Sean Wang (traditional Chinese: 王湘聖; born 1994 or 1995) is a Taiwanese-American film director. His documentary short, Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó, premiered at the 2023 South by Southwest, where it won both the Grand Jury Award and the Audience Award. It went on to be nominated for Best Documentary Short Film at the 96th Academy Awards.

His feature-length directorial debut, Dìdi, premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award. Wang also won two Independent Spirit Awards for the film.

In June 2025, Wang was invited to join the Short Films Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Early life and education

Wang is from Fremont, California, and was raised in a Taiwanese American family. He attended and graduated from Irvington High School. Afterwards, he attended film school at the University of Southern California, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in film and video production in 2016, and worked for Google Creative Lab. He participated in multiple Sundance Institute programs, including the director and screenwriter labs.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

AwardYearCategoryWorkResultRef.
Academy Awards2024Best Documentary Short FilmNǎi Nai & Wài PóNominated
AFI Fest2023Grand Jury Prize – Documentary ShortWon
Austin Film Critics Association2025Best First FilmDìdiNominated
CineFest Miskolc International Film Festival2024Adolph Zukor PrizeWon
Directors Guild of America Awards2025Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature FilmNominated
Filmfest München2024CineKindl Audience AwardWon
Hollywood Creative Alliance2024Best First FeatureNominated
Independent Spirit Awards2025Best First FeatureWon
Best First ScreenplayWon
International Documentary Association2023Best Short DocumentaryNǎi Nai & Wài PóNominated
San Diego Film Critics Society2024Best First FeatureDìdiRunner-up
Seattle International Film Festival2023Documentary Short Grand Jury PrizeNǎi Nai & Wài PóWon
South by Southwest2023Grand Jury Award – Documentary Short CompetitionWon
Audience AwardWon
Sundance Film Festival2024Audience Award: U.S. DramaticDìdiWon
2025Vanguard Award for Fiction—N/aHonored

External links