Stanley Kwan is one of Hong Kong's most internationally renowned film directors. After studying at the Department of Communications at Baptist College, he joined Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) as an acting trainee but soon moved to the production department. In the early 1980s, Kwan was an assistant to several directors who launched the first New Wave of Hong Kong cinema, including Ann Hui, Yim Ho, and Patrick Tam. In 1985, he successfully directed his debut feature film, Women (1985). His second film, Love Unto Waste (1986), was selected for competition at the Locarno Film Festival, then a rare honor for a Hong Kong director. His third feature, Rouge (1987), created a box office miracle among non-action films and attracted a substantial international audience. A few years later, Center Stage (1991) made it to the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival and won a Golden Bear for Maggie Cheung (Best Actress). In 1997, Hold You Tight won the Alfred Bauer Prize for Innovation and the Teddy Award for Best Lesbian/Gay Film, also at the Berlinale. 

Kwan's pioneering role in the Second New Wave of Hong Kong cinema, characterized by his works portraying the state of mind of the contemporary Hong Kong people and their connection to traditional Chinese culture, is truly inspiring. His feature films have become art-house classics and have inspired hundreds of academic studies, creative works, and cinephile articles. In recent years, he has continued directing short films, three documentaries, and a short play staged in Hong Kong and London. Meanwhile, his past works have been restored and selected for various retrospective programs, bringing him younger audiences. Among his restored films, Love Unto Waste, Rouge, Centre Stage, and Lan Yu have been screened at the Hong Kong International Film Festival and commercial cinemas such as K11 and Golden Scene, creating renewed interest and study in his works. 

Over the past two decades, Kwan has actively supported younger directors in the producer role. A recent feature film he produced is Fly Me to the Moon (2023), written and directed by female director Sasha Chuk. This film won many Golden Horse Film Awards and continues to receive awards and accolades. 

Since January 2020, Kwan has built a reputation as a very dedicated and helpful mentor to the School of Creative Media students, teaching Scrip Writing and Directing for Hong Kong Cinema classes at the City University of Hong Kong. He has been able to invite many guests from the film industry so that students can have direct communication and learn from practitioners who are active in the industry. His mentoring role is invaluable.

Film Links:

• Women https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_(1985_film)
• Love Unto Waste https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Unto_Waste
• Rouge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rouge_(film)
• Hold You Tight https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hold_You_Tight_(film)
• Center Stage https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_Stage_(1991_film)
• Red Rose White Rose https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Rose_White_Rose
• Yang ± Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yang_%C2%B1_Yin:_Gender_in_Chinese_Cinema
• Everlasting Regret https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everlasting_Regret
• Lan Yu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lan_Yu_(film)