Ray Yeung

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ray Yeung
Yeung in 2020
Born
Raymond Yeung Yaw-kae
Alma materUniversity of Canterbury (LLB)
Columbia University School of the Arts (MFA)
Known forSuk Suk (2019)
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese楊曜愷

Ray Yeung[1] (Chinese: 楊曜愷) is a Hong Kong screenwriter and independent film director. After graduating with a law degree and practicing law for two years, Yeung found his job tedious and decided to switch career paths to become a director. Yeung's films frequently center around gay stories. He made his feature film debut with Cut Sleeve Boys (2006) in Britain and later shifted his focus back to Hong Kong, directing Suk Suk (2020) and All Shall Be Well (2024). Yeung is also the Chairman of the Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, the longest running LGBT film festival in Asia. He revived the festival in 2000.[2]

Early life[edit]

Yeung grew up in Hong Kong. At the age 13, he was sent to an English boarding school outside of London.[1][3] He was the only Asian student at school and faced severe bullying.[4] Upon his family's request, he went on to read law at the University of Canterbury.[4][5] After graduating with a Bachelor of Laws, he began his career as a lawyer.[1] He practiced law in the United Kingdom for two years before realizing that the profession was too tedious for him.[5] He decided to switch career paths and become an advertising director.[4] He enrolled at Columbia University School of the Arts to study filmmaking in 2008,[4] and obtained a Master of Fine Arts in 2013.[6]

Career[edit]

Yeung wrote the plays Banana Skin and The Third Sex.[6][7] He made several shorts prior to his feature film debut.[1]

Yeung made his feature film debut with Cut Sleeve Boys, a gay love story between two Chinese-British men,[1] in 2005 at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.[6] The film won Best Feature at the Outfest Fusion Festival in Los Angeles and Best Actor for Chowee Leow at the Madrid Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.

His second feature film Front Cover premiered at the 2015 Seattle International Film Festival.[6] The story follows Ryan Fu, a gay Chinese American fashion stylist (Jake Choi), who rejects his ethnic heritage, and is assigned to style Ning (James Chen), an ostensibly heterosexual patriotic actor from Beijing. Front Cover won Best Screenplay at the FilmOut San Diego LGBT Film Festival, Jury Award for Best Domestic Feature at the Outflix Film Festival in Memphis and Audience Award at the Boston Asian American Film Festival.

Yeung had expressed interest in doing a Cantonese-language film set in Hong Kong, having grown up there until age 13.[8] Twilight's Kiss, or Suk Suk, is a film about a gay relationship between two elderly men in Hong Kong and was inspired by the book “Oral Histories of Older Gay Men in Hong Kong” by Hong Kong University Professor Travis S.K. Kong.[8][9] The film premiered at the Busan International Film Festival in 2019.[6] The film had its European Premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival 2020.[10] Suk Suk is his first Chinese-language film. It was awarded Best Film at the 2019 Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award[11] and numerous other awards and nominations from 2019- 2022. He was also presented with the Artist of the Year for Film award from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council in 2021.[12]

Style and influences[edit]

Yeung cites directors Yasujirō Ozu and Stanley Kwan as his influences.[13]

Filmography[edit]

