同築一個電影夢

【同築一個電影夢】「莊姐是我恩人，是她帶我入行的。」說話的是《過時．過節》導演曾慶宏，這是他的首部電影，並由莊麗真監製。他當時剛畢業，想拍電影但苦無門路，膽粗粗申請電影發展基金「首部劇情電影計劃」，並在新傳師長引薦下，認識師姐兼資深電影監製莊麗真，「莊姐未見過我就答應幫我監製電影，我相信全憑她對新傳的情感。」

曾慶宏形容與莊姐的合作「非常開心」，他佩服前輩的氣度，「她經驗比我多太多，但她很尊重我，在關鍵時刻都會說：『你做最後決定，因為這項目是你報名爭取到的』。」他由衷感謝莊姐：「她由一開始劇本的修改，到之後大小事項，都鉅細無遺與我討論和跟進，單是時間的付出都很驚人。」

「其實《過時．過節》前我已經準備退休，但因為幫師弟嘛，當然要做啦！」莊麗真如此說，她由畢業入行，至今在電影行業逾四十年。她表示，曾慶宏沒有令她失望，儘管執導前不熟悉行業運作，但適應能力很強，快速上手、拍好處女作，「作為一個新導演，我給他很高分數。」

一個是資深監製，一個是新晉導演，二人同屬新傳人，同築一個電影夢。曾慶宏說，當初選新傳是希望「學習以不同媒介表達想法，也關心傳播對人和社會的影響。」他在本科期間發現電影是自己想深耕的形式：「電影某程度上是種私密的交往，它擊中一些你內心深處不為人知的情感，而且它是集結文字、聲音和畫面的藝術，我對它的複雜性很感興趣。」

對莊麗真而言，電影有其意義所在：「電影反映一個當時當地的歷史，包括價值觀、服裝、說話方式等。假如沒有電影，歷史影像的保留就會少了一塊。」當她回看自己的人生軌跡，她感謝新傳當時給了她機緣，「然後我就一輩子做電影。這是份很大的禮物。」未來她還會為師弟楊兩全監製他的首部電影《善男信女》，「不論是回饋新傳抑或電影圈，我都很樂意協助。」

簡介：
莊麗真，1981年香港中文大學新聞與傳播學本科畢業後入行，為《東京攻略》、《夏日麼麼茶》、《20 30 40》、《一個好爸爸》、《念念》、《相愛相親》、《過時．過節》等電影擔任監製。

曾慶宏，2012年香港中文大學新聞與傳播學院本科畢業，2024年香港城市大學創意媒體碩士畢業；電影《過時．過節》導演，現為香港浸會大學環球螢幕演技藝術學士（榮譽）學位課程主任。

A Shared Cinematic Dream

“Cheng is my benefactor—she’s the one who brought me into the industry,” says TSANG Hing Weng Eric, director of Hong Kong Family. His debut film was produced by veteran film producer CHENG Lai Chun Patricia, a connection that began when Tsang was fresh out of university with filmmaking ambitions but no industry contacts. After boldly applying for the Film Development Fund’s “First Feature Film Initiative,” his journalism school mentors introduced him to Cheng, an alumna and seasoned producer. “Cheng agreed to help produce my film without even meeting me first,” Tsang recalls. “I believe it was purely out of loyalty to our shared alma mater.”

Tsang describes working with Cheng as “incredibly rewarding.” He admires her generous spirit despite her vastly superior experience. “At crucial moments, she would always say: ‘You make the final decision—this is your project, something you fought for and won,'” he explains. The mentorship went far beyond expectations. “From initial script revisions to every detail that followed, she was involved in everything. The time she devoted was extraordinary.”

For her part, Cheng was already considering retirement when the project came along. “I was ready to step back before Hong Kong Family, but when it’s helping a fellow alumnus, how could I say no?” she laughs. With over forty years in the film industry since graduation, she wasn’t disappointed by her protégé. “He adapted remarkably quickly for someone new to the industry,” she notes. “He got up to speed fast and delivered an impressive debut. As a first-time director, I’d give him top marks.”

A veteran producer and an emerging director, both journalism school graduates pursuing a shared passion for cinema. Tsang originally chose journalism hoping to “learn how to express ideas through different media while understanding communication’s impact on people and society.” Film emerged as his calling during undergraduate studies. “Cinema is intimate in a way—it reaches emotions buried deep inside you that nobody else knows about. It combines text, sound, and imagery into one art form. That complexity fascinated me.”

For Cheng, film serves a deeper cultural purpose. “Movies capture the history of their time and place—the values, fashion, speech patterns, everything. Without film, we’d lose a crucial piece of our visual historical record.” Reflecting on her career path, she feels grateful that journalism school opened this door for her. “Then I ended up spending my entire life making movies. It’s been an incredible gift.”

Her mentoring continues with plans to produce We Are Born Good, the debut feature from another alumnus, YEUNG Leung Chuen. “Whether it’s giving back to the journalism programme or the film industry, I’m always happy to help.”

Profiles:
CHENG Lai Chun Patricia graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communication from The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1981 and began her career in the film industry. She has served as producer for films including Tokyo Raiders, Summer Holiday, 20 30 40, Run Papa Run, Murmur of the Hearts, Love Education, and Hong Kong Family.

TSANG Hing Weng Eric graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the School of Journalism and Communication at The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2012, and completed his Master of Arts in Creative Media at City University of Hong Kong in 2024. He is the director of the film Hong Kong Family and currently serves as Programme Director of the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) in Acting for Global Screen programme at Hong Kong Baptist University.