Dennis Law Sau-Yiu
Encyclopedia
Dennis Law Sau-yiu is a Hong Kong
film producer
, screenwriter
and director
. He is the former chairman
and executive director
of Milkyway Image, and a founder of its subsidiary company Point of View Movie Production Co. Ltd. Films directed by Law include teen comedies such as The Unusual Youth
and Love @ First Note
, and martial arts action films that include Fatal Contact
and Fatal Move
.
. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from Loyola Marymount University
.
, rather than pursue his career in film, Law decided to go into real estate
. He later befriended Charles Heung
, who advised him to learn from veteran filmmakers such as Herman Yau
. In 2003, Law befriended prolific filmmaker Johnnie To
and became his financial partner at Milkyway Image, serving as a chairman
and executive director
. Law had many opportunities to travel to the world’s film markets and festivals, meet film industry personnel from different parts of the globe, find out their views of Hong Kong cinema
, as well as seeing To on set as a director. Apart from filmmaking, Law is currently a managing director of the Yu Tai Hing Company Ltd., which is a well-established private property investment and development group in Hong Kong.
with To in 2005, along with its 2006 sequel
, Law formed his own production company, Point of View Movie Production Co. Ltd. (影視點制作有限公司), a subsidiary of Milkyway Image. Point of View was one of two companies established by Law after Milkyway Image split from its parent company, Brilliant Arts. Since its establishment, Point of View has notably been a frequent production partner for Charles Heung's company China Star Entertainment Group
, producing films in which Law has served as a producer and director.
. Law's next two films saw the director collaborating with entertainers managed by Gold Label Records. He wrote, produced and directed the teen comedy, Love @ First Note
, which starred Justin Lo
, Kary Ng
, Stephy Tang
and Miki Yeung
. He later made the martial arts romance film Fatal Contact
, hoping to establish his lead actor Wu Jing as a martial arts icon. His next film was the 2008 film Fatal Move
, which was originally his idea for a sequel to SPL: Sha Po Lang
. The film featured an ensemble cast that included SPL stars Sammo Hung
, Wu Jing and Simon Yam
, and marked the return of veteran Hong Kong actor Danny Lee who once again plays a just policeman in the film. Of the casting, Law wanted to cast a series of familiar Hong Kong actors as the film was aimed at a foreign market.
Upon its release, Fatal Move was awarded a Category III rating
in Hong Kong for its extreme violence. His next film was A Very Short Life
, a film about child abuse and molestation. The film was also awarded with a Category III rating for its subject matter.
of popular Chinese actors. Law also uses computer-generated imagery
to create blood, as seen in films such as A Very Short Life and Fatal Move.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
. He is the former chairman
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
and executive director
Executive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
of Milkyway Image, and a founder of its subsidiary company Point of View Movie Production Co. Ltd. Films directed by Law include teen comedies such as The Unusual Youth
The Unusual Youth
The Unusual Youth is a 2005 Hong Kong teen comedy-drama film centering on five disillusioned Hong Kong teenagers living on the island of Cheung Chau as they try to deal with life in spite of family backgrounds. The film stars Race Wong of 2R fame, Yan Ng, Marco Lok and Raymond Wong...
and Love @ First Note
Love @ First Note
Love @ First Note is a 2006 Hong Kong teen romance film, written, produced and directed by Dennis Law, and starring Alex Fong, Justin Lo, and Kary Ng...
, and martial arts action films that include Fatal Contact
Fatal Contact (film)
Fatal Contact is a 2006 Hong Kong martial arts film that was written and directed by Dennis Law and stars Wu Jing as a young man who is trained with the fighting techniques of Sanshou martial arts, and lured into the world of illegal martial arts fighting...
and Fatal Move
Fatal Move
Fatal Move is a 2008 Hong Kong action crime film written, produced and directed by Dennis Law. The film features a large ensemble cast which includes Sammo Hung, Simon Yam and Wu Jing, who reunite after 2005's SPL: Sha Po Lang...
.
Early life
Law studied filmmaking at university in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
.
Career
On his return to Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, rather than pursue his career in film, Law decided to go into real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
. He later befriended Charles Heung
Charles Heung
Charles Heung Wah-Keung is a Hong Kong actor-turned-film producer and presenter. As founder of Win's Entertainment in the 1980s and China Star Entertainment Group in the 1990s, he has helped established the careers of various cinematic icons in Hong Kong that include Stephen Chow, Chow Yun-fat,...
, who advised him to learn from veteran filmmakers such as Herman Yau
Herman Yau
Herman Yau Lai-To , born 1961 in Hong Kong is a film director, actor, cinematographer, scriptwriter and film producer.-Background:A Chiuchow by origin, Yau studied film at The Department of Communications, Hong Kong Baptist College from 1981 to 1984 where he spent much of his early days hanging out...
