Jason Kwan

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Jason Kwan
關智耀
Kwan in April 2019
Born
Kwan Chi Yiu

1964 (1964)
Hong Kong
Alma materTokyo College of Photography
Occupations
  • Cinematographer
  • Director
Years active2004–present

Jason Kwan Chi Yiu (Chinese: 關智耀; born 1964) is a Hong Kong cinematographer and film director. Debuting as a cinematographer in the Hong Kong cinema with the romance film All About Love (2005), Kwan was known for his collaboration with Pang Ho-cheung in the romantic comedy film Love in a Puff (2010) and its sequel Love in the Buff, the comedy film Vulgaria (both 2012), and the drama film Aberdeen (2014). He received seven nominations for Best Cinematography at the Hong Kong Film Awards, winning with the crime drama film Chasing the Dragon (2017) and the action film Project Gutenberg (2018).

Kwan also made his directorial debut with the fantasy romance film A Nail Clipper Romance (2017), an adaptation of Pang Ho-cheung's novella of the same name. He co-directed the crime films Chasing the Dragon (2017) and its sequel Chasing the Dragon II: Wild Wild Bunch (2019) with Wong Jing.

Early life and education[edit]

Kwan was born in 1964 in Hong Kong.[1] He studied at Pui Ying Secondary School [zh] and joined the photography club in his first year, which sparked his interest in cinematography.[2] Kwan moved to Japan in 1990 and attended the Tokyo College of Photography to study film production in the following year.[1] He graduated in 1993 and returned to Hong Kong, beginning to work as a freelance cinematographer.[1][3] He focused on filming advertisements and music videos, including the music video for Andy Lau's "Practice", directed by Daniel Yu [zh].[1]

Career[edit]

Kwan was recommended by Daniel Yu to join the production of the 2004 Malaysian drama film Puteri Gunung Ledang, directed by Saw Teong Hin, which marked his feature film cinematographic debut.[1][4] He made his Hong Kong feature film debut with the 2005 romance film All About Love, which was also directed by Daniel Yu and starring Andy Lau.[1][5] Paul Fonoroff, writing for the South China Morning Post, described Kwan's cinematography in All About Love as "truly breathtaking".[6] He went on to cinematograph the drama film My Mother Is a Belly Dancer, produced by Andy Lau, in the following year.[7] In 2010, Kwan served as the cinematographer for Pang Ho-cheung's romantic comedy film Love in a Puff, starring Shawn Yue and Miriam Yeung.[8] Russell Edwards of Variety praised the film's intimacy, which was achieved through the combination between Pang's helming and Kwan's lensing.[9] The film also marked the beginning of Kwan and Pang's close collaboration, with Pang describing that he thinks Kwan has a keen-eyed observation of acting performances.[10][11] The same year, Kwan filmed the drama film Merry-Go-Round [zh] and the martial arts drama film Bruce Lee, My Brother,[12][13] earning a nomination for Best Cinematography in the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards for his work on the former.[14] In 2012, Kwan returned to cinematograph the romantic comedy film Love in the Buff, the sequel to Love in a Puff, and another Pang's comedy film Vulgaria.[15][16] He also served as the cinematographer for Longman Leung [zh] and Sunny Luk [zh]'s action thriller film Cold War and Wong Jing's period drama film The Last Tycoon,[17][18] receiving another nomination for Best Cinematography in the 32nd Hong Kong Film Awards.[19]

Kwan went on to film the 2013 horror film Tales from the Dark 1 and the 2014 disaster film As the Light Goes Out.[20][21] He was once again nominated for Best Cinematography in the 33rd Hong Kong Film Awards for the latter,[22] with Maggie Lee of Variety praising the film's "monumental sense of space" achieved through Kwan's wide-angle shots of the sets.[23] Kwan also cinematographed Pang's drama film Aberdeen in 2014.[24] Richard Kuipers, writing for the Chicago Tribune, acknowledged Kwan's cinematography with his "beautifully composed widescreen images" in the film.[25] In 2015, Kwan participated in the sports comedy film Full Strike.[26] He also served as the cinematographer for another crime thriller film co-directed by Leung and Luk, Helios, in the same year.[27] James Marsh of Screen Daily praised Kwan's cinematography for capturing "the sheen and shadows of present-day Hong Kong" in Helios,[28] while Maggie Lee of Variety described Kwan's lensing as "solid", although occasionally featuring unnecessary and flashy helicopter shots.[29] The following year, Kwan collaborated with Leung and Luk once again in the action thriller film Cold War 2, the sequel to the 2012 film,[30] which earned him another nomination for Best Cinematography in the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards.[31] Lan Tsu-wei, writing for Liberty Times, referred to Kwan as the key person behind the scenes, whose ability to capture the actors' emotions enhanced the tension.[32]

