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Ray Yeung

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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
Transcriptions

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]

In 2024, Yeung directed another LGBT-themed drama film All Shall Be Well,[13] the film won a Teddy Award and Yeung was nominated for Best Director in the 61st Golden Horse Awards.[14][15]

Style and influences

[edit]

Yeung cites directors Yasujirō Ozu and Stanley Kwan as his influences.[16]

Filmography

[edit]
Year Title Notes
1995 A Chink in the Armour [17]
1996 A Bridge to the Past [18]
1998 Yellow Fever [19]
2006 Cut Sleeve Boys [20]
2008 Doggy... Doggy... [21]
2010 Derek and Lucas [22]
2011 Entwine [23]
2012 Paper Wrap Fire [24]
2015 Front Cover [25]
2019 Suk Suk (Twilight's Kiss) [26]
2024 All Shall Be Well [13]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Award Category Work Result Notes
2019 56th Golden Horse Awards Best Original Screenplay Twilight's Kiss (Suk Suk) Nominated [27]
Best Feature Film Nominated [27]
2020 70th Berlin International Film Festival Best Feature Film Nominated [28]
39th Hong Kong Film Awards Best Director Nominated [29]
Best Screenplay Nominated [29]
Hong Kong Screenwriters’ Guild Awards Best Screenplay Won [30]
Best Director Nominated [30]
Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award Best Screenplay Nominated [31]
Best Director Nominated [31]
Best Film Won [32]
39th Hong Kong Film Awards Best Picture Nominated [29]
Best Screenplay Nominated [29]
Best Director Nominated [29]
Renaissance Awards Best Drama Won [33]
Kongest Film Awards Best Film Won
To Ten Chinese Films Festival Youth Film Handbook: Outstanding Film Won [34]
Out on Film: Atlanta's LGBT Film Festival Jury Award: Best International Film Won [35]
Audience Award: Best International Film Won [35]
Florence Queer Film Festival Best Long Feature Film Won [36]
Festival International du Film Independent de Bordeaux Special Mention: Best International Feature Film Won [36]
GAZE Film Festival Dublin Audience Award: Best Feature Won [36]
Seoul International Pride Film Festival Best Asian Feature Won
Asian American International Film Festival Audience Choice Award: Best Narrative Film Won [36]
Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival Honorable Mention: Best Feature Won [36]
Brussels International Film Festival Grand Prix du Festival Award Nominated [36]
Chicago International Film Festival Gold Q- Hugo Award Nominated [36]
2021 Zinegoak Festival, Bilbao Spain Special Mention: Best Feature Film Won [37]
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 [38]
Jury Award: Best Screenplay Won [38]
2022 Queerties Awards 2022 Best Indie Movie Nominated [36]
GLAAD Media Awards 2022 Outstanding Feature - Limited Release Nominated [39]
2024 Teddy Award 2024 Best Feature Film All Shall BeWell Won [14]
Berlinale Panorama Audience Award Won [40]
61st Golden Horse Awards Best Director Pending [15]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e Chow, Vivienne (7 April 2006). "Director of film on gay Chinese takes aim at British stereotypes". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  2. ^ Law, Carissa (11 November 2020). "The HK Filmmaker Fighting for LGBT+Representation". Hive Life Magazine. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  3. ^ Dee, Garrett (28 September 2016). "Interview: Front Cover Director Ray Yeung". New Bloom Magazine. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d 陳宏瑋 (9 March 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 20 April 2021. Retrieved 30 March 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. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e Van Kann, Felix (31 July 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 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Skins a slick parody of HK". South China Morning Post. 20 January 1994. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  8. ^ a b Stojiljković, Marko (28 March 2020). "Interview with the director Ray Yeung and the actors Tai-Bo, Ben Yuen and Patra Au". Asian Movie Pulse. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  9. ^ SCMP Style (22 April 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 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Suk Suk - Panorama 2020". www.berlinale.de. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  11. ^ Lee, Edmund (20 January 2020). "Gay drama Suk Suk named 2019's best Hong Kong film by critics". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  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 20 March 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  13. ^ a b 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.
  14. ^ a b "ALL SHALL BE WELL Wins The Teddy Award! - Films Boutique". filmsboutique.com. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  15. ^ a b Wong, Silva (3 October 2024). "'Dead Talents Society' leads Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards nominations". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  16. ^ Kwong, Wilson (10 March 2020). "Berlinale 2020: Interview With SUK SUK Director Ray Yeung". Film Inquiry. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. ^ "Authors". Tongzhi Literary Group. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  19. ^ Yeung, Ray (20 June 1998), Yellow Fever (Short, Comedy, Drama), Sankofa Film Productions, archived from the original on 2 January 2023, retrieved 2 January 2023
  20. ^ Yeung, Ray (20 July 2006), Cut Sleeve Boys (Comedy, Romance), Rice Is Nice Productions, archived from the original on 2 January 2023, retrieved 2 January 2023
  21. ^ Yeung, Ray (11 February 2011), Doggy... Doggy (Short), archived from the original on 2 January 2023, retrieved 2 January 2023
  22. ^ Yeung, Ray, Derek & Lucas (Short, Drama), NewVoice Production, archived from the original on 2 January 2023, retrieved 2 January 2023
  23. ^ Yeung, Ray, Entwine (Short, Drama), NewVoice Production, archived from the original on 2 January 2023, retrieved 2 January 2023
  24. ^ Yeung, Ray (14 April 2015), Paper Wrap Fire (Short, Drama), NewVoice Production, archived from the original on 2 January 2023, retrieved 2 January 2023
  25. ^ Yeung, Ray (5 August 2016), Front Cover (Comedy, Drama, Romance), NewVoice Production, archived from the original on 2 January 2023, retrieved 2 January 2023
  26. ^ Yeung, Ray (10 February 2021), Suk suk (Drama), New Voice Film Productions, archived from the original on 2 January 2023, retrieved 2 January 2023
  27. ^ a b 陳穎思 (1 October 2019). "【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 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  28. ^ "TEDDY AWARD 2020 Programme Magazine by TEDDY AWARD, Queer Film Award of Berlin International Film Festival - Issuu". issuu.com. 11 February 2020. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  29. ^ a b c d e "Better Days, Fagara lead Hong Kong Film Awards nominations". South China Morning Post. 12 February 2020. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  30. ^ a b "Ray Yeung honoured with two awards by HK Screenwriters Guild". sg.style.yahoo.com. 5 May 2020. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  31. ^ a b "Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards (2020)". IMDb. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  32. ^ "Gay drama Suk Suk named 2019's best Hong Kong film by critics". South China Morning Post. 20 January 2020. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  33. ^ "Renaissance Foundation - Awards 2020". rfhk.org.hk. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  34. ^ "To Ten Chinese Films Festival (2020)". IMDb. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  35. ^ a b Culture, Out on Film (8 October 2020). "Out On Film Announces 2020 Jury and Audience Awards". Georgia Voice - Gay & LGBT Atlanta News. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  36. ^ a b c d e f g h Suk suk - IMDb, archived from the original on 2 January 2023, retrieved 2 January 2023
  37. ^ "zinegoak | historico". Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  38. ^ 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 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  39. ^ "The Nominees for the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards". GLAAD. 15 September 2021. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  40. ^ "The Panorama Audience Awards". www.berlinale.de. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
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