Short Film 'Trapped' Produced By Silvia Chen '21 Qualifies for Oscar Race

Trapped, a short film produced by Film alum Silvia Chen '21, has been awarded the HollyShorts Grand Prix Award at the HollyShorts Film Festival. With this win, the film is now qualified to be nominated for an Oscar in the Shorts category. 

The film, written & directed by Sam and David Cutler-Kreutz, follows a high school janitor who runs through a series of dangerous obstacles. The film itself has run through many other festivals and competitions, collecting awards along the way. It won The Special Jury Prize at South by Southwest, Best US Short Film at Palm Springs Shortfest, and won the Drama category at the HollyShorts Film Festival. 

Working on this film has been an exciting ride. Chen shared, “I’m grateful to have had the privilege of participating in a story that genuinely resonated with me, and for the opportunity to collaborate with such an exceptional team."

Chen is a film and commercial producer based in New York City. She has produced 50+ TV commercials and award-winning narrative short films showcased at Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, and Cannes. She has been an international film and television producer for more than a decade and has left an indelible mark in the world of media production. With over 50 TV commercials broadcast across Asia, her portfolio boasts collaborations with multi-national powerhouses  such as Audi, Mazda, Sony, and P&G culminating in the achievement of the Best Music Video award at the 2019 Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan, for her production of the music video ‘Slow / Oriental’ by Sunset Rollercoaster.