Pema Tseden Obituary

Tibetan filmmaker, Pema Tseden has been reported dead at the age of 53. Some unverified sources claim that he died after suffering a heart attack, however, the Chinese Film Academy where he taught announced that he died of an acute illness.

“Pema Tseden, a famous Tibetan director, screenwriter, and professor at the Film School of the China Academy of Art, died in Tibet in the early hours of May 8 due to an acute illness. Due to the sudden incident, the school will work with Mr. Tseden’s family to deal with the follow-up matters. The relevant information will be announced in due course,” the Academy said in a statement.

“Such terrible, terrible, terribly sad news of your passing, Pema Tseden, one of the most distinctive voices of contemporary cinema. I wish this wasn’t true,” Chinese programmer, Kiki Fung wrote in a Facebook post.

Tseden graduated from Northwest University for Nationalities where he majored in Tibetan Language and Literature. He continued his education at the Beijing Festival Academy and became the first-ever Tibetan student.

His first work The Silent Holy Stones, won the Best Directorial Debut at the 25th Golden Rooster Awards, Asian News Talent Award for Best Director at the 9th Shanghai International Film Festival, Special Jury Award at the 8th Changchun Film Festival, and Best First Feature at the 13th Beijing College Student Film Festival.