HKAPA

Mr. Lau Yiu Kuen, better known by his pseudonym Law Kar or his nickname “Uncle Kar”, is a veteran film critic and well-known film-research scholar. Mr. Lau has devoted much of his career to programming and film-history research, while always remaining a staunch promoter of Hong Kong cinema and its development. He is well-respected by film scholars in Hong Kong, the Mainland, and abroad. At the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards, in 2023, he was honoured with the professional-achievement award in recognition of his exceptional service to the field of film culture.

In the 1960s, Mr. Lau served as editor-in-chief of The Chinese Student Weekly. The publication introduced world cinema and film theory to readers, critiqued non-mainstream art films from overseas, and shone a light on local moves in Chinese films. In 1974, he joined a television station where he scripted and co-directed drama series for and with up-and-coming directors including Patrick Tam Ka-ming, Ann Hui On-wah, Yim Ho and Alex Cheung Kwok-ming. Mr. Lau co-founded the Hong Kong Film Culture Centre in 1978 alongside like-minded individuals from the Hong Kong film industry, seeking to promote and educate the public about Hong Kong’s film culture.

Mr. Lau’s contributions to Hong Kong film culture and history include his curation of publications and exhibitions that shed an in-depth light on these areas. He was heavily involved in the planning and coordination of the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) in its early years. In the 1990s, he served as the programmer of the Hong Kong Cinema Retrospective section of the HKIFF as well as editor of the special issue of its official publication. He is also known for partnering with different generations of authors and scholars, promoting and guiding young people through joint discussion and research. Between 2001 and 2005, Mr. Lau was the programmer of the Hong Kong Film Archive, and in this capacity, helped to deepen public understanding of Hong Kong film history.

Mr. Lau is a prolific film researcher with numerous publications to his name. He also had a hand in the making of various documentaries related to film and cultural history. Among his best-regarded works are Lai Man-wai: The Man, The Time, Cinema (co-authored with Lai Shek, 1999), Hong Kong Cinema: A Cross-Cultural View (co-authored with Frank Bren, 2004), Hong Kong Cinema: Dots and Lines (2006), and his semi-biographical documentary, Documemory (2022).

Mr. Lau is a passionate educator who uses his professional knowledge and experience to nurture the young and support the development of the Academy, especially its film and television academic programmes. In the 1990s, he taught courses in scriptwriting and the history of film in Hong Kong, the Mainland, and Taiwan at the Academy. Mr. Lau earned the deep respect of students and colleagues for his relentless efforts in preparing talent for the film industry and his indisputable professionalism, which has had a long-lasting influence on the development of the entire industry.