Ng See-Yuen

Ng See-Yuen , born 1944 in Shanghai, is a director of independent film in Hong Kong. He has worked in the since 1970, particularly in Hong Kong action cinema, with roles including film director, and screenwriter.

History

His career in the industry began at Shaw Brothers Studio, where his official title was "Executive". The first film he was involved in was ''The Chinese Boxer'' , on which he worked as assistant director to film director Jimmy Wang Yu.

In 1975, he founded Seasonal Films Corporation. The first film produced by the company was ''Secret Rivals'' in 1976, which Ng also directed.

Ng produced and co-wrote ''Snake in the Eagle's Shadow'' and ''Drunken Master'', which were both the first films directed by Yuen Woo-ping, and Jackie Chan's first real successes at the domestic box office.

In 1985, Ng was the first Hong Kong producer to make a film in the USA that successfully showed the Hong Kong style of action, when he worked with Corey Yuen on ''No Retreat, No Surrender'', which starred then unknowns Kurt McKinney and Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Other notable films that Ng See-Yuen worked on include ''Ninja in the Dragon's Den'' and ''Legend of a Fighter'' , both in 1982. He also co-produced Jackie Chan's 1992 film ''Twin Dragons'', and four of the ''.

Still working in the industry, his latest film was Alfred Cheung's romantic comedy ''Contract Lover'', which he produced in 2007.

Ng See-Yuen is also the founder of "UME International Cineplex," which is one of the largest cinema chains in China, with five-star cineplexes in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hangzhou and Beijing. "UME" is an acronym for Ultimate Movie Experience. He is also chairman of the Federation Of Hong Kong Filmmakers.

Ma-Xu Weibang

Ma-Xu Weibang was a film director active in the mainland during the 1920s through 1940s, and later in Hong Kong, perhaps best known for his work in the horror genre, the most important unarguably being the Phantom of the Opera-inspired, ''Song at Midnight''. Ma-Xu was also known for a few acting roles early in his career, as well as for being a screenwriter. The director of 33 known films, much of Ma-Xu's early work has been lost.

Ma-Xu was born Xu Weibang in 1905 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. Little is known of this early period except that his parents died while Ma-Xu was still a child, which was said to influence his decision to incorporate his wife's surname, "Ma".

Career in film

Ma-Xu studied at the Shanghai Institute of Fine Arts in the early 1920s. Following his graduation, he began working as an actor for the Mingxing Film Company, his first film being Zhang Shichuan's ''The Marriage Trap'' in 1924. Following a brief stint in the short-lived Langhua Film Company where he directed his first film in 1926, Ma-Xu returned to Mingxing where he began serving as assistant directors for some of the more established talent. His thriller, ''The Cry of Apes in a Deserted Valley'' is the only one of these directorial efforts to have survived.

Ma-Xu's first real success, however, did not come until 1937 with ''Song at Midnight'', often referred to as China's first horror film. Based on Gaston Leroux's classic , the film is now seen as part of the canon of early Chinese cinema, and was also remade as ''The Phantom Lover'' by Ronny Yu in 1996. Ma-Xu followed up ''Song'' with two additional horror films, ''Walking Corpse in an Old House'' and ''The Lonely Soul'' . In 1941, he made a lackluster sequel to ''Song at Midnight'' , and also co-directed with Bu Wancang the controversial Japanese propaganda film '''' .

Like Bu, Ma-Xu suffered for his work on ''The Opium War'' after the Japanese were defeated and was eventually forced to move to Hong Kong where he continued to work in the film business until 1961, when he was killed in a road accident.

Filmography

Note: in most early Chinese films, there often were no official English translations, leading to a sometimes confusing lack of consistency in titles.

Ma Liwen

Ma Liwen is an award-winning film director.

Ma graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in 1994 and is considered one of Fifth Generation director Tian Zhuangzhuang's proteges along with Ning Hao.

