Reports of Hong Kong cinema’s death have been greatly exaggerated.
For years, a number of western Hong Kong cinema fans have lamented the supposed demise of the film industry that gave them John Woo, Jackie Chan and Wong Kar Wai. That view can somewhat be attributed to a bias towards specific films and genres, but the feeling does bear a kernel of truth. The crazy action films and stylish spectacles that once defined Hong Kong film to its Western audience have largely faded in favour of mainland China-targeted commercial fare. At a superficial glance, films that channel the unique culture and flavour of Hong Kong now seem largely extinct.
But Hong Kong cinema still exists. It will always exist, as long as filmmakers interested in the rich and diverse city, its history, and its culture still toil. Even now, they’re still making unique Hong Kong movies, if not as grandly or gaudily as in years past.
The key to Hong Kong cinema’s survival has been fostering new talents with the desire to tell their own stories. Gone are mass audience films like the slapdash martial arts films and manufactured nonsense comedies, replaced by more thoughtful fare with stronger personal ideas. Local box office is a shadow of its former self, and Hong Kong’s Chinese-language cinema grosses are now much smaller, with both Hong Kong and mainland efforts being eclipsed by Marvel superhero epics. Local Hong Kong cinema has thus evolved into counterprogramming – smaller, lower-budgeted films from newer filmmakers that act as an alternative to Hollywood films.
One shining example of this new Hong Kong cinema is Hand Rolled Cigarette (2020), which is part of FEFF23’s special focus “Hong Kong New Talents”, presented by Far East Film in partnership with the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society. First-time feature director Chan Kin-long made waves with his acclaimed crime drama, which was supported by the First Feature Film Initiative (FFFI), a Hong Kong Government-sponsored program intended to nurture young filmmaking talents. Along with the Fresh Wave Short Film Festival, a short film competition that provides resources for fledgling directors, the FFFI is among Hong Kong’s most successful efforts at promoting new filmmaking talent, and now backs up to six films a year.
In recent years, the FFFI has produced acclaimed and profitable films like Wong Chun’s Mad World (2017), screened at FEFF19; Oliver Chan’s Still Human (2019), which took home the Audience Award at FEFF21; and Norris Wong’s My Prince Edward (2019), screened at FEFF22. The initiative offers filmmakers from both professional and university backgrounds with guidance from film industry veterans and funding for their first features. Hand Rolled Cigarette (2020) represents the apex of the initiative, having wowed fest audiences previously before earning an FFFI-record seven nominations at the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards, including one for Best Picture.
Award-winning actor Lam Ka-tung [aka Gordon Lam] takes the lead in Hand Rolled Cigarette alongside Nepalese actor Bipin Karma. Like Still Human, its predecessor from the FFFI, Hand Rolled Cigarette centers on an unusual friendship between persons of different ethnicities – a theme that is still much rarer than it should be. Despite the city’s population being nearly one-tenth composed of ethnic minorities, the acknowledgement and exploration of Hong Kong’s ethnic diversity is not widespread. Yet that theme may be seeing its day, if Hand Rolled Cigarette and indie surprise Memories to Choke On, Drinks to Wash Them Down (2019), from the husband-and-wife team of Leung Ming-kai and Kate Reilly, are any indication.
Interest in Hong Kong non-fiction has grown, with films examining social issues and local culture receiving attention and solid financial returns, considering the films’ relatively small budgets. Documentaries have increasingly turned inwards towards Hong Kong’s unique cultural history, such as veteran art director-turned-documentarian Man Lim-chung’s Keep Rolling (2020), an affectionate portrait of legendary director Ann Hui.
Fiction films are also immersing themselves in local culture and history, sometimes in meta-fictional ways. Up-and-coming director Ricky Ko’s black comedy Time (2021) references multiple eras and genres of Hong Kong cinema, from its cast, led by 1950s-70s icons Patrick Tse and Petrina Fung; to its aging hitman being employed as a noodle chef; to its socially conscious storyline about marginalized elderly looking to end their lives.
Socially relevant stories are also on the rise in both small- and big-budget films. Homelessness in Hong Kong is the subject of both Drifting (2021), the second work from Jun Li, who made an auspicious debut with the LGBT drama Tracey (2018), and first-time director Wong Hing-fan’s i’m livin’ it (2020), a star-driven production. On a more subtle track, award-winning drama Suk Suk (2019) (meaning “uncle”), which screened at FEFF22 and is the first Hong Kong film directed by Ray Yeung, explores the lives of closeted gay men, many with families and jobs, who’ve entered their twilight years. Suk Suk went on to be recognized at multiple awards shows, including earning a Best Picture nomination from the Hong Kong Film Awards.
While big-budget star vehicles still attract mass audiences, attention in cultural spaces and film festivals inevitably has trended towards this new wave of Hong Kong films. This acceptance would not be possible without the backing of parties determined to still support a Hong Kong film industry. Individuals like actor-producer Lam Ka-tung, who acted in Hand Rolled Cigarette for no pay, and also co-wrote and produced Time, are fully invested in supporting local film, as is Winnie Tsang, the founder and managing director of Hong Kong distributor Golden Scene and a vocal champion of emerging local filmmakers.
