Hong Kong cinema stalwart Derek Yee spoke about taking responsibility for nurturing younger generations of filmmakers at Shanghai International Film Festival‘s forum on Hong Kong’s “Director’s Succession Scheme.” The panel was joined by filmmakers from younger generations, including Stephen Fung, T. Keane Wong, Wong Hoi, Norris Wong and Nick Cheuk.
“Afterpiece,” the opening film of SIFF, was directed by T. Keane Wong and produced by Yee. Wong, who started his career as Yee’s script supervisor on “I Am Somebody” at the age of 19, has consistently followed in Yee’s footsteps.
“I asked him to follow the project from the start to the end. Throughout my career as a producer, I’ve noticed that many assistant directors who transition into directors tend to pack up as soon as filming wraps, leaving the remaining work to a post-production coordinator. That means they missed out on a comprehensive, full-cycle filmmaking experience,” said the veteran filmmaker. “His edge is that he stays dedicated to every project from inception to completion. Every assistant director dreams of directing. When I finally felt he had reached maturity, as a chance from ‘Director’s Succession Scheme’ came along, I asked him to write a screenplay.”
