Artist of the Month > 2023 Artists
2023 ARTIST OF THE YEAR
The Artists Forum is proud to announce Cinder Chou as its 2023 Artist of the Year.
Cinder Chou is a Taiwanese American writer director originally from the oft maligned state of New Jersey and currently resides in Brooklyn. An early love for comic books turned into a passion for visual storytelling. Her work explores themes of otherness and is imbued with a comedic and surreal style. After studying Visual Arts and Art History at Fordham University, Cinder entered the film world in New York, working as the production coordinator on acclaimed indie hits The Big Sick and Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Cinder’s feature script, Missus Softee was a finalist for the Outfest Screenwriting Lab in 2020. That same year, her film Ernest Messages was nominated for Best Actress (Kaylan Pedine) and Best Festival Theme Short: New York Stories. In 2019, Cinder was one of eight projects to participate in NYWIFT’s development lab “From Script 2 Pre-Production.” In 2018, Cinder’s award-winning film, The Man with the Western Hat, was selected for inclusion in The Artists Forum Salon, held at Magick City, Brooklyn. In 2017, her short film The Man with the Western Hat won the Audience Award at The Artists Forum Festival of the Moving Image.
Her latest work, a feature film titled Artist Unknown, follows Juniper (an insecure martial artist) who must find out the origins of a painting after two thieves try to steal it from her. This film has won Best Narrative Feature, Best Screenplay, Best Director, and our coveted Jurors Award in The Artists Forum Festival of the Moving Image: 2023.
We present this honor to Cinder in recognition of her innovative approach to filmmaking and LGBTQ+ imagery in cinema. We look forward to working with Cinder as our international ambassador for arts and culture for 2024.
Follow @theartistsforum on Instagram and all major social media platforms for updates on this years activities with Cinder.
See Cinder’s May 2023 Artist of the Month profile, work samples, and full interview.
Then, visit her website here: cinderama.com
