https://www.scmp.com/rss/329180/feed From Jackie Chan's action comedies to Stephen Chow's mo lei tau classics, from Wong Kar-wai's swooning romances to Donnie Yen's martial arts epics, and from the time where hundreds of movies were being churned out every year to the current market completely dominated by Louis Koo, this is the place to go for features, interviews and reviews about movies both classic and new from Hong Kong. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Richard James Havis Richard James Havis A screen legend in the early 1970s, martial arts performer Angela Mao Ying, 75, is remembered for big hits such as the 1972 films Hapkido and Lady Whirlwind, and a small role in Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon (1973). Beyond these, the Taiwan-born highly skilled fighter made several other excellent martial arts films. Here, we discuss Mao’s The Invincible Eight (1971), The Angry River (1971), The Tournament (1974), Stoner (1974) and The Himalayan (1976) with film historian Frank Djeng, who provided... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3352099/why-1970s-hong-kong-film-legend-angela-mao-was-better-martial-artist-michelle-yeoh?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3352099/why-1970s-hong-kong-film-legend-angela-mao-was-better-martial-artist-michelle-yeoh?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 07:15:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Bruce Lee’s legacy in Hong Kong got a needed boost last month with the unveiling of a life-size statue of the late kung fu legend at the site of his childhood home. The tribute marking 85 years since Lee arrived in the city is to be welcomed, but also raises questions about why there is not more focus on one of Hong Kong’s most famous sons. Entertainment company hmvod and arts curator Heiman Ng organised the statue’s unveiling and an exhibition at the Prudential Centre on Nathan Road in Jordan.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352177/hong-kongs-efforts-commemorate-bruce-lee-should-pack-bigger-punch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352177/hong-kongs-efforts-commemorate-bruce-lee-should-pack-bigger-punch?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung This Labour Day long weekend may seem like the perfect time to catch up on some sleep, but you know what they say about Hong Kong, right? Whether you are in the mood for eating your way through a French alpine market, shaking off pre-race nerves with a Pilates-and-ice-bath combo, hunting down a rare Pokemon in Lai Chi Kok, or browsing ancient jade between glasses of wine in Wan Chai, this weekend has got you covered. Here is what is worth getting off the sofa for. 1. French GourMay As a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3351960/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-labour-day-weekend-may-1-3?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3351960/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-labour-day-weekend-may-1-3?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 02:45:08 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 3.5/5 stars The blockbuster prequel Cold War 1994 delivers exactly what it promised. Viewers come for the ridiculously overstuffed cast but stay for the relentlessly – almost ostentatiously – convoluted tale of power, corruption and betrayal. While you may not find its plot realistic, it is undeniably entertaining throughout. The new release opens with a quick recap of Cold War (2012) and Cold War 2 (2016), before moving six months forward to Hong Kong in 2017. Louis Koo Tin-lok’s new character,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351833/cold-war-1994-movie-review-hong-kong-crime-thriller-prequel-star-studded-blast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351833/cold-war-1994-movie-review-hong-kong-crime-thriller-prequel-star-studded-blast?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:19:14 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial As more people shun the silver screen in favour of online streaming, Hong Kong’s film industry may increasingly resemble the unfolding plot of a slow-burn tragedy. But if Saturday’s crowds across local cinemas are any reference, its fate is far from being sealed. The government-subsidised Cinema Day drew a record 201,000 film-goers as 52 cinemas offered discounted movie tickets at a flat HK$30 (US$3.83) for 1,694 screenings, according to the Hong Kong Theatres Association. The footfall marked a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3351668/hong-kong-cinema-can-still-succeed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3351668/hong-kong-cinema-can-still-succeed?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee Hailed as a triumphant reinvigoration of the Hong Kong police thriller, the star-studded 2012 film Cold War revolves around a high-stakes power struggle within the upper echelons of the city’s police force. Winner of nine prizes at the 2013 Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA), the action blockbuster notably aligned itself with an institutional slogan of pride: “Hong Kong is Asia’s safest city.” Yet just 14 years after its release, the cinematic landscape – much like the city itself – has drastically... