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Peter Ho-sun Chan (born 28 November 1962), also known as Peter Chan, is a Hong Kong-born filmmaker best known for directing films that span a wide range of genres, including romantic comedies, musical dramas, and historical epics. He is recognized as one of the most prominent directors in Chinese cinema, being the first director to win Best Director awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards, the Golden Horse Awards, and the China Golden Rooster Awards.
Peter Chan | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Chan in 2011 | |||||||||||
| Born | 28 November 1962 | ||||||||||
| Partner | Sandra Ng | ||||||||||
| Children | Jilian Chan (daughter) | ||||||||||
| Awards | Hong Kong Film Awards – Best Director 1997 Comrades, Almost A Love Story 2008 The Warlords Best Film 1997 Comrades, Almost A Love Story 2008 The Warlords 2010 Bodyguards and Assassins Golden Bauhinia Awards – Best Director 1996 Comrades, Almost A Love Story Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards – Best Director 1996 Comrades, Almost A Love Story 2002 Three Golden Horse Awards – Best Director 1996 Comrades, Almost A Love Story 2005 Perhaps Love 2008 The Warlords | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 陳可辛 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 陈可辛 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Chan began his career in the film industry in the 1980s, working as an assistant director and producer on films for prominent directors such as John Woo and Jackie Chan. He made his directorial debut with Alan and Eric: Between Hello and Goodbye (1991). Over the years, Chan's achievements in filmmaking have solidified his reputation as a master storyteller and visionary director. Among his notable films are He's a Woman, She's a Man (1994), Comrades: Almost a Love Story (1996), Perhaps Love (2005), The Warlords (2007), WuXia (2011), American Dreams in China (2013), Dearest (2014), and Leap (2020).
In addition to his directorial success, Chan has also made significant contributions as a producer and entrepreneur. He co-founded Applause Pictures in 2000, a production company dedicated to creating high-quality films that appeal to both Asian and international audiences. In 2009, Chan founded WE Pictures, another production company that has focused on bringing Chinese stories to a global audience and continues to produce influential and acclaimed works. Chan’s notable producing works include The Eye Series, Protégé (2007), Bodyguards and Assassins (2009) and Soul Mate (2016).
Early life
editChan was born in British Hong Kong to Chinese parents. His father, Chan Tung Man, was a writer-director and a columnist.[1][2] At the age of 11, Chan moved with his family to Thailand, where he grew up in Bangkok's international Chinese community and became fluent in Thai.[3][4]
He later attended film school at UCLA before returning to Hong Kong in 1983 for a summer internship in the film industry, which marked the beginning of his career in filmmaking.
Career
editHe served as second assistant director, translator, and producer on John Woo's Heroes Shed No Tears (1986), which was set in Thailand.[3] He then was a location manager on three Jackie Chan films, Wheels on Meals (1984), The Protector (1985) and Armour of God (1986), all of which were shot overseas.[3]
He joined Impact Films as a producer in 1989, guiding projects such as Curry and Pepper (1990) to completion.[3]
His directorial debut, Alan and Eric: Between Hello and Goodbye, was crowned best film at the Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild in 1991. It also won best actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards for Eric Tsang, who would become a frequent collaborator with Chan.[5]
Chan was a co-founder of United Filmmakers Organization (UFO) in the early 1990s,[6] which produced a number of box-office and critical hits in Hong Kong, including his own: He Ain't Heavy, He's My Father. Other critical and commercial successes followed, including Tom, Dick and Hairy, He's a Woman, She's a Man and Comrades, Almost a Love Story.
In the late 1990s, Chan worked in Hollywood,[7] directing The Love Letter, which starred Kate Capshaw, Ellen DeGeneres and Tom Selleck.[8]
In 2000, Chan co-founded Applause Pictures with Teddy Chen and Allan Fung.[9] The company's focus was on fostering ties with pan-Asian filmmakers, producing such films as Jan Dara by Thailand's Nonzee Nimibutr, One Fine Spring Day South Korea's Hur Jin-ho, Samsara by China's Huang Jianxin, The Eye by Danny and Oxide Pang and cinematographer Christopher Doyle.
