Derek Tsang

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Hong Kong filmmaker and actor

title: "Derek Tsang" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1979-births", "living-people", "hong-kong-male-film-actors", "hong-kong-film-directors", "hong-kong-male-screenwriters", "people-from-wuhua", "tsang-family", "hong-kong-people-of-hakka-descent", "male-actors-from-meizhou", "film-directors-from-guangdong", "writers-from-meizhou", "chinese-male-film-actors", "chinese-film-directors", "university-of-toronto-alumni", "screenwriters-from-guangdong"] description: "Hong Kong filmmaker and actor" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Tsang" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Hong Kong filmmaker and actor ::

::data[format=table title="infobox person"]

FieldValue
nameDerek Tsang
imageDerek Tsang, 2010 Hong Kong International Film Festival 閉幕電影—前度 (Ex) (cropped).jpg
captionTsang at the 2010 Hong Kong International Film Festival
native_name曾國祥
native_name_langzh
birth_date
birth_placeBritish Hong Kong
death_date
::

| name = Derek Tsang | image = Derek Tsang, 2010 Hong Kong International Film Festival 閉幕電影—前度 (Ex) (cropped).jpg | alt = | caption = Tsang at the 2010 Hong Kong International Film Festival | native_name = 曾國祥 | native_name_lang = zh | pronunciation = | birth_date = | birth_place = British Hong Kong | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | body_discovered = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | burial_place = | burial_coordinates = | occupation = | nationality = | other_names = | citizenship = | education = | alma_mater = | spouse = | children = | parents = | mother = Rebecca Chu | father = Eric Tsang | family = | module = {{Infobox Chinese|child=yes | t = 曾 | s = 曾 | p = Zēng Guóxiáng | j = Zang1 Gwok3coeng4

Derek Tsang Kwok-cheung (曾; born 8 November 1979) is a Hong Kong filmmaker and actor. The son of actor Eric Tsang, Tsang got his start in the Hong Kong film industry working for director Peter Chan after graduating from University of Toronto Scarborough in 2001. He made his acting debut in Men Suddenly in Black (2003) and directorial debut with Lover's Discourse (2010), sharing the directing credit with Jimmy Wan Chi-man. The duo was nominated for Best New Director at the 47th Golden Horse Awards.

His solo directorial debut Soul Mate (2016) was critically praised, receiving 12 nominations at the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards and 7 nominations at the 53rd Golden Horse Awards. His next film, Better Days (2019), was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, becoming Hong Kong’s first Oscar submission directed by a Hong Kong native to be nominated in the category.

Early life

Derek Tsang was born to actor Eric Tsang and his second wife Rebecca Chu in Hong Kong on 8 November 1979.

Tsang described his upbringing as mostly detached from his father's public limelight. He said his father had moved out to live on his own when Tsang was a child because he had wanted to keep his personal life separate from the entertainment industry, which allowed Tsang "an ordinary, middle-class upbringing". Tsang lived with his mother, grandmother, and younger brother Mark in Mei Foo Sun Chuen before the family, excluding his father, moved to Canada when Tsang was 11.

Tsang received his bachelor of arts in Sociology at the University of Toronto Scarborough in 2001.

Career

After graduation, Tsang moved back to Hong Kong, where his father arranged for him to work under director Peter Chan Ho-Sun. There, he met producer Jojo Hui and director Jimmy Wan Chi-man, both of whom would go on to be Tsang's frequent collaborators.

Despite not pursuing an acting career, Tsang has had a variety of acting roles since the start of his career, which he attributed to other actors not wanting to be typecast into roles with unflattering characteristics. He made his screen debut in Men Suddenly in Black (2003), cameoing as the younger version of his father's character. There he met director Pang Ho-cheung, whom Tsang would later collaborate with on various projects.

Tsang's solo directorial debut, Soul Mate (2016), earned him Best Director nominations at various film award ceremonies, including the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards, the 53rd Golden Horse Awards and the 11th Asian Film Awards.

His next film, Better Days (2019), won eight out of twelve categories at the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Film and Best Director. The film was subsequently chosen as Hong Kong's official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards. The film was nominated, but ultimately lost to Denmark's Another Round. Tsang became the first native Hong Kong director in the category.

In July 2021, Tsang was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Filmmaking

Tsang said his influences are primarily derived from art-house cinema, with early influences from director Wong Kar-wai and the French New Wave, as opposed to his father Eric Tsang's works, which consisted of mostly of mainstream comedies. He credits his half sister Bowie Tsang for teaching him about film and literature.

Personal life

Tsang married actress Venus Wong in 2019. He has expressed a reluctance to cast Wong due to the negative perception of nepotism.