Filmography

As director

Lu Xuechang

Lu Xuechang is a sixth generation . One of a new crop of talented filmmakers, Lu has directed four feature films beginnign with his debut, ''The Making of Steel'' in 1997.

Like many of his present-day peers, critics have seen elements of foreign filmmakers in Lu's work with Lu himself claiming to enjoy Italian cinema . Also like his peers, however, Lu has had his share of run-ins with the censors. ''The Making of Steel'' for example, was recut six times before it was allowed to be screened.

Filmography

Liu Fendou

Liu Fendou is a screenwriter, film director, and film producer. Born in Beijing, Liu Fendou spent some time in the United States in his youth doing "generally doing a whole lot of nothing" until returning to Beijing in 1995.

Upon his return to China, Liu entered into the film world, and soon became a major figure in China's independent film scene. Beginning his career as a screenwriter collaborating with in his films ''Spicy Love Soup'', and '''', and Shi Runjiu in '''', Liu eventually moved on to founding his own independent production company, Electric Orange Entertainment, which helped finance and produce Zhang Yibai's debut film ''Spring Subway''.

In 2004, Liu released his directorial debut, the comedy-drama ''Green Hat''. It was followed by the release of ''Ocean Flame'', produced by Simon Yam Tat-wah, in 2008.

Filmography

As screenwriter

As director

As producer

List of Chinese directors

''The following is a list of notable film directors from Mainland China.''

B

*Bu Wancang

C

*Joan Chen , Chinese actress and director.
*Chen Daming, actor-turned-director.
*Chen Kaige , major figure of the Fifth Generation, his epic '''' was the first Chinese film to win Cannes' coveted Palme d'Or.
*Cheng Bugao
*Cai Chusheng , major leftist filmmaker in the 1930s, later fell victim to the Cultural Revolution.
*Cai Shangjun, Chinese screenwriter and director

D

*Dai Sijie , French novelist and director, born in China.
*Diao Yi'nan , screenwriter and director.
*Du Haibin, Chinese documentary filmmaker

F

*Feng Gong , comedic actor and sometimes-director.
*Feng Xiaoning , art designer turned director, part of the 1982 graduating class of the Beijing Film Academy
*Feng Xiaogang , director of popular films, including several "New Year" genre films.
*Fei Mu , major director of the 1930s and 1940s, famed for his masterpiece, ''Spring in a Small Town''.

G

*Gan Xiao'er, Chinese filmmaker who focuses on Christianity.
*Gu Changwei , Chinese cinematographer for many years, has directed two films.
* , Chinese film director and novelist.

H

*He Jianjun , Sixth Generation director.
*He Ping , director known for mixing Chinese and Western tropes.
*He Qun, director of ''Country Teachers'', Golden Rooster winner of 1994.
*Hou Hsiao-Hsien , leading figure in Taiwan's New Wave cinema.
*Hou Yong, cinematographer for Zhang Yimou, among others; director of ''Jasmine Women''.
*Hu Bingliu, , director ''Live in Peace'', Golden Rooster winner of 1998.
*Hu Mei, Fifth Generation director.
*Huang Jianxin , Fifth Generation director, perhaps best known for his film ''The Black Cannon Incident''.
*Ann Hui, , major female director based in Hong Kong, and a leading figure of the Hong Kong New Wave.
*Huo Jianqi

J

*Jia Zhangke , leading figure of China's Sixth Generation.
*Jiang Wen , famous Chinese leading man-turned-director.
*, Sixth generation director.

L

*Lou Ye , Sixth-Generation director whose many run-ins with state authorities have hampered his filmmaking opportunities.
*Li Shaohong , Chinese female director.
* , Sixth-Generation director notable for his film ''Blind Shaft''.
* , one of China's few female directors.
*Liu Bingjian , Sixth-Generation director
*Liu Fendou , primarily a screenwriter for , Liu has recently branched into producing and directing .
*Lu Chuan , Sixth-Generation director notable for the environmental drama ''''.
*Lu Xuechang , Sixth-Generation director.
*Lü Yue , Fifth-Generation cinematographer-turned-director.