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351683/how-hong-kong-crime-films-have-evolved-national-security-law-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351683/how-hong-kong-crime-films-have-evolved-national-security-law-era?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:25:03 +0000 Kristen Cheung Kristen Cheung An entertainment company and an arts curator have unveiled a life-size statue of late kung fu legend Bruce Lee at his childhood home in Hong Kong to mark the 85th anniversary of his arrival in the city. Organisers hmvod and curator Heiman Ng said the statue, unveiled on Monday, had been permanently installed at the Prudential Centre on Nathan Road in Jordan. The building is on the site of a now-demolished residential block where the Lee family lived on their return to Hong Kong in 1941, not long... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351574/hong-kong-marks-85th-anniversary-bruce-lees-arrival-statue-and-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351574/hong-kong-marks-85th-anniversary-bruce-lees-arrival-statue-and-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:46:57 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis The 1967 film The One-Armed Swordsman changed Hong Kong martial arts cinema forever. Its two sequels, while less influential, remain well-regarded and highly entertaining. Here is how those two follow-ups kept the legend alive. Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969) The massive success of the original film made Chang Cheh a “million-dollar director” – and a sequel inevitable. Although leading actor Jimmy Wang Yu returned, this follow-up was a very different film. Screenwriting legend Ni Kuang... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351007/how-one-armed-swordsman-sequels-took-hong-kong-martial-arts-films-next-level?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351007/how-one-armed-swordsman-sequels-took-hong-kong-martial-arts-films-next-level?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:15:09 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee This is the 75th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. When Tony Leung Ka-fai took to the stage of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre’s Grand Theatre on April 19 to accept the best actor prize at the 44th Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA), he became the only person to win that honour across five consecutive decades. Yet for the 68-year-old veteran, his accolades are a by-product of his endurance – he has previously admitted to keeping his... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351095/how-tony-leung-ka-fais-hong-kong-film-awards-record-caps-wild-journey-actor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351095/how-tony-leung-ka-fais-hong-kong-film-awards-record-caps-wild-journey-actor?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Theodora Yu Theodora Yu A Hong Kong film adapted from the 2010 Manila hostage crisis, which led to the deaths of eight Hongkongers, has stirred online debate, with some questioning whether it could cause “secondary trauma” and others saying it offers lessons from the past. Titled Beyond Hostage Crisis, the film was released in Malaysia in April and is set to open in Hong Kong on May 28. Information about the 90-minute film starring newly crowned Hong Kong Film Awards best actress Fish Liew Chi-yu is available on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351071/film-manila-hostage-crisis-sparks-debate-over-secondary-trauma-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351071/film-manila-hostage-crisis-sparks-debate-over-secondary-trauma-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 02:47:32 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu According to the 2021 population census, Hong Kong is home to 619,568 people from ethnic minorities, making up 8.4 per cent of the population (the figure is 301,344, or roughly 4.1 per cent, excluding foreign domestic workers). About 13,000 to 15,000 asylum seekers also live in the city. One of the closest-knit outposts of non-Chinese communities in Hong Kong is Kam Tin in Yuen Long district, in the New Territories. In a city defined by its dense urban landscape and Cantonese heritage, the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3350831/how-new-hong-kong-indie-film-uses-tea-bridge-citys-ethnic-minority-divide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3350831/how-new-hong-kong-indie-film-uses-tea-bridge-citys-ethnic-minority-divide?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Ciao UFO, a sci‑fi drama inspired by a local urban legend of mysterious lights over a public housing estate, clinched the top honours at the 44th Hong Kong Film Awards on Sunday night, winning best film and best director for Patrick Leung Pak‑kin. The dystopian crime thriller Sons of the Neon Night emerged as the biggest winner, taking home eight prizes out of 12 nominations. Among those sharing the limelight at the ceremony in the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui was veteran Tony Leung Ka‑fai,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3350651/ciao-ufo-takes-top-prizes-hong-kong-film-awards-sons-neon-night-glows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3350651/ciao-ufo-takes-top-prizes-hong-kong-film-awards-sons-neon-night-glows?