Wong Ching-po (born 1973), a Hong Kong director and screenwriter, is the son of a Cantonese opera performer. He worked in design and music videos, and in 1997 made the short I Love the Tap, which won the gold prize in the drama category of the Hong Kong independent short film and video awards; he followed it with further shorts such as Ah Mei (1999) and the Beijing Dog (2000), marked by unconventional stories and a strong visual language, and came to be seen as a young talent groomed by Eric Tsang. In 2003, with backing from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and Eric Tsang, he completed his first feature, Fu Bo. In 2004 he directed Jiang Hu, starring Andy Lau and Jacky Cheung and produced by Eric Tsang and Alan Tam, winning Best New Director at the 24th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2005. He followed it with Ah Sou in 2005 and, working with Juno Mak, Revenge: A Love Story in 2010, starring Juno Mak and Sola Aoi, which took Best Director and other prizes at the 33rd Moscow International Film Festival; in 2011 he again collaborated with Juno Mak on a further feature. He directed Once Upon a Time in Shanghai in 2014, with backing from Wong Jing and starring Philip Ng and Andy On, set in 1930s Shanghai. In 2023 he wrote and directed his first Taiwanese film, The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon, starring Ethan Ruan and built around themes of good, evil and human nature, which earned nominations at the 60th Golden Horse Awards for Best Director and best editing and drew wide attention across the region. His films are known for fate, violence and redemption and for bold, kinetic imagery.
Wong Ching-po announced himself with Jiang Hu (2004), winning Best New Director at the Hong Kong Film Awards, and built a reputation for stark, kinetic visuals. His 2023 Taiwanese production The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon, starring Ethan Ruan, became a wide talking point across the region.
Achievements
- 1997 · Won the gold prize in the drama category of the Hong Kong independent short film and video awards for I Love the Tap
- 2004 · Directed Jiang Hu, winning Best New Director at the 24th Hong Kong Film Awards
- 2023 · Wrote and directed his first Taiwanese film, The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon, nominated for Best Director and best editing at the 60th Golden Horse Awards