Chen Kaige was awarded an ACC fellowship in 1986 for his first trip to the United States to attend the screening of his celebrated debut work "Yellow Earth" and to conduct research as a visiting scholar at New York University. He has since emerged as one of the most esteemed directors of Chinese fifth generation cinema. His work has received numerous international accolades including the Palme d’Or at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival and nominations from the Academy Awards for "Farewell My Concubine".