[2025.10.26] STEPHEN FUNG BOASTS ABOUT GIVING CHRISSIE CHAU HER START

Stephen Fung boasts that his discerning eye already found Chrissie Chau long ago and invited her to make a series

Myolie Wu and Angela Yuen cherish each other

Derek Yee laments the sluggish film market
courtesy of on.cc

Derek Yee says that organizing the Hong Kong Film Awards relies on government funding allocation and sponsorship, if the resources are lacking it may have to cut expenses or reduce scale

Chrissie Chau and Stephen Fung play a couple in their new film ACT 4

Myolie Wu says that due to her busy work schedule she has not have the time to see Nancy Wu yet

Angela Yuen receives a cake and flowers from the team for her birthday
courtesy of mingpao.com

The movie DAI SEI MOK (ACT 4) held an opening ceremony yesterday, with producer Derek Yee Tung Sing, director Keane Wong Tak Kin, and actors Stephen Fung Tak Lun, Myolie Wu Hung Yi, Angela Yuen Lai Lam and Chrissie Chau Sau Na attending together. Fung Tak Lun and Chau Sau Na (Sister Na) would play husband and wife and also maneuvered between the ex Wu Hung Yi and apprentice Yuen Lai Lam. Fung Tak Lun said that although he has made occasional cameo appearances in Hong Kong films in recent years, he has not played the leading role for more than ten years. He returned to star because the subject of the script was rare, reflecting the life trajectory of each character in the form of a stage play. He found that particularly interesting. In the film he and Chau Sau Na have many scenes of marital conflicts, and filming has started for more than ten days.

Fung Tak Lun and Sister Na actually had quite the history. He laughed and said that when he directed STEPHEN'S DIARY, his discerning eye found Sister Na to perform in front of the screen for the first time. "I discovered her back then, and I thought this girl would definitely succeed so I asked her to perform on stage. Everyone can watch it again." However Sister Na did not want everyone to watch her performance again, and said with a little embarrassment, "I was so green at that time, I didn't understand anything! I still had baby fat!"

Speaking of the sluggish film market, would he reduce his salary? Stephen joked, "I have given a great discount already." As for his wife Shu Qi's "Busan Award - Best Director Award" in the competition section of the Busan International Film Festival for her directorial film debut GIRL, what did he give his wife as a reward? Fung Tak Lun smiled and said, "I got it, congratulations to her. She has already won many awards! (Lately some online said your acting was no match for your wife's!) She of course is powerful, I deserve to lose to her. I have finished her series THE RESURRECTED, it's really great." Would he consider co-directing a movie with his wife? He pointed out that he directed and his wife starred in THE ADVENTURERS (HUP DOH LUEN MUN), but he thought working together as directors would not be good. Was he afraid of arguments? He pointed out that no matter who it is, making a movie with two directors would be difficult, and he will want to do everything by himself during filming.

Yuen Lai Lam and Wu Hung Yi both would have a relationship conflict with Fung Tak Lun in the new film, the former's was ambiguous while the latter played the ex. At yesterday's production start ceremony, the two women cherished each other and even pushed each other to the center position when taking a group photo. The team also presented cake and flowers to celebrate Yuen Lai Lam's birthday. When Yuen Lai Lam received a birthday cake and blew out the candles, Hung Yi also took the initiative to help her with the flowers.

When asked about her birthday wishes, Yuen Lai Lam said, "I have two that have been shot for 4 years, and I hope they can be released soon. I am afraid that I would look different and scare the audience, and I want this production to go smoothly. (How would you celebrate tonight?) I just found out that I could finish work at 8 o'clock, so I immediately made an appointment with good friends for dinner. (Suitors?) Where would I get so many suitors?"

Hung Yi revealed that she would play a senior stage actor in the film this time, which could be said to be a return to her old profession. Speaking of her newlywed friend Nancy Wu Ting Yan's return to Hong Kong, she laughed and said that she was too busy with work and still hadn't made time for the dinner. "I don't want to bomb her, I believe many friends are looking for her. I think she will ask us out once she settles down. (Is Selena Li Sze Wah really back with her ex?) I don't know, but her ex is a good person. They may not get along so well, but that doesn't mean he's a bad person. Just give him space!" As for Li Sze Wah's complaint about her ex bringing friends home to stay overnight and sleep in her bed, Hung Yi was speechless. Yuen Lai Lam beside her immediately changed the subject, "Then can I go to your house to sleep? If I can, I'll go on the night of the wrap!" Hung Yi smiled and replied, "Of course you can come, I will even help you change the sheets! (So where does your husband sleep?) The living room!"

As the chairman of the board of directors of the Hong Kong Film Awards Association, Derek Yee Tung Sing (Siu Bo) agreed with the concern actor Louis Cheung Kai hung expressed earlier about the decline in the number of films and the source of the film may prevent the Hong Kong Film Awards from being held one day. "We have been paying attention to this matter in the past two years, because we have asked the government for funding, government money is taxpayers' money. Now with the government budget in the red we are still asking for funding, I have heard that many people are unhappy about using public money on this event. They feel that it is becoming less and less representative."

He said that by rough estimate, until the end of the year he believed that only 40 films would be released this year. "This year is still possible, and director (Jack) Ng Wai Lun has been hired as the program director of the Hong Kong Film Awards. Meetings would take place in the next two weeks. I believe that this year the government funding wouldn't come as easily as before. We are working hard on cutting expenses. We have some plans at hand, like if it wouldn't be at the Cultural Center it would be at a hotel." As for whether he was worried about the worsening of the film source in 2027, he said, "Of course I don't want this to happen, but now the 'Film Development Fund' is already the biggest boss. This year marks my 50th anniversary in the industry, and it has been the lowest year I have seen in Hong Kong films. I am afraid that next year may be even lower. There are always new blood joining, and now the young people are very tough. I think when it comes to a change of dynasty, in between may 3 or more difficult years to struggle through!"