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:12:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis It was not all John Woo Yu-sum when it came to Hong Kong crime films in the late 1980s – filmmakers were still making a variety of interesting cops-and-robbers movies. Here, we look at two hidden gems produced by Tsui Hark that were directed by Johnnie To Kei-fung and Kirk Wong Chi-keung, respectively. The Big Heat (1988) This skilfully executed police thriller features some gruesome violence – it opens with a dream sequence in which an electric drill rips through a hand – but the sometimes... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3350298/why-these-1980s-hong-kong-crime-movies-produced-tsui-hark-are-hidden-gems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3350298/why-these-1980s-hong-kong-crime-movies-produced-tsui-hark-are-hidden-gems?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 03:15:07 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee This year’s Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) arrives under an unprecedented cloud of controversy, making Sunday’s 44th edition at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre one of the most heavily scrutinised ceremonies in the event’s history. The industry has been reeling ever since the pre-emptive disqualification of four eligible films in early January: Valley of the Shadow of Death, Vital Signs, Finch & Midland and Mother Bhumi. This opaque and as-yet-unexplained move by the HKFA effectively removed... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3350125/hong-kong-film-awards-2026-predictions-ciao-ufo-back-past-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3350125/hong-kong-film-awards-2026-predictions-ciao-ufo-back-past-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Film buffs will be able to enjoy HK$30 (US$3.8) discounted tickets at 53 theatres across Hong Kong on April 25 as part of this year’s Cinema Day celebrations. A spokesman for the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said that it was the fourth year the government’s Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency had sponsored the event, “consistently attracting over three times more admissions than usual each year”. “In the past three years, Cinema Day recorded over 600,000 admissions and box... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3350184/reel-deals-hong-kong-celebrate-cinema-day-april-25-hk30-tickets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3350184/reel-deals-hong-kong-celebrate-cinema-day-april-25-hk30-tickets?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:18:31 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak In the historical drama A Foggy Tale, which won the best narrative film and best original screenplay gongs at the 2025 Golden Horse Awards, writer-director Chen Yu-hsun tells the emotional stories of everyday individuals who fight tirelessly to survive against a backdrop of intense political and social turbulence. Set in 1950s Taiwan during the early years of the White Terror – a time of rampant political persecution under Kuomintang rule – A Foggy Tale follows Yue (Caitlin Fang Yu-ting,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349843/what-taiwan-white-terror-drama-foggy-tale-taught-will-or-and-9m88-about-resilience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349843/what-taiwan-white-terror-drama-foggy-tale-taught-will-or-and-9m88-about-resilience?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 04:45:08 +0000 Natalie Wong Natalie Wong The supervisor of a prestigious secondary school in Hong Kong has hit back at the director and distributor of a controversial coming-of-age documentary, accusing them of “defaming” the integrity of the institution’s principal and placing her in an “unjust position”. The claims, contained in a letter sent to students of Ying Wa Girls’ School on Monday, mark an escalation in the war of words over a screening of To My Nineteen-Year-Old Self that was planned at an Italian film festival that begins... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3349922/hong-kong-school-hits-back-filmmaker-row-over-italian-screening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3349922/hong-kong-school-hits-back-filmmaker-row-over-italian-screening?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:18:58 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Kung fu and action comedies dominated Hong Kong’s comedy genre in the late 1970s and 80s, but the city’s film industry was also still making mainstream comedies at the time – and audiences loved them. We take a deep dive into three crowd favourites. Itchy Fingers (1979) Hugely popular upon its release, this odd-couple comedy might feel a bit tame for modern viewers. But director Leong Po-chih, a notable member of the Hong Kong New Wave, was a consummate craftsman. He delivers a well-paced romp... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349459/3-hong-kong-comedy-classics-1970s-and-80s-became-local-favourites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349459/3-hong-kong-comedy-classics-1970s-and-80s-became-local-favourites?