Derek Tsang

Derek Tsang Kwok-cheung (; born 8 November 1979) is a Hong Kong filmmaker and actor. The son of actor Eric Tsang, Tsang got his start in the Hong Kong film industry working for director Peter Chan after graduating from the Scarborough campus of the University of Toronto in 2001. He made his acting debut in Men Suddenly in Black and directorial debut with Lover's Discourse (2010), sharing the directing credit with Jimmy Wan Chi-man. The duo was nominated for Best New Director at the 47th Golden Horse Awards.

His solo directorial debut Soul Mate (2016) was critically praised, receiving 12 nominations at the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards and 7 nominations at the 53rd Golden Horse Awards. His next film, Better Days (2019), was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, becoming Hong Kong’s first Oscar submission directed by a Hong Kong native to be nominated in the category.

Early life Derek Tsang was born to actor Eric Tsang and his second wife Rebecca Chu in Hong Kong on 8 November 1979.

Tsang described his upbringing as mostly detached from his father's public limelight. He said his father had moved out to live on his own when Tsang was a child because he had wanted to keep his personal life separate from the entertainment industry, which allowed Tsang "an ordinary, middle-class upbringing". Tsang lived with his mother, grandmother, and younger brother Mark in Mei Foo Sun Chuen before the family, excluding his father, moved to Canada when Tsang was 11.

Tsang received his bachelor of arts in sociology at the Scarborough campus at the University of Toronto in 2001.

Career After graduation, Tsang moved back to Hong Kong, where his father arranged for him to work under director Peter Chan Ho-Sun. There, he met producer Jojo Hui and director Jimmy Wan Chi-man, both of whom would go on to be Tsang's frequent collaborators.

His next film, Better Days (2019), won eight out of twelve categories at the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Film and Best Director. The film was subsequently chosen as Hong Kong's official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards. The film was nominated, but ultimately lost to Denmark's Another Round. Tsang became the first native Hong Kong director in the category.

In July 2021, Tsang was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Filmmaking Tsang said his influences are primarily derived from art-house cinema, with early influences from director Wong Kar-wai and the French New Wave, as opposed to his father Eric Tsang's works, which consisted of mostly of mainstream comedies.

Producing She's Got No Name (2024)

Acting

Stoma (2020) The Strangled Truth (2019) Missbehavior (2019) The Brink (2017) Love Off the Cuff (2017) S Storm (2016) Robbery (2016) From Vegas to Macau III (2016) From Vegas to Macau II (2015) Zombie Fight Club (2014) Z Storm (2014) Naked Ambition 2 (2014) Golden Chicken 3 (2014) Streets of Macao (2014) SDU: Sex Duties Unit (2013) My Sassy Hubby (2012) Triad (2012) Love in the Buff (2012) The Thieves (2012) Girl$ (2010) Once a Gangster (2010) Dream Home (2010) Ex (2010) – Sol Claustrophobia (2008) – John Ocean Flame (2008) Scare 2 Die (2008) Run Papa Run (2008) – Chicken Tactical Unit: No Way Out (2008) Simply Actors (2007) – Window cleaner vendor Single Blog (2007) – Woody Dragon Boys (2007) – Fox Boy (Canadian TV Miniseries) My Name Is Fame (2006) On the Edge (2006) – Mini B Midnight Running (2006) – Peter The Third Eye (2006) – Gum Without Words (2006) – Michael Isabella (2006) – Fai Cocktail (2006) – Kuen A.V. (2005) – Band-Aid It Had to Be You! (2005) The Eye 2 (2004) – Joey's co-worker The Park (2003) (as Derek Tsang) – Dan Men Suddenly in Black (2003) – Young Tin

Awards and nominations Award Year Nominated work Category Result Academy Awards 2021 Better Days Best International Feature Film (representing Hong Kong) Asian Film Awards 2017 Soul Mate Best Director AACTA Awards 2020 Better Days Best Asian Film China Film Director's Guild Awards 2017 Soul Mate Best Hong Kong / Taiwan Director 2020 Better Days Golden Horse Awards 2010 Lover's Discourse Best New Director (shared with Jimmy Wan) 2016 Soul Mate Best Director Golden Rooster Awards 2017 Soul Mate Best Directorial Debut 2020 Better Days Best Director Hong Kong Film Awards2017 Soul Mate Best Director Best New Director 2020 Better Days Best Director 2020 Better Days Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild 2017 Soul MateBest Director 2020 Better Days Osaka Asian Film Festival 2011 Lover's Discourse Grand Prix (shared with Jimmy Wan) 2017 Soul Mate ABC Award 2020 Better Days Audience Award Primetime Emmy Awards 2024 3 Body Problem Outstanding Drama Series