Philip Chan (actor)


Philip Chan Yan-kin is a Hong Kong actor, film director, producer, screenwriter and music composer of Taishan area origin.

Career

He worked as a Royal Hong Kong Police Force police inspector before entering the entertainment industry. His most memorable moment as a police inspector was during a press conference he held with members of Hong Kong's press at the scene of the 1974 Po Sang Bank robbery, which was one of the biggest bank robbery cases up until then in Hong Kong history. He resigned as a Superintendent of Police in 1976 to join Bang Bang Films as a Producer and simultaneously headed its Advertising Department, marketing the then very popular jeans and apparel brand-name in Hong Kong.
Chan first made his popularity in the then British Colony of Hong Kong by being the lead vocalist for the first all-Chinese college pop group, "The Astro-Notes" and director Pochi Leung to write a police screenplay involving heroin trafficking between Amsterdam and Hong Kong, "Jumping Ash". The upbeat detective movie hit an instant box-office success in 1976, grossing one million dollars in three days and caused the young policeman to consider pursuing his greatest love of his life, films and music.. He resigned from public service to head the film production department and marketing department for Bang Bang Group, which was then the most successful jeans company in Hong Kong. He also took the helm in producing two popular youth programs on Hong Kong Television Broadcasting Limited and the then Rediffusion Television respectively to promote Bang Bang Fashion. He went on to become a renowned actor, script-writer, director and producer, with 14 films under his direction from 1976 to 1990. He is the Honorable Lifetime Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Director's Guild and an Honorable committee member of the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild. He was also one of the principal emcees in Hong Kong's leading television station, Hong Kong Television Broadcasting Limited for over 15 years.
Intending to strengthen his skills in Management and Marketing, he spent less and less time in acting and producing and eventually became a fully fledged executive working for several commercial conglomerates in Hong Kong:-
  1. 1980s general manager, Capital Artist Company – creating numerous hits and propelling a string of singers into super stardom, including Aaron Kwok, Sammi Cheng, Andy Hui, Edmond Leung and Coco Lee.
  2. 1990s managing director, Metro Broadcasts Limited – Hong Kong’s youngest radio station, owned by business tycoon Li Ka Shing was running on loss for five consecutive years since it opened. It was during this time that he produced numerous stage award shows and events that gave Metro Broadcast the success and increase in revenue that was long overdue. In three years he turned the business around.
  3. Late 1990s until early 2000, chief operating officer, Star East Group – a stars/celebrities owned company engaged in the running of themed restaurants. Philip was involved in the opening of the Star East Entertainment complexes in Hong Kong, Guangzhou and the driver of the franchised project in Chengdu. The Group has been sold to another listed company in 2002.
  4. Since 2000 Proprietor and chief operating officer, Endless Idea Management Limited – A promoter of concerts and event marketing in Hong Kong. Apart from supplying Hong Kong stars’ performances and concerts to Mainland China, Singapore, Malaysia and Atlantic City, he also produced the very popular Winter Wonderland in Tsuen Wan for Sino Properties and the same show was, by demand, produced in Donguan, China.
  5. 2003–2005 He was the chief executive officer, Mandarin Films.
  6. 2005–2007 chief operating officer, Emperor Motion Pictures. Once again he became a front-line filmmaker with the opening up of the China market. He simultaneously headed the Emperor Films/Shanghai Film Group joint-venture, the SFG Emperor Film Company in Shanghai. During this period he produced two films, “Home Run” and the comedy ”The Fantastic Water babes”.
Since 1999 he started his penetration into the entertainment market of Mainland China in the fields of television production, film production Limited and Fantasia Entertainment Production Group Company Limited. These companies engage in event planning and production for major Casinos and Hotels in Macao and Mainland China. He has also formed a new film company, Good Earth Films, to consult and produce for overseas and Chinese film companies in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Chan is the CEO of Endless Idea Management Limited and Endless Idea Management Limited, companies which he founded in the 1990s. The two companies engage in the work of artists agent, variety event production, event management and film production consultancy. He is also the CEO of Grand Olympia Films Limited. He heads the development of several films to be jointly produced by Mainland China and Hong Kong film companies. One of these films, The Tiger and I, is under pre-production and is due for principal photography in October 2014.

Filmography

Actor