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:15:08 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Award-winning Hong Kong documentary To My Nineteen-Year-Old Self has been withdrawn by its distributor from an Italian film festival after a dispute among stakeholders worsened. Golden Scene said on Sunday that its documentary would not feature at the Far East Film Festival in Udine, 10 days after the event’s line-up listed the title in its “out of competition” section. “We deeply regret this and reserve all legal rights to protect our company’s reputation and interests,” the company said,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3349770/controversial-hong-kong-documentary-pulled-italian-film-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3349770/controversial-hong-kong-documentary-pulled-italian-film-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 04:06:04 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Clashes over the screening of a controversial, award-winning Hong Kong coming-of-age documentary at an Italian film festival have escalated, with the director accusing the secondary school at the centre of the dispute of “blatantly lying” about the arrangement for the showing. Acclaimed filmmaker Mabel Cheung Yuen-ting slammed Ying Wa Girls’ School over the documentary’s screening in Udine, expressing shock and “intolerable” disappointment after her alma mater distanced itself from To My... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3349580/filmmaker-accuses-school-blatantly-lying-row-over-documentary-screening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3349580/filmmaker-accuses-school-blatantly-lying-row-over-documentary-screening?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:51:56 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam This is the 74th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. When a young Joey Yung Cho-yee was dropped by her first record label for her supposedly ordinary looks, few would have bet she would one day stand atop Cantopop as one of its most decorated performers. Yet nearly three decades later, the 45-year-old Hong Kong singer has outlasted her critics and claimed, among other accolades, a dozen most popular female singer trophies from TVB’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349329/not-pretty-enough-joey-yung-became-one-hong-kongs-biggest-cantopop-idols-anyway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349329/not-pretty-enough-joey-yung-became-one-hong-kongs-biggest-cantopop-idols-anyway?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Celebrated novelist Eileen Chang Ai-ling was not only a film fan, but she also worked as a film critic and wrote movie scripts. Chang’s own novellas were often considered difficult to adapt for the screen. “Her stories are beautiful because of their language and details, not their plots,” critic Paul Fonoroff wrote in the South China Morning Post. Nevertheless, the great Hong Kong director Ann Hui On-wah has tried three times, with Love in a Fallen City (1984), Eighteen Springs (1997) and Love... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348750/how-did-ann-hui-bring-eileen-changs-love-fallen-city-and-eighteen-springs-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348750/how-did-ann-hui-bring-eileen-changs-love-fallen-city-and-eighteen-springs-life?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen A student who featured in a controversial Hong Kong documentary has said she did not give her consent to it being shown at an Italian film festival, reiterating her objection to it being screened publicly. Ah Ling, one of six students who featured in the coming-of-age documentary To My Nineteen-Year-Old Self, said she was only notified by Ying Wa Girls’ School on Friday that the film would be screened at the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, this month. The school also did not address her... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3349052/student-controversial-hong-kong-documentary-hits-out-planned-italian-screening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3349052/student-controversial-hong-kong-documentary-hits-out-planned-italian-screening?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 15:57:43 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin An award-winning documentary capturing the lives of six girls over 10 years by Hong Kong director Mabel Cheung Yuen-ting will be screened at a film festival in Italy, three years after it was pulled from local cinemas due to a lack of consent from interviewees. To My Nineteen-year-old Self, which centres on Ying Wa Girls’ School, was one of the four special screenings revealed in the Far East Film Festival’s line-up on Thursday. The film festival, to be held between April 24 and May 2 in Udine,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348981/hong-kong-documentary-pulled-cinemas-3-years-ago-set-be-screened?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348981/hong-kong-documentary-pulled-cinemas-3-years-ago-set-be-screened?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:43:40 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 2.5/5 stars A bus blast on Valentine’s Day in 1998 that killed 16 and injured dozens in Wuhan, in China’s Hubei province, provides the blueprint for We’re Nothing at All, a trenchant drama that marks a rare rekindling of Herman Yau Lai-to’s passion for socially conscious storytelling after the veteran Hong Kong filmmaker’s mostly bombastic action blockbusters over the past decade. Anchored by visceral performances from a pair of singer-actors, who play the misanthropic gay couple at the heart of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348613/were-nothing-all-movie-review-herman-yaus-grim-social-critique-too-heavy-handed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348613/were-nothing-all-movie-review-herman-yaus-grim-social-critique-too-heavy-handed?