Biography of Li Cheuk-to

Li Cheuk-to is a prominent Hong Kong film curator and critic who has significantly contributed to the region's cinematic culture through editorial work, film festivals, and archival leadership. Over several decades, he has shaped film criticism and programming in Hong Kong and internationally.

Early Career and Film Criticism

In the 1980s, Li joined City Entertainment Magazine, recognized as Hong Kong's first film publication, eventually rising to the position of chief editor. Concurrently, he began working as a programmer for the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) starting in 1983, where he curated the Hong Kong Cinema Retrospective section. Li was also among the Hong Kong film critics who signed Edward Yang's Taiwan Film Manifesto, an important document marking the emergence of the Taiwan New Cinema movement.

In 1995, following his departure from City Entertainment Magazine, Li co-founded the Hong Kong Film Critics Society and served as its founding chairman. His international engagement expanded during this period, including serving on the international jury for the 48th Berlin International Film Festival in 1998 and the 39th Golden Horse Awards in 2002. Additionally, in 2001, he translated American film theorist David Bordwell's book Planet Hong Kong: Popular Cinema and the Art of Entertainment into Chinese.

Leadership at the Hong Kong International Film Festival

As the HKIFF shifted its programmatic focus from exclusively Chinese-language films toward international cinema, Li's responsibilities increased. He became the general manager in 2001 and subsequently the artistic director in 2004. During his tenure as general manager, the festival transitioned from a government-organized event to an independent initiative, a change Li pursued to avoid bureaucratic constraints.

As artistic director, Li introduced major industry platforms, including the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum and the Asian Film Awards. He also championed international cinema movements, notably introducing the Romanian New Wave to HKIFF audiences through dedicated programming blocks in 2007, 2011, and 2017 after recognizing the significance of the film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.

Li stepped down from his position at the HKIFF following the conclusion of the 42nd edition in April 2018.

Later Work and Archival Curatorship

Following his departure from the HKIFF, Li remained active in film scholarship and publishing. In 2008, he edited a collection of film critiques titled The One and Only Edward Yang to commemorate the first anniversary of the filmmaker's passing, and later contributed to the Golden Horse Film Festival Society's selection of the Best 100 Chinese-language films in 2011. In 2020, he edited and published Echoes of Cinematic Dreams: The Surviving Records of Wong Ain-ling, an essay collection focusing on the works of film scholar Wong Ain-ling. In 2022, Li assumed the role of film curator for the M+ museum in Hong Kong.