In Sean Wang’s ‘Dìdi,’ a portrait of an artist as a young skater kid

AP Film Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Within the span of five days in January, Sean Wang’s life changed about as dramatically as is possible for a young filmmaker. On Jan. 19, Wang’s “Nai Nai & Wài Pó,” a documentary short about his two grandmothers, was nominated for an Academy Award. On Jan. 23rd, his feature film debut, “Dìdi,” a coming-of-age tale drawn from Wang’s life growing up as the son of Taiwanese immigrants in Fremont, California, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. “Dìdi” was immediately hailed as the exciting debut of a new filmmaking voice.