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Anthony Wong Chau-sang is generally known as a character actor who specialises in crazed and outlandish roles. However, long before the Hong Kong cinema veteran became associated with these extreme stereotypes, he spent the early 1990s proving his expansive acting range, as showcased in these three films. 1. Full Contact (1992) Wong plays second fiddle to Chow Yun-fat in Ringo Lam Ling-tung’s hyperviolent actioner, but it is a meaty supporting role that links Chow to his would-be nemesis, played... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347937/3-anthony-wong-films-early-1990s-show-hong-kong-actors-wide-range?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347937/3-anthony-wong-films-early-1990s-show-hong-kong-actors-wide-range?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 03:15:07 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak This is the 73rd instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. In the golden age of Hong Kong’s entertainment industry, Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing was a star so bright that he rewrote the rules of conservative Asian society. Affectionately nicknamed Gor Gor – Cantonese for “older brother” – the Cantopop legend’s talent spanned disciplines and extended far beyond the city’s borders. Even now, decades after his death in 2003, fans from around the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348009/how-leslie-cheung-broke-all-rules-become-hong-kongs-greatest-modern-superstar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348009/how-leslie-cheung-broke-all-rules-become-hong-kongs-greatest-modern-superstar?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:15:13 +0000 Divia Harilela Divia Harilela Considered Asia’s original supermodel, Qiqi Yam has modelled alongside the likes of Linda Evangelista and Cindy Crawford and has starred in high-profile campaigns for brands including SK-II and watchmaker Omega. She also founded her own fashion line and reality TV show. How do you define style? Style is a way to express one’s aesthetics and attitude. Everyone has their own unique mark. Why is Hong Kong still an important style capital? Its openness and internationalism allow Hong Kong society... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3347366/their-words-qiqi-yams-unabashed-support-hong-kongs-designers-and-fashion-scene?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3347366/their-words-qiqi-yams-unabashed-support-hong-kongs-designers-and-fashion-scene?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis The late Hong Kong action maestro Benny Chan Muk-sing made his name with the hit triad love story A Moment of Romance (1990) and the acclaimed police thriller Big Bullet (1996), before going on to direct popular action extravaganzas such as 2013’s The White Storm. Bridging these two eras are two pivotal films from the early 2000s that demonstrate Chan’s unique flair for action – Heroic Duo and Invisible Target. Heroic Duo (2003) Shot before 2002’s mega-hit Infernal Affairs fully rejuvenated the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347240/how-two-benny-chans-2000s-films-bridged-old-school-stunts-and-modern-hong-kong-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347240/how-two-benny-chans-2000s-films-bridged-old-school-stunts-and-modern-hong-kong-action?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 10:15:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Chuck Norris, the US martial artist and Hollywood action star most famous for his role in Walker, Texas Ranger, has died, his family said on Friday. He was 86. The martial arts expert turned actor starred in a slew of action films since his acting debut with a cameo in a 1968 Dean Martin film The Wrecking Crew. Four years later, his epic fight with the kung fu superstar Bruce Lee in The Way of The Dragon helped turn Norris into an icon on big and small screens alike. “It is with heavy hearts... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347388/action-movie-star-chuck-norris-dies-86?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347388/action-movie-star-chuck-norris-dies-86?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:09:00 +0000 Matt Glasby Matt Glasby This is the latest instalment in a feature series reflecting on instances of East meets West in world cinema, including China-US co-productions. In the early 2000s, long before China began opening up to the commercial possibilities of Western cinema, the idea of filming a potential blockbuster in the country seemed nothing short of revolutionary. Previous efforts were either prestige pictures, such as 1987’s The Last Emperor or tiny indies like A Great Wall (1986). But anyone who could mount an... