At a masterclass before the closing ceremony of the International Film Camp 2025, award-winning Hong Kong director Stanley Kwan shared insights into his creative journey. Sands China
Jane Zhang
Jane had been following the programme since its first edition. “One of the guest lecturers at the time, Amanda from Malaysia, is my friend. She mentioned it to me and encouraged me to join. Unfortunately, I missed the application deadline that year. This year, I kept a close eye on the IFC website, waiting for the application announcement.”
Once in Macao, she found the five-day course intense but rewarding. “My story is about a woman in her early thirties who, while moving houses, encounters her younger self. It’s a story about self-acceptance and self-love. The script is not strong at plot development, but instead focuses on fluidity and internal exploration. Throughout the camp, I received valuable advice from mentors on how to express such intimate, personal, and internal emotions. Over the past five days, I revised the story, and the current version is a little bit different from the version I initially submitted,” said Jane.
Carrying lessons from the mentors, Jane recalled: “One class that I found truly unforgettable was the session with Filipino filmmaker Brillante Mendoza. His filmmaking style and creative approach were refreshing and distinctive. During the class, I learned that when working with actors, he does not allow them to read the script. It was truly refreshing to me, as I have always been drawn to alternative approaches to filmmaking; I found this session especially rewarding and profoundly eye-opening.”
On the other hand, as a local resident, she highlights the impact of this initiative on the city. “It is very important, as it enables Macao filmmakers to share our stories and culture.”
After winning, her hopes are clear. “It’s quite simple – just keep creating consistently. For me, filmmaking is a way to continually explore myself. I will persist in creating and in staying true to myself,” said Jane.
Tynystan Temirzhan
For Tynystan, the connection also began last year. “We met in Kyrgyzstan with Roger Garcia. He came there to attend the film camp as a guest and he told us about his film camp. And at that time, I wanted to attend. This summer, when I saw the open call, I became very excited because my story is really suitable to this edition’s theme, My Best Friend.” He said he was surprised at being selected and. “more than a thousand times surprised by getting an award.”
The process was equally transformative, Tynystan said: “My project is a coming-of-age story. It’s about a teenager who is living with shame and guilt after his sexual dream with his best friend’s mother. And this camp was really useful for my project. After sessions with my mentors, my story was getting clearer and clearer.” He added that he received great advice, which he will use “ (…) not only on my project, but in my life as well.”
Tynystan looked ahead with determination after winning, pointing out the tough and intensive days of the camp, making it difficult to get a good night’s rest. He said he felt nervous and panicky during last two days, when the participants were preparing to pitch their projects. “pitching. Now I accept this project, and I am developing my first feature film. I have already my first draft and I am planning to continue it after shooting this project.”
