Kuala Lumpur
Golden Screen Cinemas
Kuala Lumpur
Date: 21–30 August 2026
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (AURUM Theatre, The Exchange TRX)
Guest: Kevin Chu, Elaine Jin, Keane Wong, Joey Wu, Renci Yeung, Angela Yuen
Screening: Afterpiece, Bird of Paradise, Wakesurf Lovers, Unidentified Murder, Palimpsest: The Story of a Name, Dog Day Evening
Partner: Golden Screen Cinemas(GSC), GSC Movies(GSCM)
Organised by the Asian Film Awards Academy, with the support of the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), the Film Development Fund (FDF) and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Kuala Lumpur, and in collaboration with Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) and distributor GSC Movies (GSCM), the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation – Kuala Lumpur officially opened on 21 August at AURUM Theatre, The Exchange TRX, kicking off ten days of Hong Kong cinema.
The opening night brought together a line-up of Hong Kong filmmakers and actors in Kuala Lumpur, including Afterpiece director Keane WONG, actress Angela YUEN and executive producer Kathy WONG; Wakesurf Lovers actors Kevin CHU and Renci YEUNG; Unidentified Murder actress Renci YEUNG; and Bird of Paradise actress Elaine JIN and director Joey WU. The guests met with Malaysian audiences and shared their experiences both on and behind the screen.
Commissioner for Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, Drew LAI, noted that the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation has continued to grow over the past five years and has become one of CCIDA’s key film initiatives in Malaysia and the wider ASEAN region. He also highlighted the growing enthusiasm and longstanding support Malaysian audiences have shown for Hong Kong cinema.
Owin FUNG, director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Kuala Lumpur, said he hoped the film gala would further strengthen cultural ties and exchanges between Hong Kong and Malaysia. Beyond film screenings, the programme also creates opportunities for filmmakers, producers and creative talents from both places to connect, encouraging greater cultural and industry collaboration.
Six Hong Kong Films Showcase a New Generation of Filmmaking
This year’s programme featured six Hong Kong films spanning a wide range of genres and styles: opening film Afterpiece, Bird of Paradise, Wakesurf Lovers, Unidentified Murder, Palimpsest: The Story of a Name and Dog Day Evening. From love, family and coming of age to mystery, dark humour and documentary storytelling, the selection offered a glimpse into the diversity of contemporary Hong Kong cinema.
Returning to Malaysia for the first time in many years, Elaine JIN took the opportunity to encourage the new generation of Hong Kong filmmakers at the opening ceremony. “I’m so happy to see so many young directors here. Keep going!” she said. She also thanked Malaysian audiences for their longstanding support of Hong Kong cinema and encouraged them to share their thoughts directly with the filmmakers after watching their films.
Kevin CHU joked that he seemed to have a “special connection” with Malaysia this year, having already visited the country earlier for a shoot before returning to Kuala Lumpur for the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation. He expressed his hope that Hong Kong films would continue to reach audiences in different parts of the world, allowing a new generation of filmmakers to carry Hong Kong cinema forward.
Renci YEUNG arrived with two very different films, Wakesurf Lovers and Unidentified Murder. Speaking about the latter, she said the film was not meant to be heavy and hoped audiences would come in without too many expectations. Instead, she simply wanted them to enjoy themselves in the cinema, “laugh for 90 minutes,” and leave with a smile.
Afterpiece Opens the Gala with a Lively Post-screening Q&A
This year’s programme opened with Keane WONG’s Afterpiece, followed by a post-screening sharing with actress Angela YUEN, director Keane WONG and executive producer Kathy WONG. Angela described Hannah as one of the more complex characters she has played, with the role taking a noticeable turn as the story unfolds. The film’s many play-within-a-film sequences added another challenge to her performance. Despite her love of theatre, she found that bringing stage performance to the screen required a very different approach. She and Stephen FUNG spent considerable time rehearsing before filming, working on everything from voice projection and movement to stage presence and rhythm.
Keane revealed that he already had Angela in mind for the role of Hannah while developing the film. While he was confident she could capture the character’s fresh and natural qualities in the first half, what excited him most was the opportunity to reveal a very different side of her later in the film — one that audiences had rarely seen before. When an audience member called out, “Angela! Your performance is really good!”, Angela immediately joked, “You can pick up your lunchbox outside later.” Her quick response drew laughter from the room and brought a light-hearted moment to the discussion.
