Biography and filmography

Derek Tsang Kwok-cheung

Derek Tsang Kwok-cheung (曾國祥; born 8 November 1979) is a Hong Kong film director and actor. The son of actor Eric Tsang, Chi-wai Tsang got his start in the Hong Kong film industry working for director Peter Chan Ho-sun after graduating from the 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 a Golden Horse Award for Best New Director in 2010.

His solo directorial debut Soul Mate (2016) was critically praised, receiving a Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film nomination at the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards. His next film Better Days (2019) was the Hong Kong submission for the Academy Awards and received a Best International Feature Film nomination, becoming the first Hong Kong submission directed by a Hong Kong native to do so.

After graduation, he 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 made his solo directorial debut with Soul Mate (2016). He was subsequently nominated for Best Director awards at various film award ceremonies, including at the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards and the 53rd Golden Horse Awards.

His next film, Better Days (2019), won eight out of 12 categories at the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Film and Best Director. The film was subsequently chosen as the official entry for Hong Kong for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards. It was shortlisted but lost to Denmark's Another Round. He was the first native Hong Kong director in the category.

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's works, which consisted of mostly of mainstream comedies.

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

Photos

Movies (56)

As Written

As Written

2025 · Director

Anita

Anita

2021 · ENT Doctor

A New Awakening

A New Awakening

2021 · Director

Unspeakable Love

Unspeakable Love

2020 · Director

Three Gold Coins

Three Gold Coins

2020 · Director

Stoma

Stoma

2020 · Lim's Brother

Better Days

Better Days

2019 · Director

Missbehavior

Missbehavior

2019 · Security Officer

The Brink

The Brink

2017 · Sheng

Love Off the Cuff

Love Off the Cuff

2017 · Cherie's Younger Brother

S Storm

S Storm

2016 · Joe Ma

SoulMate

SoulMate

2016 · Director

Robbery

Robbery

2016 · Lau Kin-Ping

Good Take!

Good Take!

2016 · Director

From Vegas to Macau III

From Vegas to Macau III

2016 · Interpol

House of Wolves

House of Wolves

2016 · Steve Shit

Lazy Hazy Crazy

Lazy Hazy Crazy

2015 · Madame Glaze

Two for the Night

Two for the Night

2014

Zombie Fight Club

Zombie Fight Club

2014 · David

Z Storm

Z Storm

2014 · Joe Ma

Aberdeen

Aberdeen

2014

Naked Ambition 3D

Naked Ambition 3D

2014 · Simon Yuen

Golden Chickensss

Golden Chickensss

2014 · Male Prostitute

SDU: Sex Duties Unit

SDU: Sex Duties Unit

2013 · Dried Shrimp

My Sassy Hubby

My Sassy Hubby

2012 · Robber

Triad

Triad

2012 · Xiang

The Thieves

The Thieves

2012 · Johnny

Lacuna

Lacuna

2012 · Director

Love in the Buff

Love in the Buff

2012 · Cherie's Brother

Lover's Discourse

Lover's Discourse

2010 · Director, Writer

Devil Nail Clippers

Devil Nail Clippers

2010 · Director

Girl$

Girl$

2010 · Chun

Ex

Ex

2010 · Sol

Once a Gangster

Once a Gangster

2010 · Young Roast Pork

Dream Home

Dream Home

2010 · Cheung Jai, Screenplay

Crossing Hennessy

Crossing Hennessy

2010 · Doctor at Emergency Ward

Claustrophobia

Claustrophobia

2008 · John

Ocean Flame

Ocean Flame

2008 · Third Brother's Assistant

Tactical Unit - No Way Out

Tactical Unit - No Way Out

2008 · Fai

Run Papa Run

Run Papa Run

2008 · Chicken

Scare 2 Die

Scare 2 Die

2008 · Mahjong Player B

Dead Air

Dead Air

2007 · Rock/Lok Chun

Single Blog

Single Blog

2007

My Name Is Fame

My Name Is Fame

2006 · Lok

On the Edge

On the Edge

2006 · Mini B

Midnight Running

Midnight Running

2006 · Peter

The Third Eye

The Third Eye

2006 · Gum

Isabella

Isabella

2006 · Yan's Suitor, Writer

Cocktail

Cocktail

2006 · Kuen

AV

AV

2005 · Band-Aid

It Had To Be You

It Had To Be You

2005

Room

Room

2004 · Producer, Editor

The Eye 2

The Eye 2

2004 · Joey's Co-Worker

The Park

The Park

2003 · Dan

Men Suddenly in Black

Men Suddenly in Black

2003 · Young Tin Yau

Shadow

Shadow

2001

TV shows (4)