- Majored in directing, Beijing Film Academy, China. Majored in film arts, University of Washington, USA.
- His film "Bus 44" was the first-ever Chinese language short film to be selected and win an award at Venice Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, and Cannes Film Festival "Director's Fortnight".
- The only foreign member of the China Film Directors' Guild.
- First American to write and direct a Chinese feature film in China.
- Ethnicity: Chinese, English, and Persian.
- First foreigner in the history of the Chinese academy awards to have a film nominated for Best Picture (for "Waiting Alone").
- His film Inseparable, with Kevin Spacey, was the first fully Chinese-financed film to have a Hollywood star in the lead.
- Was on the five-member jury for the 2014 China Film Directors' Guild Award.
- He has directed numerous TV commercials and music videos in Asia.
- He is trilingual and speaks, reads and writes English, Chinese, and Farsi.
- Hong Kong film icon Chow Yun-Fat made a surprise cameo in Dayyan Eng's first feature film Waiting Alone. It was Chow's first appearance in a Mainland China film.
- Was the co-head of the jury for the 2016 Chinese Korean Short Film Festival.
- Directed Ziyi Zhang, You Ge and other Chinese superstars in the first-ever opening short of China's academy awards closing ceremony (2007).
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