15' | 2026 | ColorPremiering this fall at Village East Cinema, Venus tells the story of Anne, an actor discovering her voice through the role she plays. This story about family, courage, and identity was written and developed by Taiwanese American actor Audrey Wang, directed by Shae Xu, and produced by Roku Long.As part of the New York Shorts International Film Festival, Venus will screen at 8 p.m. on October 10. Tickets coming soon:
As a child of immigrants from Taiwan, I grew up with expectations to pursue occupations that ensure stability and security. And for a long time, I followed that path and never thought a career in the arts was possible. When I finally changed paths, I soon learned the hardest battles weren't the ones with the industry. They were the ones with myself and the people closest to home.As I wrote, I started to see the story from my parents' side. At the center of the film is a confrontation between Anne and her mother, where angry words are exchanged and neither feels heard. But underneath all the noise, underneath the attempts to change and control and understand each other, the core of it is love.Audrey Wang, Actor-Writer
When Audrey brought me the script, I recognized something in it that I'd seen in the lives of the artists around me — people caught between who their families need them to be and who they're becoming.Making the film, I realized I was living between worlds myself. When I started in 2023, I was a film school graduate caught between two countries, unsure of who my audience was or where I truly belonged. I identified with Anne. By the time we finished in 2025, I had become an immigrant parent to an Asian American step-daughter, and I found myself understanding Anne's mother instead. Her opposition in the film doesn't come from disappointment. It comes from raising a daughter who isn't always seen, and wanting to shield her from that. What I didn't expect was how much that feeling would become my own.Shae Xu, Director
Photo: Zixin Ye | On set for Venus, Oct. 2024