In 2017, Kwan made his directorial debut with the fantasy romance film A Nail Clipper Romance [zh].[33][34] Starring Zhou Dongyu and Joseph Chang in lead roles, the film was adapted from Pang Ho-cheung's novella of the same name, with Pang also serving as the film's producer.[34] Edmund Lee of South China Morning Post appreciated Kwan's development of a "vibrantly colored film" with tones of both humor and sadness,[35] while Lau Ying-tsz of HK01 noted that Kwan infused fresh romantic elements with absurdity in his debut film, resulting in an innovative and uniquely chaotic vibe.[36] Kwan continued serving as the cinematographer for the drama film 29+1 and the Chinese fantasy action film Wu Kong.[37][38] He also directed his second feature film in the same year, co-directing alongside Wong Jing and also serving as the cinematographer for the crime film Chasing the Dragon.[39][40] Scott Clark of Starburst specifically praised Wong's choice of co-directing the film with Kwan as "a smart move", as it enhanced the film's visuals in terms of period details and action scenes through the camera work.[41] Clarence Tsui of The Hollywood Reporter credited Kwan for the film's "lavish production design and strong camerawork".[42] Kwan won Best Cinematography in the 37th Hong Kong Film Awards with the film.[43] The following year, he took on the role of cinematographer in Felix Chong's action film Project Gutenberg,[44] for which he once again won Best Cinematography in the 38th Hong Kong Film Awards.[45]

