Clement Sze-Kit Cheng () is a Hong Kong-Canadian

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, ...

, and

visual effects art director In the context of film and television production, a visual effects art director is responsible for conceptualizing and designing visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated ...

Early life

Born in Hong Kong, Cheng moved to Canada with his family as a child. In 1997, he returned to Hong Kong to witness the transfer of its sovereignty to China, and decided to stay.

Film career

At the

29th Hong Kong Film Awards The ceremony for the 29th Hong Kong Film Awards took place on 18 April 2010. Wang Po-chieh Wang Po-chieh (; born 25 September 1989) is a Taiwanese actor. Known for his roles in both film and television, he has won two Taipei Film Awards and ...

, Cheng and

Derek Kwok Derek Kwok Chi-kin (, born 10 October 1976) is a Hong Kong film director and screenwriter. He won the 28th Hong Kong Film Awards for Best New Director with his film ''The Moss''. Director *2007 ''The Pye-Dog'' *2008 ''The Moss'' *2010 '' Galla ...

won the

Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director The Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director is an award presented annually at the Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA). It is given to honour the best director of a Hong Kong film. The 1st Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony was held in 1982, with no formal nom ...

conjointly. Despite never having personally practiced any martial arts, Cheng co-wrote and co-directed '' Gallants'', a

martial arts film Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature numerous martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expr ...

, with Kwok. The actors Cheng and Kwok chose for the film were primarily people who had acted in 1970s and 1980s Hong Kong cinema. The film had its Canadian premiere at the 2010

Fantasia Festival Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...

, and Cheng was in attendance. He also attended the film's

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

premiere at the 2011 Terracotta Far East Film Festival. At the

30th Hong Kong Film Awards The 30th Hong Kong Film Awards took place on 17 April 2011. The film ''Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame'', received the most nominations (13) and won most awards (6). The Best Film went to '' Gallants''. The highlights of the yea ...

, ''Gallants'' was announced to have won the

Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film The Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film is an annual Hong Kong industry award presented to the films which is considered the best of the year. History The award was established at the 1st Hong Kong Film Awards (1982) and the first winner and the ...

, at which point Cheng jumped from his seat and began hugging the film's

cast member In the performing arts industry such as theatre, film, or television, casting, or a casting call, is a pre-production process for selecting a certain type of actor, dancer, singer, or extra for a particular role or part in a script, screenp ...

s. Cheng was in charge of the

visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action foota ...

for

contemporary fantasy Contemporary fantasy, also known as modern fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy, set in the present day or, more accurately, the time period of the maker. It is perhaps most popular for its subgenre, urban fantasy. Strictly, supernatural fiction ...

film '' Rest on Your Shoulder'' and

costume drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swa ...

The Great Magician ''The Great Magician'' () is a 2011 Hong Kong-Chinese action fantasy-comedy film directed by Derek Yee and starring Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Lau Ching-wan and Zhou Xun. Plot In the years after the Revolution in which the Qing Dynasty in China is ...

''.

Filmography

References

Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Canadian screenwriters Hong Kong emigrants to Canada Visual effects supervisors Hong Kong film directors Hong Kong screenwriters {{HongKong-film-director-stub