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346728/how-doa-dead-or-alive-tried-create-new-kind-blockbuster-amid-chaotic-china-shoot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346728/how-doa-dead-or-alive-tried-create-new-kind-blockbuster-amid-chaotic-china-shoot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung After the dust settles following the March madness of Art Basel, Art Central and the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) is due to celebrate its semi-centennial this April – a milestone that serves as a retrospective of the city’s storied cinematic output. Despite arriving at a difficult time for the local film industry, amid a slew of cinema closures, the 50th edition, which runs from April 1 to 12, strikes a hopeful note with a strong showing of the... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3347107/see-chen-kaige-and-juliette-binoche-hong-kong-international-film-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3347107/see-chen-kaige-and-juliette-binoche-hong-kong-international-film-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 4/5 stars Life rarely turns out the way one may have hoped – that is the core idea behind Ciao UFO. The engrossing drama takes a sci-fi-tinged urban legend as its launch pad for a nostalgic trip through instantly recognisable scenes from recent Hong Kong history, as experienced by three former childhood friends who find their dreams slipping away as adults. Having premiered at the 2019 Hong Kong Asian Film Festival, this delicate tale of longing and regret by director Patrick Leung Pak-kin... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347002/ciao-ufo-movie-review-charlene-choi-leads-nostalgic-trip-through-recent-hong-kong-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347002/ciao-ufo-movie-review-charlene-choi-leads-nostalgic-trip-through-recent-hong-kong-history?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:20:31 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh The Hong Kong International Film Festival returns in April, celebrating its 50th edition with a mouth-watering retrospective of classics from the last half-century of Chinese-language cinema. New and old works alike from masters of the art form, including Zhang Yimou, Tsai Ming-liang and Hou Hsiao-hsien, will play alongside a typically eclectic selection of some of the finest recent offerings from around the world. Acclaimed Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen’s latest work, We Are All Strangers,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346869/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2026-highlights-12-must-see-movies-and-programmes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346869/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2026-highlights-12-must-see-movies-and-programmes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu If he had to pick one word, Jean-Claude Van Damme says he would describe his oil paintings as “simple”. The star of Bloodsport (1988) had swaggered into his art exhibition 40 minutes late, clad in full black, including the sunglasses he wore indoors. At 65 years old, the “Muscles from Brussels” still has a similar physique to the one at the height of his martial arts acting fame, though his hair is sparser and his gait less brazen. A long-time admirer of Sylvester Stallone, the Belgian-born... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346726/jean-claude-van-damme-talks-art-hong-kong-filmmakers-and-good-friend-vladimir-putin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346726/jean-claude-van-damme-talks-art-hong-kong-filmmakers-and-good-friend-vladimir-putin?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Karen Cheung Karen Cheung What happens when the author of a bestselling memoir about working as a courier in mainland China, and a Hong Kong videographer who moonlights as a food delivery rider, meet? They do not immediately launch into a philosophical discussion about art and labour. Instead, they compare different vehicles’ battery lifespans, the daily distances they travel, and the risk of traffic accidents on the job. “It’s very common in [mainland] China,” Hu Anyan says. “And especially so with food delivery,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3346516/one-wrote-bestselling-book-about-being-courier-other-made-film?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3346516/one-wrote-bestselling-book-about-being-courier-other-made-film?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 23:15:12 +0000 Divia Harilela Divia Harilela Hong Kong-based photographer, artist and director Wing Shya is best known for his collaborations with famed director Wong Kar-wai on iconic films such as In the Mood for Love. He is also a regular contributor to fashion and art magazines like i-D, Vogue Italia and Numèro. How do you define style? It’s a look, just like the sky is blue. What is the most memorable fashion event you’ve been to? An exhibition curated by William Chang called “The Love of Couture”. His vision was all about... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3346439/their-words-photographer-wing-shya-recalls-20-years-style-highs-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3346439/their-words-photographer-wing-shya-recalls-20-years-style-highs-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 11:00:09 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Herman Yau Lai-to began his career as a cinematographer before transitioning to the director’s chair. He gained notoriety as a pioneer of Hong Kong’s Category III (adults-only) exploitation era, directing gruesome genre classics such as the 1993 serial killer thriller The Untold Story and 1996’s Ebola Syndrome. Since then, the prolific filmmaker – an academic with a PhD in cultural studies who is just as often recognised by his signature rock ‘n’ roll T-shirts – has worked ceaselessly. Known for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346304/how-hong-kong-director-herman-yau-went-gory-cult-films-action-blockbusters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346304/how-hong-kong-director-herman-yau-went-gory-cult-films-action-blockbusters?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 04:45:07 +0000 Divia Harilela Divia Harilela Douglas Young is the co-founder and creative force behind the iconic lifestyle brand Goods of Desire (G.O.D). Bringing humour and creativity, the brand offers home furnishings, fashion and premium gifts with a distinct Hong Kong identity. Who are your top local style icons? David Tang, Josephine Siao, Bruce Lee and Labubu. What has been the city’s best creative export in the last 20 years? Cathay Pacific. They consistently maintain high standards when it comes to design. They are patrons to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3346355/their-words-douglas-young-founder-hong-kong-lifestyle-brand-god?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3346355/their-words-douglas-young-founder-hong-kong-lifestyle-brand-god?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 11:00:09 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu This is the 72nd instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. What do Chow Yun-fat, Timothee Chalamet and Doh Kyung-soo have in common? They have all had to keep up with the razor-sharp mind of Hong Kong actress and television host Carol “Dodo” Cheng Yu-ling. From teaching Hollywood heartthrobs Cantonese to hosting the city’s most prestigious galas, Cheng’s presence is ubiquitous. Anyone who has watched the TVB anniversary awards or the local... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346208/how-carol-dodo-cheng-went-acting-chow-yun-fat-interviewing-hollywood-stars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346208/how-carol-dodo-cheng-went-acting-chow-yun-fat-interviewing-hollywood-stars?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:15:07 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 3/5 stars One of the most beguiling aspects of Gamer Girls is that it never acknowledges its characters’ gaming addiction for what it is. Too distracted by the craving for just one more match to function at your day job? Never mind. Needing to grind out another 500 hours of playtime within weeks to qualify for tournament selection? No problem. Despite its casual treatment of the gruelling, burnout-inducing realities of esports, and its light-touch approach to the toxic misogyny that often... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346211/gamer-girls-movie-review-angela-yuen-leads-ensemble-beguiling-hong-kong-esports-drama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346211/gamer-girls-movie-review-angela-yuen-leads-ensemble-beguiling-hong-kong-esports-drama?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong martial arts maestro Chang Cheh’s legendary acrobatic fighters, the Venom Mob, have remained firm favourites of genre fans abroad since their screen debut in 1978. The bedrock of that enduring popularity is The Five Venoms (also known as Five Deadly Venoms), the cult classic that launched their iconic run. For the uninitiated, the Venom Mob are not a fictional movie team like Marvel’s Avengers, but a group of actors – brought together by Chang – who appeared in different roles in a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345671/how-five-venoms-pioneered-superhero-team-chinese-martial-arts-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345671/how-five-venoms-pioneered-superhero-team-chinese-martial-arts-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Salomé Grouard Salomé Grouard When filmmaker Elizabeth Lo is asked which questions she wishes she got more often, she laughs before answering. “I wish people asked more about my other projects, especially Stray,” she tells me, sipping a coffee in Hong Kong, hours before flying back to Los Angeles for a final round of awards season events. Point taken. The acclaimed documentary director doesn’t want to be defined solely by her latest work, Mistress Dispeller, which follows a Chinese couple through a turbulent time in their... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3345504/elizabeth-lo-her-oscar-shortlisted-film-about-chinas-mistress-dispellers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3345504/elizabeth-lo-her-oscar-shortlisted-film-about-chinas-mistress-dispellers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 3/5 stars Macau filmmaker Tracy Choi Ian-sin revisits the tender, nostalgic tone of her directorial debut, Sisterhood (2016), for this semi-autobiographical lesbian drama. Girlfriends charts a young woman’s coming-of-age experience and ongoing quest to find her place in the world through three episodes from separate periods of her life, unfolding in reverse chronological order and under different names. It opens in 2024 Hong Kong, where the Macau-born director Lok (Fish Liew Chi-yu) has been... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345395/girlfriends-movie-review-fish-liew-and-jennifer-yu-reunite-tender-lesbian-romance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345395/girlfriends-movie-review-fish-liew-and-jennifer-yu-reunite-tender-lesbian-romance?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 2/5 stars Viewers who like their cops-and-robbers thrillers loud, frenetic and illogical are in for a blast – along with car chases, bruising one-on-one fights and all too many extended shoot-outs – with Ultimate Revenge, an unabashedly derivative addition to Hong Kong’s once-feted action cinema tradition. While its gritty approach to action might excite diehard fans of the genre, this latest effort by emerging director Terry Ng Ka-wai (The Unwavering Brotherhood, 2024) has presumably blown most... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345268/ultimate-revenge-movie-review-hong-kong-police-and-robbers-drama-all-brawn-and-no-brains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345268/ultimate-revenge-movie-review-hong-kong-police-and-robbers-drama-all-brawn-and-no-brains?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Patrick Lung Kong, also known as Long Gang, is an anomaly among Hong Kong filmmakers. Working at a time when martial arts films ruled the local box office, Lung made socially conscious contemporary dramas that focused on Hong Kong issues and were highly didactic. Lung, who died in 2014, believed that society’s ills, rather than an individual’s failings, turned citizens to crime, and he was not afraid to express this explicitly in his work. But Lung also realised that audiences did not like to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344718/love-better-tomorrow-hong-kong-director-and-film-inspired-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344718/love-better-tomorrow-hong-kong-director-and-film-inspired-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung This is the 71st instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. Back in the first decade of his entertainment career, which began in the mid-1980s, Michael Tse Tin-wah was a face you recognised but a name you might have struggled to place. He was a backup dancer hitting his marks behind Cantopop icons; a fiercely loyal triad henchman swinging a machete in the Young and Dangerous films; a dependable character actor equipped with a sinister,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344408/why-michael-tse-hong-kong-actor-behind-laughing-gor-lesson-resilience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344408/why-michael-tse-hong-kong-actor-behind-laughing-gor-lesson-resilience?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Legendary Hong Kong film director Li Han-hsiang is best known for stately historical dramas like the lavish Empress Wu Tse-tien (1963), but he also made important huangmei diao opera films. Originating in mainland China’s Hubei province, this folk opera style spawned massive 1960s box office hits. Notably, these productions were not filmed stage operas but fully formed cinematic experiences, akin to Hollywood musicals. Here we look at two very different huangmei diao films directed by Li. The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344075/how-2-films-li-han-hsiang-became-classics-hong-kongs-chinese-folk-opera-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344075/how-2-films-li-han-hsiang-became-classics-hong-kongs-chinese-folk-opera-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Daniel Eagan Daniel Eagan It has been more than seven years since Yuen Woo-ping last directed a feature film. Opening for Lunar New Year 2026, Blades of the Guardians marks a return to the kind of martial arts blockbusters that the Hong Kong cinema icon helped define with works such as Drunken Master (1978) and Wing Chun (1994). Based on a popular comics series, the new film follows bounty hunter Dao Ma (Wu Jing), the “second most wanted fugitive” in the Sui dynasty (581-618), as he tries to lead a rebel leader across... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343880/director-yuen-woo-ping-revives-wuxia-blockbuster-blades-guardians?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343880/director-yuen-woo-ping-revives-wuxia-blockbuster-blades-guardians?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 08:15:07 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 3.5/5 stars Fans of Chinese-language martial arts movies could hardly have asked for a more satisfying revival than this ferocious wuxia epic, directed by the legendary Yuen Woo-ping (Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy) and anchored by a visceral turn from superstar Wu Jing (Wolf Warrior 2) as a master swordsman haunted by his past. Adapted from a popular Chinese comics series of the same name by a quartet of screenwriters, Blades of the Guardians is, as expected, crammed with so many semi-developed... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343820/blades-guardians-movie-review-wu-jing-leads-star-studded-chinese-martial-arts-epic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343820/blades-guardians-movie-review-wu-jing-leads-star-studded-chinese-martial-arts-epic?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 09:01:18 +0000