Since the mid-2000s, Chan has been working mostly in mainland China, capitalizing on the rapid expansion of the Chinese film industry.[10] Chan's 2005 film, the Hong Kong-mainland China co-produced musical Perhaps Love, closed the 2005 Venice Film Festival and was Hong Kong's entry for an Academy Awards nomination in the best foreign film category. Perhaps Love became one of the year's top-grossing films in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and received a record 29 awards. Chan next directed The Warlords (2007) and produced Derek Yee's Protégé (2007). The two films were the two highest grossing Hong Kong-China co-productions of 2007. The Warlords grossed a record RMB220 million in China and over US$40 million across Asia, and garnered 8 Hong Kong Film Awards and 3 Golden Horse Awards, including Best Director and Best Feature Film.[citation needed]
In 2009, Chan produced Teddy Chen's Bodyguards and Assassins, which has garnered RMB300 million in China box office alone, accumulating over US$50 million Asia-wide. It has scored 8 awards in the Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Film.[citation needed]
In a survey conducted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council during the 2010 Hong Kong Filmart, Chan was voted "the most valuable filmmaker", which was strongly backed by his box-office track records.[citation needed]
In 2022, Peter Chan launched production company Changin’ Pictures to make streaming content.[11][12]
Personal life
editChan has a daughter, Jilian Chan (born in 2006), with Hong Kong actress Sandra Ng, although the two have no intention of getting married.[13]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Credited as | Chinese title | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Cameo | Producer | ||||
| 1986 | Heroes Shed No Tears | No | No | Yes | 英雄無淚 | |
| Millionaires Express | No | Yes | No | 富貴列車 | ||
| 1988 | Couples, Couples, Couples | No | Yes | No | 三對鴛鴦一張床 | |
| 1989 | News Attack | No | No | Yes | 神行太保 | |
| 1990 | Whampoa Blues | No | No | Yes | 壯志豪情 | |
| Curry and Pepper | No | No | Yes | 咖喱辣椒 | ||
| 1991 | Alan and Eric: Between Hello and Goodbye | Yes | No | Yes | 雙城故事 | |
| Yesteryou, Yesterme, Yesterday | No | No | Yes | 記得...香蕉成熟時 | ||
| 1992 | The Days of Being Dumb | No | No | Yes | 亞飛與亞基 | |
| 1992 | Twin Dragons | No | Yes | No | 雙龍會 | |
| 1993 | C'est la vie, mon chéri | No | Yes | No | 新不了情 | |
| 1993 | He Ain't Heavy, He's My Father | Yes | No | Yes | 新難兄難弟 | |
| Tom, Dick and Hairy | Yes | No | No | 風塵三俠 | ||
| 1994 | He's a Woman, She's a Man | Yes | No | Yes | 金枝玉葉 | |
| Over The Rainbow, Under The Skirt | No | No | Yes | 記得……香蕉成熟時II初戀情人 | ||
| Twenty Something | No | No | Yes | 晚9朝5 | ||
| 1995 | Happy Hour | No | No | Yes | 歡樂時光 | |
| 1996 | The Age of Miracles | Yes | No | Yes | 嫲嫲．帆帆 | |
| Who's The Woman, Who's The Man | Yes | No | Yes | 金枝玉葉2 | ||
| Comrades, Almost A Love Story | Yes | No | Yes | 甜蜜蜜 | [14] | |
| 1999 | The Love Letter | Yes | No | No | 情书 | |
| 2000 | Twelve Nights | No | No | Yes | 十二夜 | |
| 2001 | Jan Dara | No | No | Yes | Thai: จัน ดารา | |
| One Fine Spring Day | No | No | Yes | Korean: 봄날은 간다; Hanja: 春逝 | ||
| 2002 | The Eye | No | No | Yes | 見鬼 | |
| Three (segment Going Home) | Yes | No | Yes | 三更之回家 | ||
| Golden Chicken | No | No | Yes | 金雞 | ||
| 2003 | Project 1:99 (short film) | Yes | No | No | 1:99電影行動 - 2003春天……的回憶 | |
| Golden Chicken 2 | No | No | Yes | 金雞2 | ||
| 2004 | The Eye 2 | No | No | Yes | 見鬼2 | |
| Three...Extremes | No | No | Yes | 三更2之餃子 | ||
| 2005 | Perhaps Love | Yes | No | Yes | 如果·愛 | [15] |
| The Eye 10 | No | No | Yes | 見鬼10 | ||
| 2007 | Protégé | No | No | Yes | 門徒 | |
| The Warlords | Yes | No | Yes | 投名狀 | ||
| 2008 | The Eye (remake) | No | No | Executive | ||
| 2009 | Bodyguards and Assassins | No | No | Yes | 十月圍城 | [16] |
| 2011 | Mr. and Mrs. Incredible | No | No | Yes | 神奇俠侶 | |
| Dragon | Yes | No | Yes | 武俠 | [17] | |
| 2012 | The Guillotines | No | No | Yes | 血滴子 | |