Long associated with socially conscious and thought-provoking works, Golden Scene has shown undeniable support for local Hong Kong film. Golden Scene has produced iconic local cinema like Adam Wong’s The Way We Dance (2013), screened at FEFF15, and Fruit Chan’s The Midnight After (2014), screened at FEFF16, and served as distributor for First Feature Film Initiative productions Still Human and My Prince Edward, and also distributed Keep Rolling and Suk Suk.
Golden Scene is not alone in supporting Hong Kong talent. Singapore entertainment company MM2 has started to regularly produce local films through its subsidiary MM2 Entertainment Hong Kong, with thoughtful films on its roster like Jun Li’s Drifting, and commercial ones like surprise hit One Second Champion (2021). Chiu Sin-hang (also the lead singer of local band ToNick) made his solo directorial debut with this offbeat sports drama that mixes boxing with a dash of the fantastic, and Chiu co-stars in the film too. Audiences rewarded Chiu’s multi-hyphenate efforts with a lengthy local cinema run.
Also continuing to support Hong Kong film are Sun Entertainment Pictures and Emperor Motion Pictures (EMP). Sun Entertainment frequently produces modern low-budget takes on classic Hong Kong cinema genres, including first-time director Sunny Lau’s Sugar Street Studio (2021), which mixes creative marketing into a postmodern horror entry. EMP regularly puts out small films from newer directors, usually spotlighting its stable of young actors. A recent example is romantic drama JUST 1 DAY (2021), the directorial debut of longtime screenwriter Erica Li, who’s written for directors like Herman Yau, Pang Ho-cheung and Stephen Chow, among others.
Cementing its dedication to local filmmaking, EMP announced in May 2020 its intent to partner with Hong Kong’s One Cool Film Production, part of the One Cool Group founded by superstar actor Louis Koo. Aside from handling film production and distribution, the all-in-one local filmmaking group offers post-production services and even equipment rental. Together, EMP and One Cool plan to produce 10 local films to revitalize the industry following the Covid-19 pandemic. On its own, One Cool has spearheaded works like Zero to Hero (2021), an inspirational drama that tells the true story of a local Paralympian and marks the solo directing debut of Jimmy Wan.
Today’s greater support for new talent would not be possible without the Hong Kong Government doubling down on local films and filmmakers. Besides the First Feature Film Initiative and the decades-running Film Development Fund, which offers funding to projects conducive to the long-term life of Hong Kong film, the HK Government is implementing multiple measures to energise the industry. Among many efforts, the Government is subsidising local filmmaker organizations, increasing financing and easing the application process, increasing the number of First Feature Film Initiative productions, and boosting training. Also, its new Scriptwriting Incubation Program offers financial encouragement for new screenwriters while incentivising veteran screenwriters to develop quality scripts.
Most notably, the Hong Kong Government is introducing the Directors' Succession Scheme, a program partnering veteran, even legendary directors with young filmmakers to produce 10-12 new films. Initial pairings announced include Derek Yee with Keane Wong, Wong Kar Wai with Ronald Zee, Peter Chan with Wong Chun, and the husband-and-wife team of Mabel Cheung and Alex Law with Norris Wong. Besides the anticipation generated by these exciting new films, the cooperation and sense of community among these artists is genuinely inspiring. Hong Kong film takes care of Hong Kong film – that message is abundantly clear.
Still, the best cure to what ails Hong Kong cinema is success. Decent box office returns and attention from culturati maintain some press, but how to capture the attention of the mass audience? How about an Oscar nomination from Hollywood’s Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences? That’s what happened in 2021 when director Derek Tsang’s bullying drama Better Days became the first Hong Kong film to earn an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Feature since Zhang Yimou’s Hero (2004). Showing that film appreciation truly knows no national borders, Better Days was also awarded FEFF’s top honor, the Audience Award, at FEFF22.
Some may argue that Better Days is not truly a Hong Kong film, as it’s based on a mainland Chinese novel, takes place in the mainland, and stars mainland stars. But the film’s themes are universal, and Derek Tsang is absolutely a Hong Kong filmmaker. The son of Hong Kong actor-producer-filmmaker Eric Tsang, Derek Tsang has taken a remarkably comprehensive path to reach his present success, starting with behind-the-scenes jobs before debuting as a young actor, then working his way up the ladder by collaborating with director Pang Ho-cheung, co-directing films with Jimmy Wan, and finally graduating to directing solo films.
Better Days is only Derek Tsang’s second solo film and yet he’s become the first Hong Kong-native director to ever be nominated for the Oscars (despite Hero being a Hong Kong co-production, Zhang Yimou is a mainland filmmaker). Such an unprecedented honor deserves special notice. Due to its smaller output and shift away from hyper-commercialism, Hong Kong may have lost its unofficial nickname of “Hollywood East.” But these newer filmmakers have shown the talent and the promise to excel on the international stage. Tsang’s accomplishment, and indeed those of Hong Kong’s newer talents augurs well for the future of local film. As one era of Hong Kong cinema dims, another seems poised to shine brightly.
This is an abridged version of an essay commissioned by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society to promote the programme of “Hong Kong New Talents.” The content has been used with permission.