Susie Au

Susie Au Suet-yee , is a film-maker and versatile based in Hong Kong. Her works include T.V. commercials, music videos, feature films, documentaries and multi-installations.

She is noted for her stunning visual styles. She innovates electrifying exotic imagery that has stormed the music video field and the karaoke pubs in the region. Her work in music videos has earned her comparisons with Western contemporaries; "Au is Hong Kong's answer to the likes of American director Spike Jonze (Adaptation.) and Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) from France."

Susie lives in Hong Kong, Beijing, Berlin, San Francisco. Besides making advertising films, music videos, she is writing films; feature and short. Still striving to work outside of the box, as creative director, photographer, installation artist and theatre director.

She states,

Early life and education Susie Au studied film-making at the State University of New York. She had directed short films in different genres during her stay in New York such as Among Fragments, Moon Chase, The Dream In New Orleans etc. She returned to Hong Kong with her awarded short film, To Hide and Seek.

Career

Music videos She has directed over one hundred music videos and has been a long-time collaborator with popular musician Faye Wong (王菲) and alternative pop singer Anthony Wong (黃耀明). Other artists who have collaborated with Susie on more than one occasion include best album selling pop singers; Jacky Cheung (張學友), Eason Chan (陳奕迅), Andy Lau (劉德華), Joey Yung (容祖兒), Jeff Chang (張信哲), Miriam Yeung (楊千嬅), Grasshopper (草蜢), Mavis Fan (范曉萱), F4, Ellen Loo (盧凱彤), Tam Wai Wai (譚維維), Shirley Kwan (關淑怡), Ivana Wong (王苑之), Kary Ng (吳雨霏) and more.

Her works with Anthony Wong and Faye Wong won her gold awards from the Chicago International Film Festival. Faye Wong's Half Way (半途而廢) won the MTV Video Music Award. Mavis Fan's Why, Jeff Chang's True Love (用情) and Jacky Cheung's Web of Love (情網) were nominated for the Best Music Video of the year.

Susie is now taken as the region's M.V. guru, her visual style is noted for being feminine, and romantic. Also, most of the videos have become the region's karaoke classic; mass culture.

Films Susie founded Handmade Films to diversify her visual adventure in different forms. She started directing T.V. commercials; mostly about contemporary women's life-style and fashion-oriented. Not only is Susie a rare female director in the region, she is also the first Chinese director to direct Christian Dior's first-launched T.V.C. in the China market.

Susie states her ambition is to create and recreate, enjoys filming on the set and never gets bored in the editing suite. Among all other projects, she inspired the music industry to create various music projects; Susie is a pioneer in music documentaries, collaborating with musicians to create innovative visuals for concerts and experimental films.

In 2005, Susie made a forty-five-minute musical film Moon Wall (牆前明月光); produced by now.com.hk, starring Karena Lam (林嘉欣) and Rebecca Pan (潘迪華). Written by GC Goo-Bi, music by Peter Kam (金培達). The film premiered at United Artist Cinema at Langham.

In 2007, Susie made her first feature debut Ming Ming, starring Zhou Xun (周迅), Daniel Wu (吳彥祖) and Tony Yang (楊祐寧). The film selected to be screened in Pusan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Shanghai International Film Festival, the film gets reviewed as "Run Lola Run meets new generation's wuxia… "; "Ming Ming's world, one which contains fantasy martial arts elements, the magical realism which set in today's contemporary era." Ming Ming was released in China, Hong Kong and Taipei simultaneously. The film marked an unusual independent film effort to create a China-Hong Kong-Taiwan alliance before the huge film market developed.

In 2008, Susie directed a 45-minute short titled Moving On, in which the scene of Eason Chan casually humming along the abandoned back in fact expanding on the director's continual themes on nostalgic and alienated emotion to Hong Kong.

In 2010, collaborating with pop legend Faye Wong, Susie created a music documentary titled Faye Reborn.

In 2011, Susie was invited by mainstream director Jeff Lau (劉鎮偉) to be the music director for East Meets West 2011 (東成西說 2011). Not only Susie directed a few musical scenes, she has revived the classic songs for film and created an emotional sound track.

In 2012, Susie directed and scripted Beauty University (美麗大學); starring Shu Qi (舒淇). It is the story written about contemporary Chinese women. It is rarely found in China viro on short drama driven by visuals than dialogue. The film is a visual meditation on the values of modern living and marriage. It is well received in China during the launch.

In 2013, Susie is invited by Juno Mak (麥俊龍) to direct the music video of "Poison Love" with Zombie Boy (Rick Genest).

In 2014, Susie focused on developing her feature film scripts and installation art projects.

In 2015, her new film project Crazy Girls Dancing Club (working title) was selected by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and invited as a resident artist in Berlin.

