With the financial support of Create Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Film Development Fund, the Asian Film Awards Academy has collaborated with different film festivals and cultural organizations to present its year-round initiative, Masterclass Series, since 2015. Its partners are from around the world, including the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the Tokyo International Film Festival, the Five Flavours Asian Film Festival, the Helsinki International Film Festival and the Singapore Film Society. The event has been held physically in London, Tokyo and Warsaw, as well as in an online format.

Masterclass Series aims to introduce emerging and veteran Hong Kong and Asian film professionals to both local and international audiences in on-stage conversation which are open to the public. Audiences can learn about the behind-the-scene anecdotes of different films and the filmmakers’ journey to success in the comprehensive discussion in Masterclass Series. We are honoured to have renowned Hong Kong director Johnnie To, internationally acclaimed Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo, martial arts actress Cheng Pei Pei, Chinese action choreographer and director Tony Ching Siu Tung, independent Hong Kong filmmaker and producer Fruit Chan, award-winning Hong Kong auteur Stanley Kwan, and prominent Hong Kong director, producer and scriptwriter Mabel Cheung, Asia’s most successful and internationally recognized Hong Kong actor Tony Leung to be our guests in previous programmes.