Anthony Pun

Anthony Pun Yiu-ming () is a Hong Kong filmmaker. Making his debut as a cinematographer in 1994, Pun is known for his collaborations with director Benny Chan, and he won Best Cinematography in the 42nd Golden Horse Awards for their action film ''Divergence'' (2005). He is also a twelve-time nominee for the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Cinematography, winning twice for '' The Silent War'' (2012) and '' The Goldfinger'' (2023) in the 32nd and 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards respectively.

Pun made his directorial debut by co-directing the crime film '' Extraordinary Mission'' (2017) with Alan Mak, followed by his first and second solo directorial efforts with the drama film '' One More Chance'' (2023) and the disaster film '' Cesium Fallout'' (2024).

Early life

Pun developed an interest in photography at a young age, and entered the film industry in the 1980s. He initially worked as a gaffer apprentice before transitioning to the cinematography crew, where he served as an apprentice to Joe Chan Kwong-hung.

Career

Early ventures and critical recognition (1994–2016)

Pun received his first solo cinematographer credit with Lau Kar-yung's 1994 drama film ''Lanterns''. He took on another cinematographer role for Benny Chan's 1999 action-comedy film '' Gen-X Cops'', marking the beginning of his cinematographic career. This also initiated his frequent collaborations with Chan, starting with his role in the sequel '' Gen-Y Cops'' in 2000. Pun went on to work on the 2001 romantic comedy ''La Brassiere'' and the 2002 horror film ', before reuniting with Chan on the crime-action film '' Heroic Duo'', which earned him his first nomination for Best Cinematography in the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards. In 2004, he served as cinematographer for Wilson Yip's romance film ' and Chan's ''New Police Story'', where he received another nomination for Best Cinematography in the 24th Hong Kong Film Awards with the former. In 2005, Pun won Best Cinematography in the 42nd Golden Horse Awards for Chan's action film ''Divergence'', and continued to collaborate with Chan on the 2006 action-comedy film ''Rob-B-Hood'' starring Jackie Chan and Louis Koo. Jay Weissberg of '' Variety'' praised Pun's "masterful ease with complicated spatial constructions", noting that he was "clearly enjoying the expansive possibilities of scope". Pun then worked on Chan's 2007 action film '' Invisible Target'', and the 2008 action film '' Connected'', with Derek Elley of ''Variety'' describing Pun's widescreen lensing in Connected as "tops".

In 2009, Pun filmed the Taiwanese-Hong Kong-Chinese historical epic '' Empire of Silver'', earning nominations for Best Cinematography in both the 27th Golden Rooster Awards and the 29th Hong Kong Film Awards. Don Groves of '' SBS Australia'' praised Pun's cinematography as "spectacular", noting that he "makes maximum use of the locations"; while Ho Yi of ''Taipei Times'' commended Pun for delivering "an immaculately polished look" and demonstrating "unforgiving attention to the smallest detail" in the film. That same year, Pun also worked on Alan Mak and Felix Chong's '' Overheard'', marking the start of their future frequent collaborations. Mak described Pun as a "sentimental person", noting that his filming style is meticulous, with every shot carefully planned out. He later participated in the 2010 action film '' Triple Tap'', and the 2011 anthology drama film ', contributing to the segment ''100''. The same year, Pun returned to shoot the sequel '' Overheard 2'', for which Hugo Ozman of ''Screen Anarchy'' praised him for the film's high production value and called the action scenes "wonderful". He was nominated once again in the 31st Hong Kong Film Awards. In 2012, he filmed Mak and Chong's action film '' The Silent War'', for which he won Best Cinematography in the 32nd Hong Kong Film Awards.

Pun collaborated with Chan again on the 2013 crime thriller '' The White Storm'', followed by Mak and Chong's Overheard 3 in 2014, earning him nominations in the 33rd and 34th Hong Kong Film Awards. Clarence Tsui of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' described ''The White Storm'' as a "full-on cinematic spectacle", while James Marsh of ''Screen Daily'' praised Pun's "lush cinematography" in ''Overheard 3'', which gave the film "a luxurious, almost garish sheen"; and Ronnie Scheib of ''Variety'' called ''Overheard 3'' stylish thanks to Pun's "high-contrast lensing". In 2015, Pun worked on 's education-themed drama '' Little Big Master'', produced by Benny Chan. Clarence Tsui of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' praised his camerawork for "getting the best out of he child actors'raw performances", while Maggie Lee of ''Variety'' noted that Pun effectively captured "the drab New Territories and crumbling school with the plainest of shots". That same year, he also worked on the Chinese-Hong Kong fantasy action film ''Monster Hunt''.

Directorial debut and multi-faceted career (2017–present)

In 2017, Pun made his directorial debut by co-directing the crime film '' Extraordinary Mission'' with Alan Mak, with a screenplay by Felix Chong. Ed Travis of '' Cinapse'' noted that Pun, along with Chong and Mak, who have produced numerous classics, offered "a new go" on the classic police-undercover theme in Hong Kong action cinema. In 2018, he reprised his role in ''Monster Hunt 2'', receiving his eighth nomination in the 38th Hong Kong Film Awards. Clarence Tsui of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' lauded Pun for bringing "immaculate special effects" and "impressive production design" vividly to the forefront. The following year, Pun served as the director of photography for the thriller film '' Bodies at Rest''. In 2021, Pun cinematographed '' Anita'', the biographical film about Anita Mui. Richard Kuipers of ''Variety'' complimented Pun for "bringing isA game to this enterprise" through his nostalgic camerawork, which enabled the film to "rock into 1982". He received another nomination in the 40th Hong Kong Film Awards. Following Benny Chan's death in 2020, he was given special thanks in Chan's posthumously released swan song '' Raging Fire'', and served as one of Chan's pallbearers.

In 2023, Pun made his first solo directorial effort with '' One More Chance'', which featured a screenplay by Chong and starred Chow Yun-fat. Tay Yek Keak of '' Today'' noted that Pun's background as a cinematographer "doubles as an effective tourist brochure with panoramic views of Macau's scenic sights"; while Edmund Lee of ''South China Morning Post'' described Pun's vision as "a rare attempt at a heartwarming drama". That same year, he also served as cinematographer for Jack Ng's '' A Guilty Conscience'', which currently holds the title of the highest-grossing domestic film in Hong Kong. He collaborated with Chong again on the 2023 crime drama film '' The Goldfinger'', starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Andy Lau, for which he won Best Cinematography the second time in the 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards. Keith Ho, writing for '' HK01'', praised the film's cinematography as "brilliant", crediting Pun for bringing back "the dazzling era of Hong Kong to the big screen".

In 2024, Pun made his second solo directorial effort while also serving as the cinematographer for the disaster film '' Cesium Fallout'', the first feature film from Hong Kong centered around a radiation crisis. James Marsh of ''Deadline Hollywood'' noted that Pun's dual role ensured "that the unfolding mayhem retains a visual coherence", acknowledging his ability to strike a balance between disastrous scenes and images that resonate with the preceding pandemic and protests, serving as a political satire packaged with "boisterous, breathless" vibes; while Edmund Lee of ''South China Morning Post'' also commended Pun for effectively blending "firefighting action, government workplace bureaucracy, nefarious business practices and epic effects sequences", which "vividly picture the city in ruins". He also cinematographed the drama film '' The Last Dance'' that year, where Richard Kuipers of ''Variety'' particularly praised Pun's "polished cinematography in Hong Kong's Hung Hom funeral district", which made the film capable of "making lists of memorable movie funeral scenes".

Filmography

As director

As cinematographer

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pun, Anthony
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Hong Kong cinematographers
Hong Kong film directors