[2010.11.18] FROM TICKET SELLER TO DIRECTOR

Wong Tin Lam received his Lifetime Achievement Golden Bauhinia Award from his son Wong Jing and granddaughter Ada Wong Chi Hom

Stephen Chow Sing Chi

Wong Jing

Barbara Yung Mei Ling and Felix Wong Yat Wa in LEGEND OF THE CONDOR HEROES

courtesy of on.cc

Originally from Zhejiang, Wong Tin Lam was born on September 11 1927. Known to everyone as Uncle Tin Lam, he spent most of his life in film and experienced the Mandarin film, Cantonese film and television eras. Wong Tin Lam went from a cinema usher and ticker seller to directing at the age of 22, directing over 300 films. Wong Tin Lam at the same time was the first writer director of TVB's Drama department, known as the TVB rating lucky star. His series like TAI SIU YUN YUEN were classics. In 1978 with LUK SIU FUNG II (LUK SIU FUNG KUET JIN CHIN HAU) he won the New York International film and television festival silver prize. In 1983 with LEGEND OF THE CONDOR HEROES (SEH DIU YING HUNG JUEN ji WA SAN LUEN GIM) he won the New York Television Festival gold prize.

In recent years Uncle Tin Lam has eased out of directing and only guest starred occasionally for fun. In 2006 with his excellent performance in ELECTION (HAK SEH WUI) he received a Hong Kong Film Award Best Supporting Actor nomination.

In 2007 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 7th Golden Bauhinia Award. One of the final films that Uncle Tin Lam participated in should be the 2010 ONCE A MOBSTER (FEI SA FUNG JUNG SHUEN). Uncle Tin Lam gave starts to many on and off screen talent including Johnnie To Kei Fung, Ringo Lam Lan Tung, Liza Wong Ming Chuen, Barbara Yung Mei Ling and others, but once objected to his son Wong Jing joining the business.