. In 2003, Law befriended prolific filmmaker Johnnie To
Johnnie To
Johnnie To Kei-Fung, born 22 April 1955, is a Hong Kong film director and producer. Popular in his native Hong Kong, To has also found acclaim overseas...
and became his financial partner at Milkyway Image, serving as a chairman
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
and executive director
Executive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
. Law had many opportunities to travel to the world’s film markets and festivals, meet film industry personnel from different parts of the globe, find out their views of Hong Kong cinema
Cinema of Hong Kong
The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan...
, as well as seeing To on set as a director. Apart from filmmaking, Law is currently a managing director of the Yu Tai Hing Company Ltd., which is a well-established private property investment and development group in Hong Kong.
Point of View Movie Production Co. Ltd.
Apart from producing ElectionElection (2005 film)
Election |society of Triads]]), is a 2005 Hong Kong crime film directed by Johnnie To. Featuring a large ensemble cast, the film stars Simon Yam and Tony Leung Ka-Fai as two gang leaders engaged in a power struggle to become the new leader of the Hong Kong Triad society.The film premiered as an...
with To in 2005, along with its 2006 sequel
Election 2
Election 2 |Black Society]]: Value Peace Most), also known as Triad Election in the United States, is a 2006 Hong Kong crime film directed by Johnnie To with a large ensemble cast that includes Louis Koo, Simon Yam and Nick Cheung...
, Law formed his own production company, Point of View Movie Production Co. Ltd. (影視點制作有限公司), a subsidiary of Milkyway Image. Point of View was one of two companies established by Law after Milkyway Image split from its parent company, Brilliant Arts. Since its establishment, Point of View has notably been a frequent production partner for Charles Heung's company China Star Entertainment Group
China Star Entertainment Group
China Star Entertainment Group is a Hong Kong film production company and film distributor. It was established in 1992 by film producer Charles Heung, and has been known as a huge distributor and film producer of films made mostly in Cantonese dialect....
, producing films in which Law has served as a producer and director.
Films
Law made his directorial debut with the 2005 teen comedy-drama The Unusual YouthThe Unusual Youth
The Unusual Youth is a 2005 Hong Kong teen comedy-drama film centering on five disillusioned Hong Kong teenagers living on the island of Cheung Chau as they try to deal with life in spite of family backgrounds. The film stars Race Wong of 2R fame, Yan Ng, Marco Lok and Raymond Wong...
. Law's next two films saw the director collaborating with entertainers managed by Gold Label Records. He wrote, produced and directed the teen comedy, Love @ First Note
Love @ First Note
Love @ First Note is a 2006 Hong Kong teen romance film, written, produced and directed by Dennis Law, and starring Alex Fong, Justin Lo, and Kary Ng...
, which starred Justin Lo
Justin Lo
Justin Lo is a singer-songwriter, actor and record producer working in Hong Kong and China.-Biography:Lo was born in Syracuse, New York, and moved to Hong Kong with his parents when he was two years old. He studied at St Paul's Co-educational Primary School and St. Paul's Co-educational College....
, Kary Ng
Kary Ng
Kary Ng is a pop rock singer in Hong Kong. She studied at the Canadian International School of Hong Kong. She had made references to her nickname "Lady K" in the album titles "Lady K Live" and "Lady K: Transformation"....
, Stephy Tang
Stephy Tang
Stephy Tang is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress. She was formerly the lead singer of the pop group Cookies.-Early life:...
and Miki Yeung
Miki Yeung
Miki Yeung is a Hong Kong cantopop singer and actress. In 2002, she joined the cantopop music idol group Cookies. In 2005, her film b420 was awarded the Grand Prix Award: The 19th Fukuoka Asian Film Festival...
. He later made the martial arts romance film Fatal Contact
Fatal Contact (film)
Fatal Contact is a 2006 Hong Kong martial arts film that was written and directed by Dennis Law and stars Wu Jing as a young man who is trained with the fighting techniques of Sanshou martial arts, and lured into the world of illegal martial arts fighting...
, hoping to establish his lead actor Wu Jing as a martial arts icon. His next film was the 2008 film Fatal Move
Fatal Move
Fatal Move is a 2008 Hong Kong action crime film written, produced and directed by Dennis Law. The film features a large ensemble cast which includes Sammo Hung, Simon Yam and Wu Jing, who reunite after 2005's SPL: Sha Po Lang...
, which was originally his idea for a sequel to SPL: Sha Po Lang
SPL: Sha Po Lang
SPL: Sha Po Lang , , is a 2005 Hong Kong martial arts and crime film written and directed by Wilson Yip, starring Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Simon Yam and Jing Wu...
. The film featured an ensemble cast that included SPL stars Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...
, Wu Jing and Simon Yam
Simon Yam
Simon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague....
