One of Hong Kong’s best-known film industry figures, John Sham has more than 35 years of experience in the movie business. Born in 1952, Sham has served in roles as diverse as journalist, film producer and distributor, cinema investor and operator, actor, scriptwriter, commentator and social activist.
After starting out in the 1970s working in TV and radio in the UK, Canada and Hong Kong, Sham became the chief editor of the influential Hong Kong arts and culture publication City Magazine in 1980. The early 1980s also saw him take small film acting roles, which led to major performances in Sammo Hung’s popular comedy Winners and Sinners (1983) and others. Despite becoming a prolific actor in the 1980s, Sham branched out to become heavily involved in administrative and strategic positions as an investor, producer and presenter.
Sham co-founded his first film production company, D&B Films, with Hung in 1983. The firm produced popular hits such as Leong Po-chih’s wartime saga Hong Kong 1941 (1984) and Mabel Cheung’s New York-set immigrant drama An Autumn’s Tale (1987). D&B was also responsible for notable directing debuts like Derek Yee’s The Lunatics (1986), and challenging fare like Final Victory (1987) by Patrick Tam. He co-founded another movie company, Maverick Films, with John Chan in 1988, and produced a further series of strong pictures, among them Tam’s romantic thriller My Heart Is That Eternal Rose (1989).
In recent years, Sham’s work as a producer has included Alex Law’s nostalgic drama Echoes of the Rainbow (2010), which scooped up four trophies at the Hong Kong Film Awards. The 2000s also saw Sham become a key player in the mainland’s burgeoning cinema scene through the Dadi Cinema Group, in which he has served as chairman, and is now a board director. Among the company’s achievements is building and managing hundreds of multiplexes across the mainland. Back home, Sham’s importance in Hong Kong movies has been reflected through appointments as a member of the Film Development Council, and as the executive secretary of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers.
This year, on the occasion of its 20th edition, Far East Film Festival is offering moviegoers a rare opportunity to experience the classic My Heart Is That Eternal Rose in 35mm, with Sham, who produced, in attendance.
Tim Youngs