In 2019, Kwan reprised his roles in Chasing the Dragon II: Wild Wild Bunch, the standalone sequel of the 2017 film, co-directing with Wong Jing and co-cinematographing with Jimmy Kwok.[46] Edmund Lee of the South China Morning Post offered a rather negative review, criticizing Kwan and Wong for missing the suspense and emotional tones of the film and steering the story towards "a familiar parade of shoot-outs and car chases".[47] Richard Kuipers, writing for Variety, also noted the film's lack of suspense but praised the slickly shot widescreen visuals.[46] Kwan also filmed the action thriller film Line Walker 2: Invisible Spy in the same year.[48] In 2024, Kwan made his second solo directing effort and cinematographed the action film I Did It My Way, featuring Andy Lau, Gordon Lam, and Eddie Peng.[49][50] Kwan received another nomination for Best Cinematography in the 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards for the film.[51]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Cinematographer Director Notes
2004 Puteri Gunung Ledang Yes No [4]
2005 All About Love Yes No [5]
2006 My Mother Is a Belly Dancer Yes No [7]
2010 Love in a Puff Yes No [8]
Merry-Go-Round [zh] Yes No [12]
Bruce Lee, My Brother Yes No [13]
2012 Love in the Buff Yes No [15]
Vulgaria Yes No [16]
Cold War Yes No [17]
The Last Tycoon Yes No [18]
2013 Tales from the Dark 1 Yes No [20]
2014 As the Light Goes Out Yes No [21]
Aberdeen Yes No [24]
2015 Full Strike Yes No [26]
Helios Yes No [27]
2016 Cold War 2 Yes No [30]
2017 A Nail Clipper Romance [zh] No Yes [33]
29+1 Yes No [37]
Wu Kong Yes No [38]
Chasing the Dragon Yes Yes [39][40]
2018 Project Gutenberg Yes No [44]
2019 Chasing the Dragon II: Wild Wild Bunch Yes Yes [46]
Line Walker 2: Invisible Spy Yes No [48]
2024 I Did It My Way Yes Yes [49][50]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2011 30th Hong Kong Film Awards Best Cinematography Merry-Go-Round [zh] Nominated [14]
2013 32nd Hong Kong Film Awards The Last Tycoon Nominated [19]
2014 33rd Hong Kong Film Awards As the Light Goes Out Nominated [22]
2016 36th Hong Kong Film Awards Cold War 2 Nominated [31]
2017 37th Hong Kong Film Awards Chasing the Dragon Won [43]
2018 38th Hong Kong Film Awards Project Gutenberg Won [45]
2024 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards I Did It My Way Nominated [51]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Hong Kong Film Archive; Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild. "關智耀 Jason KWAN (1964-)". The Ultimate Guide to Hong Kong Film Directors (in Chinese). Hong Kong Film Development Council. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  2. ^ 林艷虹 (10 February 2022). "培英中學 撻着學生鬥志" (in Chinese). Hong Kong Economic Journal. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  3. ^ 羅偉強 (19 November 2017). "電影培訓計劃簡介會　導演關智耀︰班學生一出嚟做嘢就啱手勢！" (in Chinese). HK01. Archived from the original on 6 August 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  4. ^ a b Weissberg, Jay (29 September 2004). "The Princess of Mount Ledang". Variety. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  5. ^ a b Edwards, Russell (6 December 2005). "All About Love". Variety. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  6. ^ Fonoroff, Paul (27 October 2005). "All About Love". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  7. ^ a b Elley, Derek (15 October 2006). "My Mother is a Belly Dancer". Variety. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  8. ^ a b Goodridge, Mike (25 March 2010). "Love In A Puff". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 10 September 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  9. ^ Edwards, Russell (28 June 2010). "Love in a Puff". Variety. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  10. ^ 戴嘉達 (14 March 2017). "【影視博覽】彭浩翔轉戰電視劇　《會撒嬌的女人》望年內開拍" (in Chinese). HK01. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  11. ^ Tsang, Yuki (11 April 2017). "彭浩翔監製新作！周冬雨 x 張孝全《指甲刀人魔》快將上映" (in Chinese). Hypebeast. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  12. ^ a b Nelson, Rob (19 October 2010). "Merry-Go-Round". Variety. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  13. ^ a b Lee, Maggie (9 December 2010). "Bruce Lee, My Brother — Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 28 November 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  14. ^ a b Shackleton, Liz (8 February 2011). "Detective Dee, Assassins lead race for Hong Kong Film Awards". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  15. ^ a b Young, Deborah (26 March 2012). "Love in the Buff: Filmart Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  16. ^ a b Lee, Edmund (28 March 2012). "Vulgaria". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  17. ^ a b "《寒戰》獲金像獎12項提名" (in Chinese). Hong Kong Economic Times. 13 April 2013. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  18. ^ a b Kerr, Elizabeth (2 January 2013). "The Last Tycoon: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  19. ^ a b Napolitano, Dean (5 February 2013). "'Cold War,' 'Bullet Vanishes' Get Film Award Nods". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  20. ^ a b Kerr, Elizabeth (15 July 2023). "Tales from the Dark 1: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  21. ^ a b Tsui, Clarence (23 December 2013). "As the Light Goes Out (Gau Fo Ying Hung): Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  22. ^ a b Napolitano, Dean (5 February 2014). "'The Grandmaster' Leads Hong Kong Film Nominations". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  23. ^ Lee, Maggie (30 January 2014). "Film Review: 'As the Light Goes Out'". Variety. Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  24. ^ a b Tsui, Clarence (24 March 2014). "Aberdeen (Heung Kong Tsai): Hong Kong Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 13 December 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
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  26. ^ a b Lee, Maggie (18 April 2015). "Film Review: 'Full Strike'". Variety. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  27. ^ a b Tsui, Clarence (22 April 2015). "'Helios' ('Chek Do'/'Chi Dao'): Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  28. ^ Marsh, James (23 April 2015). "'Helios': Review". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  29. ^ Lee, Maggie (23 April 2015). "Film Review: 'Helios'". Variety. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  30. ^ a b Marsh, James (8 July 2016). "'Cold War 2': Review". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  31. ^ a b Hsia, Heidi (8 February 2017). ""Soul Mate" dominates 36th HKFA nominations". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
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  33. ^ a b Shackleton, Liz (14 May 2015). "Hong Kong's Bravos picks up Making Films duo". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
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  35. ^ Lee, Edmund (12 April 2017). "Film review: A Nail Clipper Romance – Joseph Chang, Zhou Dongyu in bittersweet rom-com". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 13 February 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  36. ^ Lau, Ying-tsz (24 April 2017). "【指甲刀人魔．影評】指甲刀的愛情味道" (in Chinese). HK01. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  37. ^ a b Kerr, Elizabeth (17 May 2017). "'29+1′: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  38. ^ a b Kerr, Elizabeth (15 August 2017). "'Wu Kong': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  39. ^ a b Mills, Phil (20 September 2017). "Trailer: 'Chasing the Dragon'". Far East Films. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  40. ^ a b 王誦賢 (15 April 2018). "【金像獎2018】《追龍》連奪兩獎　獲頒最佳攝影及最佳剪接" (in Chinese). HK01. Archived from the original on 6 August 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  41. ^ Clark, Scott (4 May 2019). "CHASING THE DRAGON". Starburst. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
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  44. ^ a b Ward, Sarah (28 October 2018). "'Project Gutenberg': Tokyo Review". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
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  46. ^ a b c Kuipers, Richard (5 June 2019). "Film Review: 'Chasing the Dragon II: Wild Wild Bunch'". Variety. Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
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  48. ^ a b "張家輝讚錢嘉樂動作高水平" (in Chinese). Oriental Daily News. 3 August 2019. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  49. ^ a b Lee, Edmund (9 January 2024). "I Did It My Way movie review: Andy Lau-led crime thriller about drugs on Asia's dark web is ruined by bad writing and a silly depiction of e-commerce". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 13 February 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  50. ^ a b Tsang, Luke (15 January 2024). "【曾智華專欄】《潛行》值得入場嗎？" (in Chinese). Sing Tao Daily. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  51. ^ a b Wong, Silvia (6 February 2024). "Hong Kong Film Awards nominations led by newsroom drama 'In Broad Daylight'". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 13 February 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.

External links[edit]

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