, and marked the return of veteran Hong Kong actor Danny Lee who once again plays a just policeman in the film. Of the casting, Law wanted to cast a series of familiar Hong Kong actors as the film was aimed at a foreign market.
Upon its release, Fatal Move was awarded a Category III rating
Hong Kong motion picture rating system
The Hong Kong motion picture rating system is a legal system of movie screening and rating. An official government agency issues ratings for any movie that will be shown in Hong Kong movie theatres.-History:...
in Hong Kong for its extreme violence. His next film was A Very Short Life
A Very Short Life
A Very Short Life is a 2009 Hong Kong drama film written, produced and directed by Dennis Law. It is Law's fifth feature film as a writer and director. Centered on child abuse and child molestation, the film stars Maggie Shiu as a Hong Kong police commissioner who investigates the murder of an...
, a film about child abuse and molestation. The film was also awarded with a Category III rating for its subject matter.
Trademarks
Law uses the same production crew for all of his films as well as having an ensemble castEnsemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
of popular Chinese actors. Law also uses computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
to create blood, as seen in films such as A Very Short Life and Fatal Move.
Recurring actors
| Actor | The Unusual Youth The Unusual Youth The Unusual Youth is a 2005 Hong Kong teen comedy-drama film centering on five disillusioned Hong Kong teenagers living on the island of Cheung Chau as they try to deal with life in spite of family backgrounds. The film stars Race Wong of 2R fame, Yan Ng, Marco Lok and Raymond Wong... (2005) | Love @ First Note Love @ First Note Love @ First Note is a 2006 Hong Kong teen romance film, written, produced and directed by Dennis Law, and starring Alex Fong, Justin Lo, and Kary Ng... (2006) | Fatal Contact Fatal Contact (film) Fatal Contact is a 2006 Hong Kong martial arts film that was written and directed by Dennis Law and stars Wu Jing as a young man who is trained with the fighting techniques of Sanshou martial arts, and lured into the world of illegal martial arts fighting... (2006) | Fatal Move Fatal Move Fatal Move is a 2008 Hong Kong action crime film written, produced and directed by Dennis Law. The film features a large ensemble cast which includes Sammo Hung, Simon Yam and Wu Jing, who reunite after 2005's SPL: Sha Po Lang... (2007) | A Very Short Life A Very Short Life A Very Short Life is a 2009 Hong Kong drama film written, produced and directed by Dennis Law. It is Law's fifth feature film as a writer and director. Centered on child abuse and child molestation, the film stars Maggie Shiu as a Hong Kong police commissioner who investigates the murder of an... (2009) | Bad Blood Bad Blood (2010 film) Bad Blood is a 2010 martial arts-crime film written, produced and directed by Dennis Law. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Simon Yam, Bernice Liu and Andy On. Bad Blood centers on a Triad gang as the members plot and scheme against each other to become the gang's new leader, after... (2010) | Womb Ghosts Womb Ghosts -Plot:Life after death of a fetus inside a woman's body exists as a Womb Ghost. Unnatural termination of such life will turn the baby into the evilest and most vicious kind of spirit.... (2010) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lam Suet Lam Suet Lam Suet is a Hong Kong actor.-Biography:Lam was born in Tianjin, and came to Hong Kong as a youth in 1979 to receive inheritance money left by his grandfather. Soon after all the money had been squandered and Lam had to work various odd jobs to make a living.In the mid-eighties he got employment... |
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| Simon Yam Simon Yam Simon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague.... |
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| Wu Jing | |||||||
| Maggie Siu Maggie Siu Maggie Shiu Mei-kei , sometimes credited as Maggie Shaw, is a prominent Hong Kong actress.-Career:Her career began in 1985 when she joined Hong Kong TVB. As her career developed, she took on variety of roles in TV series and movies... |
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| Hui Shiu-Hung Benz Hui Benz Hui Shiu-hung is a Hong Kong actor who currently works on the TV station TVB. He used to work on ATV before switching over to TVB.-Family background:... |
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| Cheung Siu-Fai Cheung Siu-Fai Eddie Cheung Siu-fai is a Hong Kong actor best known for his many supporting or everyman roles similar to Liu Kai-chi.-Filmography:-TV series:-External links:* on Sina Weibo* at the Hong Kong Cinemagic* on LoveHKFilm.com... |
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| Miki Yeung Miki Yeung Miki Yeung is a Hong Kong cantopop singer and actress. In 2002, she joined the cantopop music idol group Cookies. In 2005, her film b420 was awarded the Grand Prix Award: The 19th Fukuoka Asian Film Festival... |
