Join us in person for an exclusive masterclass featuring the legendary filmmaker Stanley Kwan, hosted by Prof Victor Fan at King's College London. One of the defining auteurs of Hong Kong Golden Age, Stanley Kwan emerged from the 'Second New Wave', having worked under Ann Hui and Patrick Tam before making his directorial debut Women (1985). Since then, he has created a remarkable body of work, including classics such as Rouge (1987), Center Stage (1991) and Lan Yu (2001). Renowned for his emotional sensitivity and elegant visual style, Kwan is particularly celebrated for his nuanced portrayal of women, creating some of the most memorable female characters in Hong Kong cinema. His films frequently explore questions of identity, desire, gender, and memory, combining intimate character studies with a subtle yet pioneering exploration of sexuality and gender roles. His films Full Moon in New York (1989), Center Stage (1991) and Red Rose White Rose (1994) will be shown this August at The Garden Cinema, featuring in-person Q&As with the director.

The event is part of The Garden Cinema’s Hong Kong Golden Age 1985 - 1997 season (July – August, 2026), supported by Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London. The conversation is a joint presentation by The Garden Cinema and the Department of Film Studies, King’s College London, with assistance from Re:Mind Film Festival and Focus Hong Kong.

Speakers:

One of the defining auteurs of Hong Kong Golden Age, Stanley Kwan emerged from the 'Second New Wave', having worked under Ann Hui and Patrick Tam before making his directorial debut Women (1985). Since then, he has created a remarkable body of work, including classics such as Rouge (1987), Center Stage (1991) and Lan Yu (2001). Renowned for his emotional sensitivity and elegant visual style, Kwan is particularly celebrated for his nuanced portrayal of women, creating some of the most memorable female characters in Hong Kong cinema. His films frequently explore questions of identity, desire, gender, and memory, combining intimate character studies with a subtle yet pioneering exploration of sexuality and gender roles. His films Full Moon in New York (1989), Center Stage (1991) and Red Rose White Rose (1994) will be shown this August at The Garden Cinema, featuring in-person Q&As with the director.

Stanley Kwan's Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Kwan

Stanley Kwan's University Profile: https://www.scm.cityu.edu.hk/en/people/kwan-kam-pang-stanley

Prof Victor Fan is Professor of Film and Media Philosophy at King’s College London and a film festival consultant and moderator. He is also co-founder of ReMind Film Festival. He is the author of Cinema Approaching Reality: Locating Chinese Film Theory (University of Minnesota Press, 2015), Extraterritoriality: Locating Hong Kong Cinema and Media (Edinburg University Press, 2019), and Cinema Illuminating Reality: Media Philosophy through Buddhism (University of Minnesota Press, 2022).

Victor Fan's Personal Site: http://victorfan.com

Victor Fan's King's Profile: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/victor-fan