Filmography

Directing

Producing

Acting

Awards and nominations

::data[format=table]

AwardYearNominated workCategoryResultRef.
Academy Awards2021Better DaysBest International Feature Film (representing Hong Kong)
Asian Film Awards2017Soul MateBest Director
AACTA Awards2020Better DaysBest Asian Film
China Film Director's Guild Awards2017Soul MateBest Hong Kong / Taiwan Director
2020Better Days
Golden Horse Awards2010Lover's DiscourseBest New Director (shared with Jimmy Wan)
2016Soul MateBest Director
Golden Rooster Awards2017Soul MateBest Directorial Debut
2020Better DaysBest Director
Hong Kong Film Awards2017Soul MateBest Director
Best New Director
2020Better DaysBest Director
Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award2017Soul MateBest Director
2020Better Days
Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild2017Soul MateBest Director
2020Better Days
Osaka Asian Film Festival2011Lover's DiscourseGrand Prix (shared with Jimmy Wan)
2017Soul MateABC Award
2020Better DaysAudience Award
Primetime Emmy Awards20243 Body ProblemOutstanding Drama Series

| ::

References

References

  1. Soriano, Jianne. (2021-03-18). "5 Things To Know About Derek Tsang And His Oscar-Nominated Film, "Better Days"".
  2. (June 29, 2020). "Meet Hong Kong filmmaker Derek Tsang Kwok-cheung, director of Better Days". [[South China Morning Post]].
  3. Lee, Edmund. (2020-10-11). "Why director Derek Tsang doesn't want to talk about his father".
  4. (21 November 2012). "University of Toronto: Derek Tsang, Hong-Kong Filmmaker, Alumni Portrait".
  5. Grobar, Matt. (2022-06-16). "Derek Tsang, Director Of Oscar-Nominated Chinese Drama 'Better Days,' Signs With Anonymous Content".
  6. Chu, Karen. (2017-01-11). "Asian Film Awards: South Korea's 'The Handmaiden' Leads With 6 Nominations".
  7. Chow, Vivienne. (2020-05-06). "'Better Days' Dominant at Closed Door Edition of Hong Kong Film Awards".
  8. (2021-04-25). "And the Oscar Goes To...". [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]].
  9. Hinds, Carolyn. (2021-04-25). "Why Derek Tsang Made 'Better Days,' His Film That's Already Made Oscar History".
  10. (2021-06-30). "ACADEMY INVITES 395 TO MEMBERSHIP".
  11. (2025-10-01). "As Written". Kokuyo.
  12. (2021-03-15). "93RD OSCARS® NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED".
  13. Wong, Silvia. "'The Handmaiden', 'I Am Not Madame Bovary' lead Asian Film Award noms".
  14. "2020 AACTA Award Winners Announced".
  15. Chow, Vivienne. (2019-03-20). "'Better Days' Director Derek Tsang Lands in World Cinema Spotlight".
  16. Chow, Vivienne. (2020-09-19). "China Directors Guild Crowns 'Wandering Earth,' Derek Tsang, Wang Xiaoshuai".
  17. "47th Nominees & Winners".
  18. (2016-10-01). "2016金馬獎完整入圍名單，《一路順風》大贏家入圍8項{{!}}娛樂新聞-VOGUE時尚網".
  19. 劉希彤. (2020-11-08). "金雞獎公布入圍名單《少年的你》獲11項提名 鞏俐冇份爭影后".
  20. Frater, Patrick. (2017-02-08). "Indies, Newcomers Dominate Hong Kong Film Award Nominations".
  21. "第二十三屆香港電影評論學會大獎得獎理由撮要".
  22. (2020-01-20). "Gay drama Suk Suk named 2019's best Hong Kong film by critics".
  23. (2024-03-15). "【導演曾國祥專訪】曾國祥執導Netflix話題科幻劇《3體》 「無絕對好人、壞人。」".
  24. (2020-03-21). "【香港電影導演會年度頒獎典禮】《少年的你》膺3獎 太保奪最佳男主角".
  25. "OSAKA ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2011｜COMPETITION｜WINNERS".
  26. "The list of award winners｜OAFF2017".
  27. "The list of award winners｜OAFF2020".
  28. "Derek Tsang".
  29. "3 Body Problem".

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1979-birthsliving-peoplehong-kong-male-film-actorshong-kong-film-directorshong-kong-male-screenwriterspeople-from-wuhuatsang-familyhong-kong-people-of-hakka-descentmale-actors-from-meizhoufilm-directors-from-guangdongwriters-from-meizhouchinese-male-film-actorschinese-film-directorsuniversity-of-toronto-alumniscreenwriters-from-guangdong