Derek Tsang facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Derek Tsang
曾國祥
Tsang at the 2010 Hong Kong International Film Festival
Born	(1979-11-08) 8 November 1979 (age 45) British Hong Kong
Occupation	Filmmaker actor
Spouse(s)	Venus Wong ​ (m. 2019)​
Parents	Eric Tsang (father) Rebecca Chu (mother)
Family	Bowie Tsang (half-sister) Tsang Wing Yee (half-sister) Mark Tsang (brother)
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	曾國祥
Simplified Chinese	曾国祥
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zēng Guóxiáng Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Zang1 Gwok3coeng4

Derek Tsang Kwok-cheung (曾國祥; born 8 November 1979) is a talented Hong Kong filmmaker and actor. He is the son of famous actor Eric Tsang. Derek started his career in the Hong Kong film world after finishing university in 2001. He first acted in the movie Men Suddenly in Black (2003).

He made his first movie as a director with Lover's Discourse (2010), working with Jimmy Wan Chi-man. They were even nominated for an award for Best New Director! His first movie directed all by himself, Soul Mate (2016), got lots of praise. It received many nominations at big film awards.

His next film, Better Days (2019), was a huge success. It was nominated for an Oscar! This was a big moment for Hong Kong cinema. Derek Tsang became the first Hong Kong director born there to have a film nominated in this category.

Derek Tsang's Early Life

Derek Tsang was born in Hong Kong on November 8, 1979. His father is the well-known actor Eric Tsang, and his mother is Rebecca Chu.

Derek grew up mostly away from his father's public life. His father wanted to keep his family life separate from the busy entertainment world. This allowed Derek to have a "normal, middle-class upbringing." He lived with his mother, grandmother, and younger brother Mark. When Derek was 11, his family (except his father) moved to Canada.

In 2001, Derek earned a degree in Sociology from the University of Toronto Scarborough.

Derek Tsang's Film Career

After finishing university, Derek moved back to Hong Kong. His father helped him get a job working for director Peter Chan Ho-Sun. There, he met producer Jojo Hui and director Jimmy Wan Chi-man. These two would become important partners in Derek's future film projects.

Even though he didn't plan to be an actor, Derek has played many roles. He first appeared on screen in Men Suddenly in Black (2003). In this movie, he played a younger version of his father's character. He also met director Pang Ho-cheung there, and they worked together on other projects later.

Directing Success with Soul Mate

Derek's first movie directed all by himself was Soul Mate (2016). This film brought him nominations for Best Director at several major film awards. These included the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards and the 53rd Golden Horse Awards.

Better Days and Oscar Nomination

His next film, Better Days (2019), won many awards. It took home eight out of twelve categories at the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards. This included awards for Best Film and Best Director.

Better Days was chosen to represent Hong Kong at the 93rd Academy Awards. It was nominated for Best International Feature Film. Although it didn't win (it lost to Denmark's Another Round), it was a huge achievement. Derek became the first director born in Hong Kong to have a film nominated in this category.

In July 2021, Derek Tsang was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This is the group that gives out the Oscars!

Derek Tsang's Filmmaking Style

Derek Tsang has said that he gets his ideas mainly from art-house cinema. This is a type of film that focuses on artistic quality rather than just entertainment. Early on, he was inspired by director Wong Kar-wai and the French New Wave. This is different from his father's movies, which were mostly mainstream comedies. Derek also gives credit to his half-sister Bowie Tsang for teaching him about film and books.

Derek Tsang's Personal Life

Derek Tsang married actress Venus Wong in 2019. He has mentioned that he is careful about casting his wife in his movies. This is because he wants to avoid people thinking he is showing favoritism.

Derek Tsang's Filmography

Directing Films and TV Shows

• Lover's Discourse (2010)
• Lacuna (2012)
• Soul Mate (2016)
• Better Days (2019)
• 3 Body Problem (2024), episodes 1-2 (TV series)

Producing Films

• She's Got No Name (2024)

Awards and Nominations