M

*Ma-Xu Weibang
*Ma Liwen, female Chinese director.

N

*Ning Hao
*Ning Ying

P

*Peng Xiaolian , female Chinese director known for her Shanghai-based films

S

* , major director who emerged in post-war China with important films like ''Myriad of Lights''.
*Shen Xiling , important director during the 1930s.
*Shi Dongshan , Lianhua Film Company director active in the 1930s and 1940s.
* , major director of the 1950s.
*Shui Hua , major director of the 1950s and 1960s.
*Shi Runjiu , young director and part of the Sixth Generation.
*Sun Daolin , veteran actor and director.
* , one of the most important early directors of Chinese cinema.
*Sun Zhou , Chinese film director with extensive TV experience; known for his collaborations with Gong Li.

T

*Tian Zhuangzhuang , major Fifth Generation director, his 1993 film ''Blue Kite'' was banned by China with Tian forced out of filmmaking for nearly ten years before his return with ''Springtime in a Small Town'' in 2001.

W

*Wan brothers, animators.
**Wan Laiming
**Wan Guchan
**Wan Chaochen
**Wan Dihuan
* , documentary filmmaker.
* , Sixth Generation filmmaker.
*Wang Fen, female Chinese director who debutted with her 2007 film ''The Case''.
*Wang Guangli , modern Chinese director, active since 1997.
*
*Wang Quan'an , Sixth Generation director, and winner of the 2007 Golden Bear for his film, ''Tuya's Marriage''.
*Wang Shuo , famous novelist, screenwriter, and one-time director of the film, ''Father''
*Wang Xiaoshuai , leading Sixth Generation filmmaker.
*Wei Shiyu Louisa Hong Kong based female Chinese filmmaker, script translator, producer and educator.
*Wong Kar-wai , Hong Kong film director, born in Shanghai.
*Wu Tianming , a member of the so-called "Fourth Generation," his role as head of the Xi'an Film Studio meant he often oversaw the works of several of his successors, notably Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige.
*Wu Wenguang , documentary filmmaker.
*Wu Yigong , director active in the 1980s and early 1990s, also a film producer.
*Wu Yonggang , a major director from the 1930s, perhaps best known for his silent film, ''The Goddess''.
*Wu Ziniu , Fifth Generation director.

X

*Xiao Jiang , young female director, debuted with the film ''Electric Shadows''.
*
*Xie Jin , veteran director active since the 1960s.
*Xu Jinglei , popular actress and director.

Y

*Edward Yang , major figure of Taiwan's New Wave cinema, best known for his film ''Yi Yi''.
*Yang Fengliang, Chinese film director in the 1980s and 1990s.
*Ye Daying
*Yin Li
*Yin Lichuan , female director.
*Ying Liang , independent film director.
*Youxin Yang, Chinese female director.
*Yuan Muzhi , actor and director who gained prominence in the 1930s.

Z

*Zhang Guoli , actor turned director.
*Zhang Junxiang
*Zhang Nuanxing , female Chinese director, best known for her work ''Sacrifice of Youth'' .
*Zhang Shichuan
*
*Zhang Yibai
*Zhang Yimou , one of the most successful Fifth Generation directors, Zhang's more recent films reflect a shift towards big budget historical epics.
*Zhang Yuan , major figure of the Sixth Generation
*Zheng Junli
*Zheng Zhengqiu , often considered one of the founding fathers of Chinese cinema, associated with the Mingxing Film Company.
*Zhou Xiaowen , Fifth Generation director.
*Zhu Shilin
*, Sixth Generation Director.

Li Yu (director)

Li Yu is a female Chinese film director and screenwriter. She began her career in entertainment at a young age, serving as a presenter at a local TV station. After college she eventually joined , where she directed television shows, before moving onto documentaries and finally feature films.

Filmography