Four film directors were invited by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) Press and the Run Run Shaw Library to a jointly organised talk entitled “The Academics: Three Generations of Film Directors” on 30 November where they shared their feelings about directing and discussed how their academic training had influenced them.

The participating directors included Mr Derek Chiu Sung-kee, Assistant Professor of the School of Creative Media (SCM) at CityU and producer of Mad World; Mr Wong Chun, director of Mad World and CityU alumnus; Ms Tam Wai-ching, director of the short film The Little One and CityU alumna; and Ms Kearen Pang Sau-wai, director of 29+1.

Mr Wong, an SCM graduate, was awarded the Best New Director at the 53rd Golden Horse Awards and the Best New Director of the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards for his first film Mad World. The film will represent Hong Kong to compete for the nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in the upcoming 90th Academy Awards in the US.

Acknowledging the impact SCM’s teaching has had on his career, Mr Wong said that directors with an academic background received systematic training in theory and studied some of the world’s best films, adding that the School had given him a deep conviction about, and a power over, filmmaking.

Ms Tam, also an SCM graduate, shared how she stood fast in filmmaking. She said that the director should communicate well with all members of the crew while adhering to principles and doing one’s best.

Ms Pang became a director after the completion of her performing arts degree. She believed that students should be taught to embrace lofty values and that filming was an art and a work of creation.

Mr Chiu agreed that filming was an art. He said that academic training could enhance students' taste and vision, pointing out that the director of a film would be remembered by only a few but a good film would leave a good name for decades.

Mr Chiu introduced his new book Watching and Making Films at the talk, which attracted nearly 100 people.