Co-founded by Sir Run Run Shaw (1907-2014), the Shaw Brothers empire has been one of the largest film companies in Asia for over half a century, producing over 800 films in Hong Kong alone. In 1957, Run Run Shaw moved to Hong Kong from Singapore and established the Shaw Brothers Studio to join the rapidly expanding Hong Kong film industry. Sparing no expense, the company elevated Hong Kong cinema to new heights with its lavish widescreen colour productions. Adopting the production line model of foreign studio systems in Hong Kong, Shaw Brothers (Hong Kong) took up all aspects of film production, from importing technology, distribution, marketing to grooming new talents.

In 1925, the four Shaw Brothers – Runje, Runde, Runme and Run Run – entered the film industry by forming the Tianyi Film Company in Shanghai. In 1934, Tianyi's operations moved to Hong Kong with the intention of exporting films to the Southeast Asia market, and the company was re-named Nanyang two years later. Meanwhile, Runme and Run Run moved to Singapore in the late 1920s to explore possibilities in Southeast Asia. By the 1960s, Shaw had already become an entertainment empire, operating theme parks, dance halls and 130 cinemas throughout Southeast Asia.

Early on, Run Run Shaw already had the idea of bringing Chinese-language films to the world. In addition to putting films like The Kingdom and the Beauty (1959), The Enchanting Shadow (1960) and Yang Kwei Fei (1962) in overseas film festivals, the company also recruited film talents from around Asia and struck co-production alliances with overseas companies. Shaw's ambition led the company into rapid expansion in the 1960s, entering a fierce competition with Cathay Organization. Shaw's impressive slate of directors included Li Han-hsiang, Griffin Yueh Feng, Doe Ching, Lo Chen, Chang Cheh and Lo Wei. In 1961, the company also established an acting troupe to train actors, bringing us stars such as Jimmy Wang Yu, Ti Lung, John Chiang, Lo Lieh, Cheng Pei-pei, Li Ching, Eliot Yueh Hua, Golden Chen Hung-lieh, Chin Ping, Fang Ying, Angela Yu Chien, Tina Chin Fei and Lily Li.

This retrospective takes us from Run Run Shaw's early days of expansion in Hong Kong with the 1955 Japan-Hong Kong co-production Princess Yang Kwei Fei (directed by Kenji Mizoguchi) to the 1970s, when he set his sights to television. The six sub-sections are: "Period Epics", "Cantonese Productions", "Intimate Dramas", "Music and Glamour", "Wuxia Adventures" and "Exploring New Genres." The selections intend to explore how Run Run Shaw's talent for spotting market trends dictated the creative direction of the studio. For example, his experiences in Singapore first taught him that lavish, colourful period epics were the most appealing to audiences. Over time, Shaw would eventually move to grand musicals, youth films, contemporary romances and finally wuxia action films.

Exploring Shaw Brothers' role as a dream factory, the retrospective includes three seminars that will discuss the strengths of Run Run Shaw as a studio mastermind and the creative process behind the songs and star cast in Shaw musicals.

Special thanks to Celestial Pictures Limited

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