To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Hong Kong Film Archive is proud to present ‘Close Encounters with Master Filmmakers: Movie Talks’ this year. The three renowned directors featured in the series—all former Hong Kong Film Award winners for Best Director—will each curate a personal selection of films. Kicking off the series is Peter Ho-sun Chan, a director who achieved the ‘Triple Crown’ of directing with wins at the Hong Kong Film Awards, the Golden Horse Awards and the Golden Rooster Awards.
Having come of age during the golden era of Hong Kong cinema in the 1980s, Chan is undisputedly a leading figure in contemporary Chinese-language cinema. Born in Hong Kong to Thai-Chinese film director Chan Tung-man, Peter Ho-sun Chan spent his youth in Thailand and later studied in the United States. Returning to Hong Kong during the summer of 1983, he met Chua Lam of Golden Harvest by chance. Serving as Chua’s assistant director and assistant producer, Chan entered the Hong Kong film industry. He went on to work on numerous commercial blockbusters such as Wheels on Meals (1984) and Armour of God (1987).
Chan produced his first film, News Attack, in 1989. His directorial debut, the 1991 film Alan & Eric: Between Hello and Goodbye, earned lead actor Eric Tsang the Best Actor award at the Hong Kong Film Awards and firmly established Chan as an A-list director. His affinity for melodramas was also evident in this early work.
In 1991, Chan co-founded United Filmmakers Organization Ltd (UFO) with Eric Tsang and Claudie Chung. Gathering talents like Jacob Cheung, Lee Chi-ngai and James Yuen, they produced a series of urban comedies that stood apart from the prevailing trend of period dramas while achieving both critical and commercial success. Within just four years, the prolific Chan directed six films, including Tom, Dick & Hairy (1993), He Ain't Heavy, He's My Father (1993), He's a Woman, She's a Man (1994), and Comrades, Almost a Love Story (1996) while also producing hits like The Days of Being Dumb (1992), Yesteryou, Yesterme, Yesterday (1993) and Twenty Something (1994). Comrades, Almost a Love Story later swept nine major awards at the 16th Hong Kong Film Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. His international acclaim also led him to Hollywood, where he directed his first Hollywood feature, The Love Letter (1999), for Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks.
Whether as a director, producer or creative producer, Chan’s work has always been rooted in artistic sensibilities and the pulse of Hong Kong. His films embody the mobility of lives in Hong Kong and its blend of Eastern and Western cultures. In 2000, he founded Applause Pictures, with a pan-Asian perspective to collaborate with directors from Thailand, Japan and South Korea in producing high-quality Asian films. His productions include Jan Dara (2001), One Fine Spring Day (2001), The Eye and Three series.
From 2005 onwards, he expanded into the Chinese mainland market, directing Perhaps Love (2005), The Warlords (2007), Wu Xia (2011), American Dreams in China (2013), Dearest (2014), Leap (2020) and She’s Got No Name (2025) whilst also producing acclaimed works including Bodyguards and Assassins (2009), Soul Mate (2016) and Last Letter (2018). In the Chinese mainland market, Peter Ho-sun Chan skilfully combined commercial appeal with artistic vision, as well as genre and arthouse cinema. He maintained a unique Hong Kong perspective while also resonating with the broader Chinese experience. As a consummate filmmaker for over four decades, Chan is a true pillar of Hong Kong cinema.
For ‘Movie Talk’, Peter Ho-sun Chan has curated four of his own iconic works, pairing them with two Hollywood classics that deeply influenced him. Organised into three pairs of screenings, they explore motifs of love, war and ideals, with Chan engaging the audience in a cinematic dialogue that spans cultures and generations.
A free screening of Perhaps Love (2005) will be also held as a fringe activity for the programme. Interested audiences can visit the ticketing information on how to obtain a ticket.