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Ng See-yuen

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Ng See-yuen
Born (1944-06-06) 6 June 1944 (age 80)
Shanghai, Republic of China
Occupations
  • Film producer
  • director
  • writer
  • businessman
Years active1970–present
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese吳思遠
Simplified Chinese吴思远
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinWú Sīyuǎn
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingNg4 See1-yuen5
In this Chinese name, the family name is Ng.

Ng See-yuen (Chinese: 吳思遠; born 6 June 1944)[1] is a Hong Kong film producer, director, screenwriter and businessman.

He has been active in the Hong Kong film industry since 1970, particularly in action films. He was one of the first filmmakers to find widespread success outside of the major studios of Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest as the founder of Seasonal Film Corporation, where he helped launch the careers of Jackie Chan, Jimmy Wang Yu, Corey Yuen, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Hiroyuki Sanada, Jet Li and Wu Jing. He has been twice nominated for the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film, for The Unwritten Law (1985) and The Soong Sisters (1997).

Ng is an Honorary President of the Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild, a former President of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, and was President of the Hong Kong Film Awards Association from 1995 to 2000. He is also a co-founder of the UME Huaxing International Cinema chain, and the owner of the Hong Kong A1 Division basketball club Seasonal.

Early life

Ng See-yuen was born in Shanghai, the under Japanese occupation, on June 6, 1944. He and his family moved to British Hong Kong in 1961, where he attended New Method College in Kowloon. He worked as a security guard and a secondary school teacher before entering the film industry.

History

Filmmaking

His career in the industry began as an executive at Shaw Brothers Studio. The first film he was involved in was The Chinese Boxer (1970), on which he worked as assistant director to film director Jimmy Wang Yu.[2] In 1975, he founded Seasonal Film Corporation. The first film produced by the company was Secret Rivals in 1976, which Ng also directed.[3]

Ng produced and co-wrote Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978) and Drunken Master, which were the first films directed by Yuen Woo-ping and were Jackie Chan's first real successes at the domestic box office.

In 1985, Ng was the first Hong Kong producer to make a film in the USA that successfully showed the Hong Kong style of action, when he worked with Corey Yuen on No Retreat, No Surrender, which starred then unknowns Kurt McKinney and Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Other notable films that Ng See-yuen worked on include Ninja in the Dragon's Den (as co-writer and producer) and Legend of a Fighter (as producer and writer), both in 1982. He also co-produced Jackie Chan's 1992 film Twin Dragons, and four of the Once Upon a Time in China series.

Still working in the industry, he produced Alfred Cheung's romantic comedy Contract Lover in 2007, and is credited as presenter for the 2008 film Legendary Assassin.

Other industry roles

Ng See-yuen is an Honorary Advisor and jury member for the Asian Film Awards.[4] He holds several additional titles including Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, Honorary Permanent President of the Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild, and Advisor of the Hong Kong International Film Festival. In April 2007, he became an official member of the Hong Kong Film Development Council.[5] In this capacity, he has been a vocal advocate for the introduction of a motion picture rating system in China[6] and has spoken out on issues such as Mainland China's policies toward the co-production of films with other nations and censorship.[7]

Ng is also the founder of "UME International Cineplex," one of the largest cinema chains in China,[8] with five-star cineplexes in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hangzhou and an IMAX cineplex in Beijing. "UME" is an acronym for Ultimate Movie Experience.

Filmography

As director

As producer

References

  1. ^ "NG See-yuen". Database listing. BFI. Archived from the original on 2008-09-01. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
  2. ^ "Ng See-yuen". Biography. Beijing Video. Archived from the original on 2008-05-24. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
  3. ^ "Invincible Armour (1977)". Film listing. DVD Cult / Kung Fu DVD. Archived from the original on 2008-06-30. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
  4. ^ "33 FILMS COMPETE FOR 1st ASIAN FILM AWARDS". Press release. Asian Film Awards. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
  5. ^ "Establishment of the HK Film Development Council". Press release. FSO (The Film Services Office). Archived from the original on 2009-09-04. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
  6. ^ "These films are not yet rated". Media article. Danwei. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
  7. ^ "Ng calls for changes to China's co-production policy". News report. Screen Daily. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
  8. ^ "Xintiandi UME International Cineplex". Guide entry. Shanghai Cultural Information. Archived from the original on 2008-10-03. Retrieved 2008-08-25.

Some additional film information taken from Ng See-yuen's entry at HK Cinemagic.

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