A DIRECTORIAL DREAMER

"At HKUST, I found a passion for reading and writing, and started writing a blog as well, and I was writing a lot," says Ka Sing Fung, our chemistry alumnus and now a new-wave film director and screenwriter in Hong Kong.  This paramount passion has finally impelled a science graduate to make a decision to pursue a career in the film industry and paved the way to flourish in the creative space. 

Fung loved art, writing and movies from a young age, studying Literature as a minor alongside Chemistry, and it turned out that this was a calling card for the rest of his career. While he was studying at HKUST, he started to read in the library, focusing on design and literature, which inspired him alongside his film and literature courses. "Gradually I discovered that I didn't like Chemistry as much as I thought. In the third year, I found a part-time job as an editor in a magazine, so I decided to take my foot off the pedal a bit," says Fung.

After graduation, Fung went into editing and reporting for Art Map's a.m. post, Ming Pao Weekly (明報周刊) and then Eat and Travel Weekly (飲食男女). During his time as a travel reporter in Eat and Travel Weekly, the entire industry started moving towards streaming media and he was able to learn how to shoot videos, write scripts, and things required for film production. This inspired Fung to become a film director. 

"I quit my job and started a film company, and I started to join several competitions for film, including the Freshwave International Short Film Festival," Fung says. He and his wife wrote a script that entered the First Feature Film Initiative (FFFI) and won eight million dollars to make their first movie Lost Love (流水落花), which has been one of the closing movies of the 19th Hong Kong Asian Film Festival (HKAFF) in 2022. The funding from FFFI was very inspiring to Fung as directors won the FFFI previously had produced memorable movies including Weeds on Fire (點五步), Still Human(淪落人), and My Prince Edward (金都).

When foreseeing the future, "It's not been that great in recent years, but I believe it will step up with new directors and working styles coming up. Things are changing, and I'm happy to be part of this scene," says Fung.

Know more about Fung's story from Alumni Newsletter Summer 2021