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Hong Kong shaper Nansun Shi, whose credits see John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow, Andrew Lau and Alan Mak’s Infernal Affairs and aggregate films pinch Tsui Hark, has died aged 75.
Film Workshop, nan iconic Hong Kong accumulation location she co-founded pinch director-producer Tsui Hark, sent retired this statement:
“We are profoundly saddened to denote nan passing of Ms. Nansun Shi, who died peacefully astatine Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital connected Monday, 13 July 2026, astatine 20:51. She was 75.
Ms. Shi had been successful declining wellness since 2022 owed to complications affecting her immune system. In caller months, recurrent infections resulted successful aggregate organ dysfunction. She was surrounded by her family and loved ones successful her last moments.
Details regarding memorial and ceremonial arrangements will beryllium announced successful owed course.”
One of nan starring producers of Hong Kong cinema’s aureate era successful nan 1980s, Shi was besides 1 of nan architects of its revival successful nan early 2000s, spearheading nan first movie successful nan Infernal Affairs trilogy, which was remade by Martin Scorsese arsenic The Departed. Her early credits see specified seminal Hong Kong movies arsenic Woo’s A Better Tomorrow and The Killer and Tsui’s Once Upon A Time In China. Most precocious she produced Tsui’s 2025 Lunar New Year deed Legend Of The Condor Heroes: The Gallants.
Born successful Hong Kong and knowledgeable location and successful nan UK, Shi started her profession moving for broadcasters TVB and Rediffusion Television successful nan mid-1970s earlier becoming 1 of nan founding members of nan Cinema City accumulation corporate alongside Raymond Wong, Karl Maka and Dean Shek successful 1981. Affectionately known arsenic “Housekeeper”, Shi quickly established her strengths successful improvement strategy, accumulation guidance and world distribution. Her credits during this clip included classical Hong Kong comedies Till Death Do We Scare (1982), Aces Go Places II (1983), The Trail (1983) and Merry Christmas (1984).
In 1984, Shi launched Film Workshop pinch Tsui Hark, done which she produced Tsui’s Shanghai Blues and Once Upon A Time In China series, on pinch Woo’s A Better Tomorrow, 1 of nan awesome classics of Hong Kong action cinema, starring Chow Yun-fat and produced pinch Tsui.
Renowned arsenic a trailblazer and innovator successful nan Hong Kong movie industry, Shi was 1 of nan first section producers to group up world distribution networks arsenic good arsenic 1 of nan first to sprout successful mainland China erstwhile nan 2 movie industries had small interaction pinch each other.
In 2002, Peter Lam invited her to subordinate Media Asia Group arsenic Vice President, wherever she produced nan first movie successful nan Infernal Affairs trilogy, starring Andy Lau and Tony Leung Chiu-wai. Shi besides worked pinch Beijing-based Bona Film Group connected films including nan Overheard series, The Great Magician and Venice award-winning movie A Simple Life. From 2007, she besides headed up world income agency Distribution Workshop, backed by Bona Film Group and co-founded pinch Jeffrey Chan.
While moving pinch different companies, Shi kept Film Workshop moving arsenic a abstracted entity, producing respective films directed by Tsui complete nan years, including nan Detective Dee series, Flying Swords Of Dragon Gate, Seven Swords and The Legend Of Zu. Shi and Tsui were joined betwixt 1996 and 2014.
A personnel of nan main title assemblage astatine nan 2011 Cannes Film Festival, Shi was honored by France’s Ministry of Culture which made her an Officer of nan Order of Arts and Letters successful 2013.
Among nan galore different honors received, Shi was presented pinch Locarno Film Festival’s Premio Raimondo Rezzonico for Best Independent Producer successful 2014; nan Golden Mulberry Life Achievement Award from Udine Far East Film Festival successful 2015; nan Berlinale Camera Award successful 2017; nan International Contribution to Chinese Cinema Award astatine Pingyao International Film Festival successful 2019; and nan Lifetime Achievement Award astatine nan Hong Kong Film Awards successful 2025.
Tributes are starting to travel in, and we will update this communicative regularly arsenic we person them…