Year Title Notes
1995 A Chink in the Armour [14]
1996 A Bridge to the Past [15]
1998 Yellow Fever [16]
2006 Cut Sleeve Boys [17]
2008 Doggy... Doggy... [18]
2010 Derek and Lucas [19]
2011 Entwine [20]
2012 Paper Wrap Fire [21]
2015 Front Cover [22]
2019 Suk Suk (Twilight's Kiss) [23]
2024 All Shall Be Well [24]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Award Category Work Result Notes
2019 56th Golden Horse Awards Best Original Screenplay Twilight's Kiss (Suk Suk) Nominated [25]
Best Feature Film Nominated [25]
2020 70th Berlin International Film Festival Best Feature Film Nominated [26]
39th Hong Kong Film Awards Best Director Nominated [27]
Best Screenplay Nominated [27]
Hong Kong Screenwriters’ Guild Awards Best Screenplay Won [28]
Best Director Nominated [28]
Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award Best Screenplay Nominated [29]
Best Director Nominated [29]
Best Film Won [30]
39th Hong Kong Film Awards Best Picture Nominated [27]
Best Screenplay Nominated [27]
Best Director Nominated [27]
Renaissance Awards Best Drama Won [31]
Kongest Film Awards Best Film Won
To Ten Chinese Films Festival Youth Film Handbook: Outstanding Film Won [32]
Out on Film: Atlanta's LGBT Film Festival Jury Award: Best International Film Won [33]
Audience Award: Best International Film Won [33]
Florence Queer Film Festival Best Long Feature Film Won [34]
Festival International du Film Independent de Bordeaux Special Mention: Best International Feature Film Won [34]
GAZE Film Festival Dublin Audience Award: Best Feature Won [34]
Seoul International Pride Film Festival Best Asian Feature Won
Asian American International Film Festival Audience Choice Award: Best Narrative Film Won [34]
Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival Honorable Mention: Best Feature Won [34]
Brussels International Film Festival Grand Prix du Festival Award Nominated [34]
Chicago International Film Festival Gold Q- Hugo Award Nominated [34]
2021 Zinegoak Festival, Bilbao Spain Special Mention: Best Feature Film Won [35]
La Mostra Internacional de Cinema de Gai i Lesbià FIRE!! Audience Award: Best Feature Won
LGBT Film Fest of the Niemeyer Center, Spain Jury Award: Best Feature Film Won
Santo Domingo OutFest - Festival Internacional de Cine GLBT Jury Award: Best Film Won [36]
Jury Award: Best Screenplay Won [36]
2022 Queerties Awards 2022 Best Indie Movie Nominated [34]
GLAAD Media Awards 2022 Outstanding Feature - Limited Release Nominated [37]
2024 Teddy Award 2024 Best Feature Film All Shall BeWell Won [38]
Berlinale Panorama Audience Award Won [39]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Chow, Vivienne (April 7, 2006). "Director of film on gay Chinese takes aim at British stereotypes". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  2. ^ Law, Carissa (2020-11-11). "The HK Filmmaker Fighting for LGBT+Representation". Hive Life Magazine. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  3. ^ Dee, Garrett (2016-09-28). "Interview: Front Cover Director Ray Yeung". New Bloom Magazine. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  4. ^ a b c d 陳宏瑋 (March 9, 2020). "譜寫香港在地酷兒羅曼史：專訪《叔·叔》導演楊曜愷與其他" (in Chinese). Funscreen Weekly. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "專訪《叔．叔》導演楊曜愷： 為老年同志打開一道門" (in Chinese). Ming Pao. May 5, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e Van Kann, Felix (July 31, 2020). "'Twilight's Kiss,' a Film by Alumnus Ray Yeung '13 Distributed by Strand Releasing". Columbia - School of the Arts. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  7. ^ "Skins a slick parody of HK". South China Morning Post. January 20, 1994. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  8. ^ a b Stojiljković, Marko (2020-03-28). "Interview with the director Ray Yeung and the actors Tai-Bo, Ben Yuen and Patra Au". Asian Movie Pulse. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  9. ^ SCMP Style (April 22, 2020). Why did Hong Kong’s Ray Yeung direct the new LGBT movie, Suk Suk? (YouTube video). South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on August 24, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  10. ^ "Suk Suk - Panorama 2020". www.berlinale.de. Archived from the original on 2023-11-24. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  11. ^ Lee, Edmund (2020-01-20). "Gay drama Suk Suk named 2019's best Hong Kong film by critics". