Cheung Hong-tat was born in Hong Kong to a family from Zhongshan, Guangdong, and graduated from Macau's Hou Kong Middle School, where he was active in arts performances. In 1969 he was selected for the film workers' training class jointly run by Great Wall, Feng Huang and Sun Ngee, and was assigned to Sun Ngee's actors' group before moving to its directing and script unit behind the scenes, working as a continuity man and production assistant on films such as Zhi Ai Qin Peng (1976), Guang Gun, Shen Tou, Shuang Cai Feng (1978), Shaolin Temple (1982) and Ban Bian Ren (1983). When Sil-Metropole officially began operating in 1986, Cheung became a producer, handling films including Luan Shi Ying Xiong Luan Shi Qing (1986), Nan Bei Shao Lin (1986), Zhong Hua Ying Xiong (1988) and Lian Shou Jing Tan (1991), and gaining wide experience of shooting on the mainland. In 1993 he became personnel manager at Sil-Metropole while taking part in productions such as Xi Chu Ba Wang (1994) and Xing Yuan (1999). He made his producing debut with Qing Yi Quan Quan (2006), and from 2007, riding the co-production wave opened up by CEPA, he served as producer or executive producer on more than fifty films invested in or made by Sil-Metropole, among them Mr. Cinema (2007), Eye in the Sky (2007), the Overheard series (2009–2014), A Simple Life (2012), The Grandmaster (2013), Little Big Master (2015) and Raging Fire (2021), his last being Cyber Heist (2023). He held senior posts at Sil-Metropole including director, deputy general manager, authorised shareholder and production director, and formally retired in October 2022. He joined the Union of Hong Kong Film Workers in 1970 and its council in 1992, serving as deputy head of organisation, treasurer and vice-chairman, and is its chairman as of 2025.
After starting behind the scenes at Sun Ngee, Cheung worked at Sil-Metropole as a producer from 1986, long handling mainland shoots. When CEPA opened the co-production era in 2007 he produced or executive-produced more than fifty Sil-Metropole films, including A Simple Life and The Grandmaster, and has long served the Union of Hong Kong Film Workers.
Achievements
- 1969 · Was selected for the film workers' training class jointly run by Great Wall, Feng Huang and Sun Ngee.
- 1986 · Became a producer when Sil-Metropole began operating, handling films such as Luan Shi Ying Xiong Luan Shi Qing and Nan Bei Shao Lin.
- 2022 · Formally retired in October, ending more than fifty years in film.