In 2016, Susie was invited to Berlin by Nipkow Programme as artist in residence to create TV series. In this year, Susie also created and directed a multimedia-dance-theatre Utopia, Momentarily. Partnering with lyricist Chow Yiu Fai (周耀輝) and musician Vicky Fung Wing Ki (馮穎琪), the project was sponsored by Hong Kong New Vision Arts Festival, after one and half year's endeavour, Utopia, Momentarily launched in Kwai Ching Theatre in November 2016. Not only pop singers like Anthony Wong (黃耀明), Juno Mak (麥俊龍), Eman Lam (林二汶) and Yoyo Sham (岑寧兒) were invited to perform the songs, the project involved many first endeavours for the festival. Not only Susie is the theatre director, she also created and designed all the visuals for the project. Utopia, Momentarily was highly acclaimed from both the pop and theatre field.

In 2024, Susie released her second feature film written and directed by herself, She Fell to Earth, which was nominated for the Tiger Competition at the 53rd International Film Festival Rotterdam. The story follows OM, a mysterious alien who accidentally crashes into a quiet town filled with dreamers. Knowing nothing about Earth, she is driven solely by a longing to explore the unique human "heart"—that precious vessel for joy, anger, sorrow, and delight. Armed with invisible superpowers, OM embarks on a whimsical, fantastic adventure.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Artist Genre Note 2024 She Fell to Earth Director & Scriptwriter Feature Film Selected for Tiger Competition at the 53rd International Film Festival Rotterdam 2013 Poison Love Director Juno Mak, Zombie Boy Experimental Film 2012 Beauty University Director, Scriptwriter Shu Qi Short Drama 2012 Faye Reborn Director Faye Wong Music Documentary 2011 East Meets West 2011 Music Director Eason Chan, Karen Mok and Kenny B Musical Feature 2008 Moving On Director Eason Chan Music Documentary 2008 Les Dancer Director Short Documentary Commissioned by a Hong Kong local fashion brand Bread n Butter 2007 Duo Director Eason Chan Music Documentary 2007 Ming Ming Director Zhou Xun, Daniel Wu and Tony Yang Feature Film Selected for I see it my way series in the 31st Hong Kong International Film Festival and was officially screened in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. 2007 Two Women, One Heart Director Chan Fai Young Experimental Film For 12 Faces of Women Concert 2004 Moon Wall Director Karena Lam and Rebecca Pan Musical Film Commissioned by now.com.hk 2004 Fable 4:30pm Director Short Drama Selected by PPP (Pusan Promotion Plan) 1995 Merry Christmas Director Faye Wong Music Documentary 1993 To Hide and Seek Director Short Drama Selected by the 16th Hong Kong International Film Festival

Visual / Performance Direction work Year Title Collaboration Role 2026 "Off the Boundary" Zuni Icosahedron Visual & Performance Director 2026 "Walk-in Cinema of Moving Image Memory" Art Central Visual & Performance Director 2018 "Silent Emotion" with Bruno Walpoth Hangzhou Arts Museum Video Installation Artist 2017 "World in Daze, Woman in Wind" Artopia Gallery (Beijing) Photographer, Multi-Installation Artist 2016 Utopia, Momentarily Multimedia Theatre Chow Yiu Fai, Vicky Fung Wing Ki, Anthony Wong, Juno Mak, Eman Lam and Yoyo Sham Theatre Director, Visual Director, Multi-Installation Artist 2013 Out of the Box on Juno Mak, Renaissance Man on SK Lam, King of the Toy on Michael Lau Elle Men Creative Director/ Photographer 2012 Jacky Cheung 1/2 Century World Tour Jacky Cheung Multi-Installation Artist 2012 Turn On the Concert Tat Ming Pair Film Director, Multi-Installation Artist 2008 Artists Series - Les Dancer Bread n Butter Photographer 2007 Tian Tian Xiang Shang Comic Exhibition in Shanghai Danny Yung (榮念曾) Video Installation Artist 2007 Music Adventure – Ming Ming X Susie Au Music Journey Hennessy And Times Square Installation Artist 2006 HA! Read MV! Basheer Design Books HK, Agnes b, Sony Video Installation Artist 1997 Toy Faye Wong Album Cover Photographer

Awards and nominations

Music videos Year Song Artist Awards and Nominations 2008 Why Mavis Fan Nominated for the Best MTV-19th Annual Taiwan GMA 1998 Don't Bother Faye Wong Best MTV of the Year - Metro City Radio Station Pop Songs Awards Best MTV of the Year - Taiwan Channel V MTV Awards 1997 True Love Jeff Chang Nominated for the Best MTV of Asia - MTV Channel 1996 Di-Dar Faye Wong Winner of Silver Plaque Award - The 32nd Chicago International Film Festival Music Video Awards 1996 Before the Sunrise Anthony Wong Winner of Merit Award - The 32nd Chicago International Film Festival Music Video Awards 1994 Love of No Night Anthony Wong Winner of Gold Plaque Award - The 30th Chicago International Film Festival Music Video Awards 1993 You and I Annie Leung Winner of the Golden Plaque Award - The CCTV Annual MTV Awards 1993 Web of Love Jacky Cheung Nominated for the Best MTV of Asia - MTV Channel

TV commercials