How filmmakers from Macao are putting the region on the map

Macao is a vibrant city that thrives as a cultural exchange hub. Over the years, the Macao Special Administrative Region Government has adopted pragmatic measures and significantly increased investment in the arts, creating a robust support system to nurture film talent and facilitate industry development.

To attract filmmakers from around the world to shoot in the city – bringing its unique cultural heritage and diverse urban landscape onto international screens – incentives were introduced in 2023, including the Subsidy Programme for Cinematographic and Television Filming in Macao and the Subsidy Programme for the Promotion and Distribution of Cinematographic and Television Works with Macao Elements.

Production funding schemes for local filmmakers also include the Local View Power Programme for documentary, short film and animation production and the Support Programme for the Production of Feature Films.

The Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government is currently preparing the Macao Filming Thematic Website, which is set to launch this year. The site will showcase unique filming locations and provides information on government support policies. It will also cover creative incubation, production and promotion, offering local emerging talent opportunities to grow and connect with global platforms. Ahead of its launch, details on arts and culture in Macao can be found at https://www.icm.gov.mo.

Screen International profiles Macao filmmaking talent that range from seasoned veterans to rising stars.

Tracy Choi Ian Sin

Choi is one of the prominent filmmakers who put Macao cinema on the world map. Her 2016 feature debut Sisterhood, made with seed funding from the Support Programme for the Production of Feature Films, won the Macao audience choice award at the inaugural International Film Festival & Awards Macao, the most promising talent award at the Osaka Asian Film Festival, and earned two nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA).

Her latest film Girlfriends garnered further international accolades, premiering in competition at last year’s Busan International Film Festival. The film, which tells three love stories set in different time periods and cities, was a recipient of the same Support Programme and received three nominations at the upcoming HKFA. It is set to open in local theatres in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan this month.

“By collaborating and exchanging with professional film teams from different regions, I was able to enhance my technical skills, accumulate practical experience and discover the direction that suits me best,” says Choi, whose directing credits also include Lonely Eighteen (2023) and Promise Of Decades (2024).

Harriet Wong Teng Teng

Wong is a rising talent who graduated from Beijing Film Academy with a directing major. She has gained significant filmmaking experience in Macao and mainland China and made her feature debut Revisit with funding support from Macao’s Support Programme for the Production of Feature Films and from the China Film Directors’ Guild through the CFDG Young Director Support Programme.

The family drama is about a young graduate who returns from Beijing to Macao to care for her ailing grandmother. It premiered at China’s Golden Rooster Awards in late 2024 where it was nominated for best directorial debut, before winning a best new director award at the Chinese American Film Festival in Los Angeles.

The film was subsequently released in independent and arthouse cinemas in China during which Wong took part in several screening events to meet local audiences in cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai.

“Macao’s film market is relatively small, telling authentic and compelling local stories can still resonate deeply with audiences,” she says.

Fish Ho Man U

Ho is a seasoned film professional who worked as a producer and executive producer before venturing into providing production services to offshore projects, following the introduction of funding initiatives such as the Subsidy Programme for Cinematographic and Television Filming in Macao to promote the city as an attractive filming destination.

Major offshore projects that he has recently worked on include last year’s box office hit The Shadow’s Edge, starring Jackie Chan, and 2024’s Detective Chinatown 2, a drama series from creator Chen Sicheng.

These productions, partially filmed in Macao, have fuelled demand for local expertise in production, art direction, cinematography and lighting. Local crew members not only gained valuable experience, but also had opportunities to participate in overseas projects, enabling their professional development to align with international standards.

“Thanks to the joint efforts of the industry and the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Macao’s filming procedures have been increasingly streamlined,” says Ho. “Combined with government subsidy programmes, more major production teams are choosing Macao as a filming location.”