Hong Kong cinema’s Golden Age was a remarkable period spanning the late 1970s to the 1990s, during which the territory emerged as one of the world’s most prolific, dynamic and influential filmmaking centres. At its peak, Hong Kong produced hundreds of films annually and became the world’s second-largest film exporter after Hollywood. Yet its significance extended far beyond industrial output. The era was marked by an extraordinary convergence of creative talent, star power and genre innovation, generating films that captivated audiences across Asia and left a lasting impact on global cinema.

This panel discussion draws on the perspectives and expertise of speakers from academic, and film industry backgrounds, who work closely with Hong Kong cinema. It will examine the historical, economic and cultural conditions that gave rise to Hong Kong cinema’s Golden Age; its relationship to the Hong Kong New Wave; and key filmmakers, stars, and landmark works that defined the era. It will also consider the role played by major studios and production companies, Hong Kong cinema’s exchanges with Hollywood, and other regional industries such as Taiwan, the factors behind its eventual decline, and the enduring legacy it continues to hold within world cinema today.

Moderator:

Millie Zhou is East Asia Film Programmer at Garden Cinema and the season curator of Hong Kong Golden Age 1985 – 1997.

Speakers:

James Mudge is the Festival Director of Focus Hong Kong and Chinese Visual Festival, and has been screening and releasing Hong Kong films around the UK for over 15 years, working with the British Film Institute, the Glasgow Film Theatre, and other organisations. He is a well-known international film critic and the Head Writer for the popular Asian cinema website easternKicks.com, specialising in Hong Kong cinema, and regularly gives talks at industry events around the world. James is also a film producer and writer working between the east and west, and is the owner of The Next Day, a UK-based film production, sales, communications and exhibition company.

Prof Victor Fan is Professor of Film and Media Philosophy, King’s College London and a film festival consultant and moderator. He is also co-founder of ReMind Film Festival. He is the author of Cinema Approaching Reality: Locating Chinese Film Theory (University of Minnesota Press, 2015), Extraterritoriality: Locating Hong Kong Cinema and Media (Edinburg University Press, 2019), and Cinema Illuminating Reality: Media Philosophy through Buddhism (University of Minnesota Press, 2022).

This event is supported by the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office London.