Asked to name her favourite line from the film, Angela chose, “Who knows what’s real and what’s not?” She explained that Hannah is not someone who struggles to distinguish between reality and pretence. On the contrary, she is fully aware of what she is doing. For her, what makes the film interesting is how each character has their own understanding of what is “real” and what is “false”.
For Keane, who grew up in Ipoh, bringing Afterpiece to Malaysia held particular significance. Around 30 to 40 of his friends and family travelled from Ipoh to attend the screening and show their support.
Prisms Pulse Takes Hong Kong Cinema Beyond the Screen
Beyond the screenings and post-screening Q&As, the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation – Kuala Lumpur extended the world of Hong Kong cinema beyond the theatre with Prisms Pulse: Hong Kong Cinema in Full Colour. Inspired by the rich visual language of Hong Kong films, the special exhibition brought together light installations, multimedia displays and interactive experiences, offering audiences a different way to experience Hong Kong cinema.
The programme also featured three university talks, with Keane WONG, Joey WU, Angela YUEN, Kevin CHU, Renci YEUNG and Elaine JIN visiting local campuses to share their experiences in directing, acting and filmmaking. The guests also took questions from students and spoke about their journeys into the industry and stories behind their work.
Over ten days, the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation – Kuala Lumpur brought Hong Kong cinema closer to Malaysian audiences through six films, post-screening Q&As, university talks and the special exhibition, creating opportunities for audiences and filmmakers to connect both on and beyond the screen.
“People are allowed to be vulnerable. We’re allowed to be lazy sometimes. If you fall, why not rest for a while before getting back up?”
Speaking about how actors deal with failure during a university talk at the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation – Kuala Lumpur, Renci YEUNG offered a different take on the familiar advice to “get back up” after a setback. Instead, she joked that sometimes you simply need to “take a break” — give yourself time to rest, and face the problem again when you are ready.
Alongside six Hong Kong films, this year’s programme featured post-screening Q&As and three university talks, bringing Hong Kong filmmakers closer to local audiences and students. Their stories ranged from accidents during shoots and injuries on set to failed auditions, early supporting roles and Elaine JIN’s reflections on a career spanning decades. Different as their experiences were, they shared a common thread: adapting to challenges, learning from setbacks and making the most of every role and every shot.
Wakesurf Lovers: Behind the Water Scenes
Kevin CHU and Renci YEUNG entered the industry around the same time and have known each other for years. Looking back, Kevin joked that when they first started out, they were young newcomers with “plenty of collagen” and energy to spare. Nearly a decade later, after taking on different projects and roles, working together again on Wakesurf Lovers came with a greater sense of chemistry and understanding.
With wakesurfing at the heart of the film, the cast underwent extensive training before filming began. Renci admitted that the process was challenging, particularly as an old injury had affected her confidence. With the encouragement of Kevin and Jeffrey NGAI, however, the three trained from summer through winter, gradually building their skills through repeated practice.
The shoot brought its own surprises. Kevin recalled that after a day of filming on the water, their boat suddenly began smoking. As the crew rushed to secure the footage they had just shot, someone shouted, “Forget about us — save the memory card first!” The story drew laughter from the audience while offering a glimpse into the dedication behind the production.
Behind the Dark Humour of Unidentified Murder
Packed with dark humour and an unusual murder mystery, Unidentified Murder presented its cast with an unexpected challenge: keeping a straight face.
At the post-screening Q&A, Renci shared that the actors often had to “hold it in” when a scene became too funny. LING Man Lung, she said, was particularly good at making his co-stars laugh while somehow remaining completely straight-faced himself. There were inevitably moments when the cast failed to contain their laughter, and some of those spontaneous reactions even made it into the final cut, adding another layer to the film’s dark humour.
Bird of Paradise Finds a Connection Beyond the Screen
The post-screening Q&A for Bird of Paradise brought an unexpected connection between the film and its audience. A pole-dancing teacher had invited one of her students to the screening — a mother whose own experience resonated with the film’s story of women rediscovering themselves through their interests.
Elaine JIN also found a personal connection with her character. Having experienced marriage and family life herself, she understood how a woman’s life can gradually come to revolve around her roles as a wife and mother, and what it means to rediscover a sense of self. That connection was one of the reasons she was drawn to the role.
Another audience member, who attended with her husband, shared how she had spent years moving from place to place because of his work. While her experience echoed aspects of the film, she said she still enjoyed the freedom and flexibility of that lifestyle. Her warm exchanges with her husband during the conversation brought smiles to the room, as the film opened up a wider conversation about the different experiences of women and the connections they found in one another’s stories.
