Emerging Actors Highlight Changing Landscape of Asian Cinema at Asian Film Awards

A group of younger actors took center stage at this year’s Asian Film Awards, reflecting broader shifts happening across film industries in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Taiwan.

Natalie Hsu, Mean Phiravich, and Kent Tsai were named youth ambassadors for the event and spoke about their experiences working across different markets, as well as the challenges facing their respective industries.

For Hsu, recent collaborations with more established actors have shaped how she approaches her work. While filming with Fan Bingbing, she observed the level of discipline required to maintain consistency during production, even in difficult shooting conditions. She also pointed to her experience working with Aaron Kwok, describing his constant rehearsal and focus on set as something that changed her own habits. Rather than stepping in and out of character between takes, she said she has started maintaining a more continuous level of concentration.

Phiravich described a different set of concerns within Thailand’s industry. While local films saw strong commercial performance in recent years, he said that growth has come with drawbacks. One issue he raised was typecasting, noting that he is still frequently cast in student roles despite being in his late twenties. He also pointed to what he described as a slowdown following a period of high box office returns, suggesting that an increase in similar types of films may have contributed to audience fatigue.

Tsai echoed some of those concerns in Taiwan, where he said trends tend to be quickly repeated after a film performs well. He noted that the industry had previously been dominated by romantic dramas, but has more recently shifted toward a wider range of genres, including crime and action films. According to him, the willingness to invest in different types of projects has led to a more varied slate, even if cycles of repetition still occur.

The three actors recently worked together on a short film connected to the awards, which brought together different production styles. Tsai noted that Taiwan and Hong Kong sets do share similarities, in part because crew members often move between the two regions. Hsu, however, pointed to differences she observed while filming in Malaysia, including structured breaks for prayer and daily routines that contrasted with what she was used to in Hong Kong.

Phiravich described working across different environments as part of the current reality of filmmaking in the region, particularly as productions increasingly involve international teams. Language barriers and differing workflows, he said, can add pressure, but are becoming more common.

All three actors pointed to cross-border collaboration as a growing trend. Rather than focusing only on local markets, there is increasing emphasis on working across regions, both in front of and behind the camera.

The discussions reflect a broader transition within Asian cinema. While each industry continues to face its own challenges, including typecasting, market saturation, and shifting audience preferences, there is also a move toward greater connection between them.