CityU graduate named Best New Director at Hong Kong Film Awards

A graduate of the School of Creative Media (SCM) at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) won another Best New Director award at the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards for his first feature film Mad World, following his first major success at the 53rd Taipei Golden Horse Awards last November.

 

Mr Wong Chun’s movie is about a person suffering from a mental disorder and his relationship with his family. He beat four other finalists to win the award.

 

“This award is very encouraging,” he said, adding that he still had a lot to learn about filmmaking. He said CityU’s professional education had laid a solid foundation for his career development and that guidance from SCM faculty had motivated him to pursue directing.

 

"​Keep working, keep things going," he said, when asked what student film-makers can do in times of difficulties.​ 

 

He thanked the film crew for its support, including Miss Heiward Mak Hei-yan, a 2006 SCM graduate, and the screenwriter, Miss Chan Chor-hang, a 2010 SCM graduate. He also thanked CreateHK, which falls under the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, for providing opportunities and funding assistance to new talent in the movie industry.

In addition to the awards mentioned above, Mr Wong won one of two Best Director awards at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Critics Society. The other winner was famous film-maker Mr Stephen Chow Sing-chi. The film's screenwriter, Miss Chan, won the Best Screenplay award.

Mr Wong graduated from CityU's SCM in 2011, with a major in film arts. He won the Gold Award at the 18th Hong Kong Independent Short Film and Video Media Open Group Gold Award with the film 6th March, the Media Jury Award at the Kaohsiung Film Festival in 2012, and Best Script (Open division) in Fresh Wave 2011.

 

Mad World won in the Higher Education Group of the 1st First Feature Film Initiative, which is funded by the Film Development Fund.