Benny Chan (filmmaker)

Life and career

Born and raised in Kowloon, Benny Chan first accepted a job in 1981 at Rediffusion Television working in continuity. The following year, he joined TVB, becoming a production assistant to Johnnie To. By 1985, Chan had worked his way up to being a television director, co-directing television series like The Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain (1985). In addition to directing most of the episodes of The Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain, he also wrote the scripts for all 40 episodes. Chan had gained experience as an executive director for a couple of films between 1987 and 1988, and had also directed and produced a few television series for Asia Television in 1989.

Chan's debut as a film director began with A Moment of Romance (1990), which was produced by To. During the 1990s, he directed films like Big Bullet (1996), Who Am I? (1998), and Gen-X Cops (1999). For his work on Big Bullet, which he co-wrote, directed, and produced, Chan was nominated for Best Director at the 1997 Hong Kong Film Awards. The film also won awards for Best Film Editing at both the Hong Kong Film Awards and the 1996 Golden Horse Film Festival. He also continued to work in television, directing episodes of the 1995 adaptation of Fist of Fury starring Donnie Yen.

Working in exclusively the film industry since 1998's Who Am I?, Chan continued to work on various projects. Since Who Am I?, he continued to direct more of Jackie Chan's movies, such as New Police Story (2004), Rob-B-Hood (2006), and Shaolin (2011). He also directed Heroic Duo (2003), Divergence (2005), Connected (2008), and The White Storm (2013). Prior to his death, Chan was working on Raging Fire, which he gave to a colleague to complete post-production work after his cancer diagnosis.

Illness and death

In 2019, Chan was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer after feeling unwell while working on Raging Fire. During the last few months of his life, he was hospitalized at Prince of Wales Hospital.

On 23 August 2020, Chan died at the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital in Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

Filmography

Feature film

Television film

• Fist of Fury 精武門 (1995) – TV series, as a director

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. "陳木勝 CHAN Muk Shing Benny". hkfilmdirectors.com.
2. (23 August 2020). "【一路好走】《掃毒》導演陳木勝不敵鼻咽癌病逝 終年58歲".
3. (2015). "Benny Chan". [[The New York Times]].
4. Ng Kang-chung. (17 July 2022). "Late director Benny Chan feted as Hong Kong Film Awards return to full glory". South China Morning Post.
5. (17 July 2022). "Hong Kong Film Awards List of The 40th Hong Kong Film Awards".
6. Lee, Edmund. (24 August 2020). "Benny Chan, one of the great action film directors".
7. Cheang, Michael. (24 August 2020). "HK director Benny Chan dead at 58, best known for Jackie Chan's 'New Police Story'".
8. (26 August 2020). "Benny Chan, leading film director in the Hong Kong action tradition – obituary". The Telegraph.
9. Lee, Edmund. (24 August 2020). "Remembering Benny Chan: action director's top five films".
10. (23 August 2020). "New Police Story director Benny Chan Muk-sing dies at 58".
11. "台北金馬影展 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival".
12. Yan, Lim Ruey. (24 August 2020). "New Police Story director Benny Chan dies at 58".
13. "Hong Kong director Benny Chan of New Police Story fame dies at 58".