Following his mandatory conscription in the army, Chen was admitted to the National Film and Television School (NFTS) in the United Kingdom.

[13] Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted Chen's achievement, and congratulated him and the film's cast on Facebook.

(The same night, one of Chen's tutors at NFTS, Pawel Pawlikowski, won the Best Film Award for Ida).

[15] With Ilo Ilo, Anthony Chen also made history by becoming the first Singaporean to win Best Narrative Feature and Best Original Screenplay at the 50th Golden Horse Awards, while Yeo Yann Yann won Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film.

Distance consists of segments by the three directors Xin Yukun, Tan Shijie and Sivaroj Kongsakul, from China, Singapore and Thailand respectively.

The Breaking Ice was written and directed by Chen, and stars Zhou Dongyu, Liu Haoran, and Qu Chuxiao.

According to Variety, this film follows the blossoming relationship among three young adults in their twenties, set over a short few days in the winter snow.

[22] In March 2022, Chen is set to direct Secret Daughter starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Sienna Miller.