Three Actors on Auditions, Rejection and Finding Their Way
The Gala also brought Hong Kong filmmakers to Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology for three university talks. In From Sports and Modelling to the Silver Screen, Angela YUEN, Kevin CHU and Renci YEUNG shared how they entered the industry and learned to navigate auditions, rejection and uncertainty.
Kevin recalled starting out in commercials, as an extra and in small roles. During one early shoot, he was scolded by the director after standing in the wrong place and blocking Louis KOO from the camera. Angela, meanwhile, once made it to the final stage of an audition only to lose the role. When the original actress later withdrew because of a scheduling conflict, Angela was called back just two weeks before filming and ultimately landed the part. Their experiences showed students how an acting career is often built through repeated attempts, setbacks and unexpected opportunities.
When asked about dealing with failure, Renci challenged the idea that people always need to get back on their feet immediately. “If I’m not ready, I’ll just fall again if I get up,” she joked. Her advice was simple: when you are tired, give yourself permission to rest. “Sometimes in life, you just need to take a break,” she said, before trying again when you are ready.
New Directors on Finding Their Creative Voice
In another university talk, Origins of Creation and Director’s Vision, Keane WONG and Joey WU shared their journeys as filmmakers.
Keane entered the film industry at 19, beginning with work at an equipment company and on film sets before meeting Derek YEE and gradually finding his way into directing. Asked what matters most in filmmaking, his answer was simple: “Script, script and script.” He also encouraged aspiring directors to have the confidence to call for “one more take” on set.
Joey, meanwhile, often finds inspiration in everyday life. A conversation with her mother inspired one of her projects, driven by a desire to encourage her to pursue the things she loved. She also described editing as a film’s “second creation”: even a favourite scene sometimes has to go if it does not move the story forward or deepen its characters.
Elaine JIN: A Cross-Generational Conversation on Cinema
With decades of acting experience and multiple Best Supporting Actress honours behind her, Elaine JIN had a refreshingly simple reflection on her career: “I’m happy as long as there’s work.”
Without a manager mapping out her career, Elaine worked her way up through one small role after another. For her, whether a role is big or small, what matters most is giving it her best.
She takes a similarly instinctive approach to acting. Rather than planning every reaction in advance, Elaine prefers to truly listen to her scene partner and respond to the emotions of the moment. She also believes that life experience naturally becomes part of an actor’s craft, bringing new perspectives to characters at different stages of life.
From audition rejections and small beginnings to the painstaking process of developing a script, the three university talks gave Malaysian students an opportunity to discover the work, persistence and experiences behind the screen through filmmakers from different generations of Hong Kong cinema.
Through its post-screening Q&As and university talks, the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation – Kuala Lumpur brought those stories beyond the cinema, giving Malaysian audiences and aspiring filmmakers a closer look at the experiences, dedication and resilience that continue to shape Hong Kong cinema.
Leaflet
ASIAN FILM AWARDS ACADEMY
The Asian Film Awards Academy, a non-profit organization, was founded by Busan, Hong Kong and Tokyo International Film Festivals with the shared goal of celebrating excellence in Asian cinema. Aiming to promote and recognize Asian films and its talents, AFAA highlights, strengthens and develops Asian film industry through the annual Asian Film Awards and several year-round initiatives.
Our year-round events and programmes are held with the objectives to promote Asian films to a wider audience, expand the film market within Asia, and build and sustain connections among Hong Kong and international film professional. Masterclass Series – in conversation with filmmakers, Journey to the fest – Student Visit to International Film Festivals, Asian Cinerama – Film Roadshow, and Young Film Professionals Programme – overseas training and work-placement, are examples of our year-round programmes. These programmes couldn’t have held successfully without the financial support of the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency and Film Development Fund of the HKSAR Government. AFAA has worked to promote, educate, inform and develop knowledge, skills and interest in Asian cinema among the industry, students and audiences in Asia and beyond with the support of film festivals and cultural organizations.
CULTURAL AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (CCIDA)
Under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) (formerly known as Create Hong Kong (CreateHK)) is a dedicated office, aiming to spearhead the development of cultural and creative industries in Hong Kong.
FILM DEVELOPMENT FUND
The Film Development Fund (FDF) was first set up by the Government in 1999 to support projects conducive to the long-term development of the film industry in Hong Kong, including: part-financing small-to-medium budget film productions; enhancing efforts to promote Hong Kong films in the Mainland and overseas; enhancing initiatives to train talents in various aspects of film production and distribution; and enhancing the interest and appreciation of Hong Kong films by the local audience.
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