“Afterpiece,” a Hong Kong drama produced by Derek Yee and directed by debut filmmaker Keane T.K. Wong, will world premiere as the opening film of the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival, which runs June 12-21.
The film centers on Owen, a once-celebrated stage director who has spent more than a decade in creative paralysis. When his former lover returns under the pretense of old affection and his wife edges toward betrayal, Owen resolves to write, direct, and star in a new production of his own. During an open casting call for the female lead, he grows increasingly drawn to Hannah, an untrained newcomer, and begins to lose his grip on the line separating theatre from reality.
The cast includes Stephen Fung, Chrissie Chau, Myolie Wu, and Angela Yuen. Fung portrays the film’s male protagonist – a creator pushed to the edge by desperation and obsession – while Chau and Wu play his wife and former lover respectively. Yuen, cast as the untrained newcomer who upends the protagonist’s world, provides the catalyst that drives the film toward its conclusion.
“Afterpiece” emerged from Hong Kong’s Directors’ Succession Scheme, a government-funded initiative that pairs veteran filmmakers with emerging directors to support the renewal of Hong Kong cinema across generations. Under the scheme, Yee took on a producer-mentor role, bringing decades of on-set experience to Wong, who previously contributed to productions including “I Am Somebody,” “Sword Master,” and “In Search of Lost Time.”
The 28th SIFF is guided by the China Film Administration and hosted by China Media Group alongside the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government.
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