Joe Cheung Tung-joe was born on 24 July 1944 and is known in the industry as 'Brother Joe'; he works as a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. Raised in Rennie's Mill and educated at a secondary school in Tseung Kwan O, he entered the film industry in the 1970s, working first as a continuity assistant, screenwriter and assistant director on set, learning every part of filmmaking. In 1977 he went to Taiwan, where he made his directing debut on The Iron Hand. Returning to Hong Kong in 1979, he directed films including Clever Trick (1979), and went on to produce and appear in many more. From the 1990s his kindly screen presence made him a natural choice to play the fathers of leading characters: he appeared as Peter in He's a Woman, She's a Man (1994) and in films such as Comrades: Almost a Love Story (1996), The God of Cookery (1995) and In Broad Daylight (2022), leaving a strong impression on audiences. Besides directing he often took cameo roles, becoming a familiar face in Hong Kong pictures. From 2001 to 2003 he chaired the board of the Hong Kong Film Awards Association and served as the seventh president and one of the life honorary presidents of the Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild, as well as vice-president of the Hong Kong Screenwriters' Guild and of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, taking part for years in the industry's collective affairs. Rising from continuity assistant to director and producer, he has long been one of the veterans linking the front and back of Hong Kong filmmaking.
Joe Cheung rose from continuity assistant to director and producer, served on the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Directors' Guild, and became a familiar screen presence as kindly fathers, linking the industry's back and front of camera.
Achievements
- 1977 · Went to Taiwan and made his directing debut on The Iron Hand.
- 1994 · Appeared as Peter in He's a Woman, She's a Man.
- 2001 · Became chairman of the board of the Hong Kong Film Awards Association, serving until 2003.