| 2013 | American Dreams in China | Yes | No | Yes | 中國合伙人 | [18] |
| 2014 | Dearest | Yes | No | No | 親愛的 | [19] |
| The Truth About Beauty | No | No | Yes | 整容日记 | ||
| 2016 | Soul Mate | No | No | Yes | 七月與安生 | |
| 2017 | This Is Not What I Expected | No | No | Yes | 喜歡·你 | |
| 2018 | Last Letter | No | No | Yes | 你好，之華 | |
| 2019 | Better Days | No | No | Executive | 少年的你 | |
| 2020 | Leap | Yes | No | No | 奪冠 | |
| 2021 | Coffee or Tea | No | No | Yes | 一點就到家 | |
| 2023 | Tale of the Night | No | No | Yes | 长沙夜生活 | |
| 2024 | She's Got No Name | Yes | No | Yes | 醬園弄 | [20][21] |
| TBA | Li Na: My Life | Yes | No | Yes | 獨自·上場 | [22] |
References
edit- ^ "陈可辛父亲陈铜民去世 吴君如携女赴泰奔丧". Lianhe Zaobao (in Simplified Chinese). 18 February 2023. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "陈可辛父陈铜民逝世 曾任邵氏兄弟宣传主任 泰国华侨与金庸为旧同事". Sing Tao Daily (in Chinese). 17 February 2023. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d Elley, Derek (14 January 1998). "Peter Chan". Variety. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
- ^ Kong, Rithdee (6 January 2013). "Peter Chan - Balancing on the cutting edge". Bangkok Post. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ Tissandier, Francois (2003). "A Conversation with Peter Chan". Cinemasie. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ Koesnikov-Jessop, Sonia (12 January 2006). "Play it again, but with music and in Chinese". International Herald Tribune. Archived from the original on 16 August 2007. Retrieved 19 January 2006.
- ^ Landler, Mark (13 August 2000). "FILM; Back to Hong Kong, Where the Action Is". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ Brennan, Judith I. (13 December 1998). "He's Not Afraid of a Little Pressure". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ Pao, Jin Long (2002). "The Pan-Asian Co-Production Sphere: Interview with Director Peter Chan". Harvard Asia Quarterly. Archived from the original on 1 November 2007.
- ^ Napolitano, Dean (21 March 2012). "For Peter Chan, Story Trumps Style". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ Frater, Patrick (4 October 2022). "Donnie Yen, Zhang Ziyi on Board as Peter Chan Launches Changin' Pictures, Filmmaker-Led Asian TV Producer (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ Shackleton, Liz (4 October 2022). "Donnie Yen, Zhang Ziyi Among Talent On Debut Slate Of Peter Chan's Changin' Pictures". Deadline. Archived from the original on 20 October 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "Peter Chan: "Sandra and I will not be getting married" - Yahoo! Singapore News". Archived from the original on 30 October 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
- ^ Eagan, Daniel (16 November 2021). "Comrades, Almost a Love Story at 25: director on the film and its stars". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ Wong, Silvia (14 August 2006). "Perhaps Love wins big at Golden Bauhinia Awards". Screen International. Archived from the original on 14 September 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ Macnab, Geoffrey (13 February 2010). "We Distribution closes deals on Bodyguards And Assassins". Screen International. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ Chang, Justin (14 May 2011). "Wu xia". Variety. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ Mitchell, Wendy (14 June 2013). "American Dreams in China hits big". Screen International. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ Frater, Patrick (5 October 2014). "BUSAN: Peter Chan Feted by Festival". Variety. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ "SHE'S GOT NO NAME". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ Frater, Patrick (11 March 2024). "Zhang Ziyi, Lei Jiayin and Jackson Yee Star in Peter Chan's 'She Has No Name' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ Bi, Yuanyuan; Wen, Menghua (17 March 2021). "成本超3亿《李娜》更名为《独自·上场》 欢喜传媒提前锁定6亿收入". National Business Daily. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- Elley, Derek (14 January 1998), 1998 10 to Watch, [Variety], retrieved 21 January 2006.