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Peter Chan
Peter Chan.BIFF.2011.jpg
Chan in 2011
Born (1962-11-28) 28 November 1962 (age 62)
Partner(s) 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 AwardsBest 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
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin Chén Kěxīn
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutping can4 ho2 san1

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.

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). 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

Chan was born in British Hong Kong to Chinese parents. His father, Chan Tung Man, was a writer-director and a columnist. 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.

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

Early Career and Breakthrough (1980s-1990s)

Peter Chan began his film career in the 1980s, serving as second assistant director, translator, and producer on John Woo's Heroes Shed No Tears (1986), set in Thailand. He then worked as a location manager on three Jackie Chan films: Wheels on Meals (1984), The Protector (1985), and Armour of God (1986), all shot overseas. In 1989, he joined Impact Films as a producer, guiding projects such as Curry and Pepper (1990) to completion.

Chan made his directorial debut with Alan and Eric: Between Hello and Goodbye in 1991, which won Best Film at the Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild and Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards for Eric Tsang. This period also saw him co-founding the United Filmmakers Organization (UFO) in the early 1990s, which produced several box-office hits, including his own He Ain't Heavy, He's My Father (1993), Tom, Dick and Hairy (1993), He's a Woman, She's a Man (1994), and the internationally acclaimed Comrades, Almost a Love Story (1997) starring Maggie Cheung and Leon Lai. This film, often hailed as one of the greatest Chinese-language films ever made, catapulted Chan into international prominence and set the tone for his career as a director, producer and tireless advocate of the Chinese-language film industry.

Hollywood and Pan Asian Collaborations (Late 1990s-2000s)

In the late 1990s, Chan directed The Love Letter, a Hollywood film starring Kate Capshaw, Ellen DeGeneres, and Tom Selleck. In 2000, he co-founded Applause Pictures, where he spearheaded a drive to make Pan-Asian films for the region’s audiences, resulting in hits such as Jan Dara by Thailand's Nonzee Nimibutr, One Fine Spring Day South Korea's Hur Jin-ho, The Eye by Danny and Oxide Pang and cinematographer Christopher Doyle, The Eye sequals and its US remake. It also fostered collaborations with directors such as Park Chan-wook and Takashi Miike.

Since the mid-2000s, Chan has predominantly worked in mainland China, capitalizing on the rapid expansion of its film industry. His 2005 musical film Perhaps Love, a Hong Kong-mainland China co-production, closed the Venice Film Festival and was Hong Kong's entry for the Academy Awards' Best Foreign Film category. Perhaps Love became one of the top-grossing films of the year in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, winning a record 29 awards. Chan also directed The Warlords (2007) and produced Derek Yee's Protégé (2007), both of which were the highest-grossing Hong Kong-China co-productions of the year. The Warlords won 8 Hong Kong Film Awards and 3 Golden Horse Awards, including Best Director and Best Feature Film.

Continued Success and Advocacy (2010s-Present)

In 2009, Chan founded WE Pictures, a production company aimed at supporting, producing and distributing films from a range of Chinese artists. That same year, he produced Teddy Chen's Bodyguards and Assassins, which won 8 Hong Kong Film Awards including Best Film. Chan's reputation was solidified when he was voted "the most valuable filmmaker" in a 2010 survey by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

Chan's 2011 martial arts film Wu Xia premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, the only Chinese-language film in that year's selection. Time Magazine named Wu Xia one of the top ten films of 2012. In 2020, his drama Leap, about the Chinese women's volleyball Olympic team, represented Mainland China and showcased his ability to navigate various genres.

In 2022, Chan launched the production company Changin' Pictures to create streaming content.

Chan’s new film, She’s Got No Name (2024), marks his second time in official selection at the Cannes Film Festival after Wu Xia.

Ongoing Contributions

Throughout his career, Chan has leveraged his Thai heritage to engage in Pan-Asian film initiatives. His recent endeavor seeks to collaborate with a broad spectrum of South Asian and Southeast Asian filmmakers. By forming solidarity with notable directors like Kabir Khan, Kiran Rao, and Banjong Pisanthanakun, Chan aims to foster cross-pollination with filmmakers across a wider range throughout the continent, contributing to the growth and diversity of the region's cinema.

Chan's legacy is defined by his versatility, advocacy, and enduring impact on the Chinese-language film industry. His numerous accolades, including 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, underscore his remarkable talent and influential presence in the world of cinema.

Personal life

Chan has a daughter, Jilian Chan (born in 2006), with Hong Kong actress Sandra Ng, although the two have no intention of getting married.

Filmography

Year Title Credited as Chinese title
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
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 Hangul: 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
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
2011 Mr. and Mrs. Incredible No No Yes 神奇俠侶
Dragon Yes No Yes 武俠
2012 The Guillotines No No Yes 血滴子
2013 American Dreams in China Yes No Yes 中國合伙人
2014 Dearest Yes No No 親愛的
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
0TBA Li Na: My Life Yes No Yes 獨自·上場 '

See also

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