film "KCLOC" to be one of the International Design Association Special prize winner, awarded by the Hong Kong Federation of Design Association. Other than the experience of eating incredibly delicious Taiwanese food, I was given the opportunity to be a part of the Global Talent Design Workshop, D21 Design Summit, Global Design leadership Forum and finally the Award Ceremony, all which provided a great venue for engagement with distinguished dignitaries and talented students from around the world. I would like to thank SVA MFACA, for backing my dreams and TISDC for giving me this platform for my voice to be heard.

I was proud and honored to represent SVA and The United States on this very international platform. We participated in a design workshop where we brainstormed different ways to use design as a solution for social issues. It was interesting to see how people from other cultures approach design. The experts and award winners all came from different corners of the world. Our respective interpreters had their work cut out for them as many of us barely spoke the same language. Yet, we managed to overcome all barriers and form bonds that we'll share for years to come. I even got to hang out with students who were representing my alma mater and hometown of Singapore! I would like to thank TISDC and The Ministry of Education, Taiwan, for this invaluable experience and Design Business Chamber Singapore for the generous award!

The entire program was heavily focused on design, however it was still very interesting since design students have completely different thought process than us animators! Besides all the amazing food and culture in Taiwan, the most memorable thing for me was connecting with such talented people around the world. We are all from different background but were still able to communicate - either in English or through body language. By the end of the trip, I made good friends who I still talk to on Facebook and Instagram. It was a very short trip, but it was totally worth the jet lag.

It was a great honor to receive this award from TISDC. My film "VERGE" received the International Design Association Special Prize-ico-D. The three-day event included a workshop, lecture and ceremony, all provided the great opportunity to meet with the other talents and professionals. The event and this award is truly meaningful to me because Taiwan is my home country.