[Sportschosun reporter Jo Min-jung] Shi Nansheng, the legendary producer who helped lead the golden age of Hong Kong cinema, has died at the age of 75.
According to Hong Kong media outlet Sing Tao Daily and others on the 14th, Shi died at 8:51 p.m. on the 13th at Yanghe Hospital in Hong Kong.
Film Workshop, the production company she co-founded, said in a statement that her health had deteriorated since 2022 due to an immune system disorder. It added that she had recently been treated for multiple organ failure caused by a bacterial infection and passed away peacefully surrounded by her family.
Born in Hong Kong in 1951, Shi began her career handling production and administrative work at broadcasters including TVB. She later worked at Cinema City in the 1980s, helping drive the Hong Kong film renaissance, and co-founded Film Workshop with director Tsui Hark in 1984, producing a string of box-office hits.
Shi was widely recognized not only for her producing skills but also for her strength in overseas distribution and marketing, which helped bring Hong Kong films to the global market. Her best-known works include 'A Better Tomorrow,' 'A Chinese Ghost Story,' the 'Once Upon a Time in China' series, 'Dragon Inn,' 'Black Mask,' 'The Legend of Zu,' and the 'Di Renjie' series. She is regarded as a key producer behind some of the defining hits of Hong Kong cinema's heyday.
Shi and Tsui Hark were long-time creative partners as well as husband and wife. Even after their separation in 2014, they continued to work together on films. At the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards last year, the two received lifetime achievement awards side by side.
She also had a deep connection with Korea. She attended the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in 2011 and received an achievement award at the Asia Star Awards, co-hosted by BIFF and Marie Claire, in 2015. In 2018, she also served as a jury member for the New Currents section at BIFF.
The Hong Kong Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau also issued a statement mourning her death, saying, "Shi devoted her life to the development of Hong Kong's film industry and left citizens with cherished memories through countless masterpieces."
Jo Min-jung mj.cho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