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  12. ^ "The 15th Hong Kong Arts Development Awards Commends Outstanding Artists and Organisations | Hong Kong Arts Development Council 香港藝術發展局". www.hkadc.org.hk. Archived from the original on 2023-03-20. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  13. ^ Kwong, Wilson (2020-03-10). "Berlinale 2020: Interview With SUK SUK Director Ray Yeung". Film Inquiry. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  14. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ^ "Authors". Tongzhi Literary Group. Archived from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  16. ^ Yeung, Ray (1998-06-20), Yellow Fever (Short, Comedy, Drama), Sankofa Film Productions, archived from the original on 2023-01-02, retrieved 2023-01-02
  17. ^ Yeung, Ray (2006-07-20), Cut Sleeve Boys (Comedy, Romance), Rice Is Nice Productions, archived from the original on 2023-01-02, retrieved 2023-01-02
  18. ^ Yeung, Ray (2011-02-11), Doggy... Doggy (Short), archived from the original on 2023-01-02, retrieved 2023-01-02
  19. ^ Yeung, Ray, Derek & Lucas (Short, Drama), NewVoice Production, archived from the original on 2023-01-02, retrieved 2023-01-02
  20. ^ Yeung, Ray, Entwine (Short, Drama), NewVoice Production, archived from the original on 2023-01-02, retrieved 2023-01-02
  21. ^ Yeung, Ray (2015-04-14), Paper Wrap Fire (Short, Drama), NewVoice Production, archived from the original on 2023-01-02, retrieved 2023-01-02
  22. ^ Yeung, Ray (2016-08-05), Front Cover (Comedy, Drama, Romance), NewVoice Production, archived from the original on 2023-01-02, retrieved 2023-01-02
  23. ^ Yeung, Ray (2021-02-10), Suk suk (Drama), New Voice Film Productions, archived from the original on 2023-01-02, retrieved 2023-01-02
  24. ^ Petkovic, Vladan (14 December 2023). "The Berlinale announces the first batch of Panorama and Forum titles". Cineuropa. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  25. ^ a b 陳穎思 (2019-10-01). "【金馬獎2019】袁富華升呢挑戰影帝 僅三部港產片入圍". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  26. ^ "TEDDY AWARD 2020 Programme Magazine by TEDDY AWARD, Queer Film Award of Berlin International Film Festival - Issuu". issuu.com. Archived from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  27. ^ a b c d e "Better Days, Fagara lead Hong Kong Film Awards nominations". South China Morning Post. 2020-02-12. Archived from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  28. ^ a b "Ray Yeung honoured with two awards by HK Screenwriters Guild". sg.style.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  29. ^ a b "Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards (2020)". IMDb. Archived from the original on 2022-11-17. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  30. ^ "Gay drama Suk Suk named 2019's best Hong Kong film by critics". South China Morning Post. 2020-01-20. Archived from the original on 2022-12-06. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  31. ^ "Renaissance Foundation - Awards 2020". rfhk.org.hk. Archived from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  32. ^ "To Ten Chinese Films Festival (2020)". IMDb. Archived from the original on 2022-11-17. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  33. ^ a b Culture, Out on Film. "Out On Film Announces 2020 Jury and Audience Awards". Georgia Voice - Gay & LGBT Atlanta News. Archived from the original on 2020-10-16. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  34. ^ a b c d e f g h Suk suk - IMDb, archived from the original on 2023-01-02, retrieved 2023-01-02
  35. ^ "zinegoak | historico". Archived from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  36. ^ a b "Ganadores del Santo Domingo OutFest 2021, Felicidades. | By Santo Domingo OutFest - Festival Internacional de Cine GLBT | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  37. ^ "The Nominees for the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards". GLAAD. 2021-09-15. Archived from the original on 2022-03-09. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  38. ^ "ALL SHALL BE WELL Wins The Teddy Award! - Films Boutique". filmsboutique.com. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  39. ^ "The Panorama Audience Awards". www.berlinale.de. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
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