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| Theresa Fu Theresa Fu Theresa Fu Wing is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, film and television actress, and model.Fu was introduced by Talent Bang model agency in order to become a pop star. She started her career in 2002 as one of the members of Cookies, the group disbanded in 2005.In 2005 she recorded a duet "自欺欺人" with... |
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| Tien Niu | |||||||
| Ken Lo Ken Lo Ken Low Wai-kwong is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist and a ex-member of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team.-Early life:... |
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| Pinky Cheung | |||||||
| Marco Lok | |||||||
| Johnny Lu | |||||||
| Wong Tin-Lam Wong Tin-Lam Wong Tin-Lam was a Chinese screenwriter, producer, director, and actor, who has contributed a lot to the Hong Kong cinema scene with a career spanning six decades... |
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| Lai Lok Yi |
Filmography
| Year | Film | Chinese title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Election Election (2005 film) Election |society of Triads]]), is a 2005 Hong Kong crime film directed by Johnnie To. Featuring a large ensemble cast, the film stars Simon Yam and Tony Leung Ka-Fai as two gang leaders engaged in a power struggle to become the new leader of the Hong Kong Triad society.The film premiered as an... |
黑社會 | Producer and presenter | |
| The Unusual Youth The Unusual Youth The Unusual Youth is a 2005 Hong Kong teen comedy-drama film centering on five disillusioned Hong Kong teenagers living on the island of Cheung Chau as they try to deal with life in spite of family backgrounds. The film stars Race Wong of 2R fame, Yan Ng, Marco Lok and Raymond Wong... |
非常青春期 | Writer, producer, director and presenter | ||
| 2006 | Election 2 Election 2 Election 2 |Black Society]]: Value Peace Most), also known as Triad Election in the United States, is a 2006 Hong Kong crime film directed by Johnnie To with a large ensemble cast that includes Louis Koo, Simon Yam and Nick Cheung... |
黑社會以和為貴 | Producer and executive producer | Also known as Triad Election |
| Love @ First Note Love @ First Note Love @ First Note is a 2006 Hong Kong teen romance film, written, produced and directed by Dennis Law, and starring Alex Fong, Justin Lo, and Kary Ng... |
戀愛初歌 | Writer, producer, director and presenter | ||
| Fatal Contact Fatal Contact (film) Fatal Contact is a 2006 Hong Kong martial arts film that was written and directed by Dennis Law and stars Wu Jing as a young man who is trained with the fighting techniques of Sanshou martial arts, and lured into the world of illegal martial arts fighting... |
黑拳 | Writer, producer, director and executive producer | ||
| The Shopaholics The Shopaholics The Shopaholics is a 2006 Hong Kong romantic comedy film directed by Wai Ka-Fai, and starring Cecilia Cheung, Lau Ching-Wan, Jordan Chan, Ella Koon, and Paula Tsui.-Cast:* Cecilia Cheung* Lau Ching-Wan* Jordan Chan* Ella Koon* Paula Tsui* Dennis Law... |
最愛女人購物狂 | "Property developer" | Cameo appearance | |
| 2007 | Gong Tau Gong Tau: An Oriental Black Magic Gong Tau: An Oriental Black Magic is a 2007 Hong Kong film directed by Herman Yau.-Plot:CID detective Rockman was sent to Thailand to investigate a case involving the Hong Kong and Thai underground syndicate. During his visit he met a sexy table dancer called Elli, they had a brief but hot steamy... |
降頭 | Producer and executive producer | Also known as Gong Tau: An Oriental Black Magic |
| Triangle | 鐵三角 | Executive producer | ||
| 2008 | Fatal Move Fatal Move Fatal Move is a 2008 Hong Kong action crime film written, produced and directed by Dennis Law. The film features a large ensemble cast which includes Sammo Hung, Simon Yam and Wu Jing, who reunite after 2005's SPL: Sha Po Lang... |
奪帥 | Writer, producer, director and executive producer | |
| 2009 | A Very Short Life A Very Short Life A Very Short Life is a 2009 Hong Kong drama film written, produced and directed by Dennis Law. It is Law's fifth feature film as a writer and director. Centered on child abuse and child molestation, the film stars Maggie Shiu as a Hong Kong police commissioner who investigates the murder of an... |
短暫的生命 | Writer, producer, director and executive producer | |
| 2010 | Bad Blood Bad Blood (2010 film) Bad Blood is a 2010 martial arts-crime film written, produced and directed by Dennis Law. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Simon Yam, Bernice Liu and Andy On. Bad Blood centers on a Triad gang as the members plot and scheme against each other to become the gang's new leader, after... |
滅門 | Writer, producer, director | |
| Womb Ghosts Womb Ghosts -Plot:Life after death of a fetus inside a woman's body exists as a Womb Ghost. Unnatural termination of such life will turn the baby into the evilest and most vicious kind of spirit.... |
惡胎 | Director | ||
| Vampire Warriors | 殭屍新戰士 | Director |