Fred Tsui joins HKIFFS as executive director
HKIFFS says veteran sales agent and producer Fred Tsui will take over its top executive role on September 23.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
Fred Tsui is joining HKIFFS as executive director, with the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society announcing that the veteran sales agent and producer will succeed Albert Lee in the post.
The society said Tsui will begin the role on September 23. He will report to HKIFFS chairman Wilfred Wong and the organization’s Board of Directors.
HKIFFS said the job puts Tsui in charge of the Hong Kong International Film Festival and its year-round activity. His remit will also include the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum, known as HAF, the HAF Film Lab, the Summer International Film Festival and the HKIFF Cine Fan programme.
HKIFFS is the body behind one of Hong Kong’s main film events and several industry and audience initiatives tied to Asian and international cinema. HAF is its project financing forum, linking filmmakers with potential partners and backers.
Who is Fred Tsui?
Tsui has worked across film sales, co-production, financing, distribution, exhibition, broadcasting and media management, according to HKIFFS. The society said his career has also given him international ties with filmmakers and industry executives.
Most recently, Tsui founded Moebius Entertainment, a sales agency and festival consultancy. The company recently took on sales for Michelle Zhou’s Venice Horizons title Big Little Things and the Toronto Special Presentations title Happily Ever After, according to the announcement.
Before Moebius, Tsui spent more than 20 years at Media Asia Film. HKIFFS said he served there as general manager and head of international sales and co-production, working on the company’s international growth and the overseas profile of Hong Kong cinema.
Earlier in his career, Tsui held senior management roles at PCCW and Asia Television. The society said those posts covered organizational leadership, media operations, strategic planning and content management.
Tsui is also a member of the Hong Kong Film Development Council. HKIFFS said he has been invited to sit on juries at festivals including Hong Kong, Edinburgh, Jecheon, Tallinn, Seattle, Udine, Sitges, Sonoma and Skip City in Japan.
His industry memberships include the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Hong Kong Film Critics Society. He has also served on the board of the Independent Film & Television Alliance in the U.S. and the board of the MIA International Audiovisual Market in Rome, according to HKIFFS.
What did HKIFFS say about the appointment?
Wong said HKIFFS was “delighted” to welcome Tsui, citing his leadership experience and understanding of the international film business. He said Tsui had built links between Hong Kong cinema and the global market during his career.
Wong also pointed to Tsui’s range of perspectives as an executive, critic, festival juror and cinephile, saying the society believes he is qualified to lead HKIFFS in its next chapter.
Tsui said joining HKIFFS was “a tremendous honour,” describing the organization as important to Hong Kong’s cultural life and the international promotion of Asian cinema.
He said his work with festivals as a sales executive, producer, juror, critic and audience member had shown him HKIFF’s role in connecting filmmakers, the industry and audiences. Tsui said he looks forward to working with the board, partners and HKIFFS team to build on the society’s legacy, expand its international reach, support new talent, increase audience engagement and keep Hong Kong prominent in global film culture.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.