Oliver Chan

Chan was born on 11 November 1987 in Hong Kong.{{Cite web |url=https://www.mirrormedia.mg/story/20190419insight001 |title=【全文】《淪落人》刻劃菲傭、工傷者 陳小娟精省金獎拍片術 |date=27 April 2019 |website=Mirror Media |author=項貽斐 |access-date=25 May 2025 |language=zh}} She chose the English name Oliver, inspired by the titular character from Charles Dickens's novel Oliver Twist.{{Cite web |url=https://www.tatlerasia.com/lifestyle/entertainment/oliver-chan-director-motherhood-still-human |title=Beyond Hong Kong’s cop films and rom-coms: How director Oliver Chan brings social issues around motherhood and domestic workers to the screen |date=6 November 2024 |website=Tatler Asia |last=Lo |first=Zabrina |access-date=28 April 2025 |archive-date=23 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241223083223/https://www.tatlerasia.com/lifestyle/entertainment/oliver-chan-director-motherhood-still-human |url-status=live }} She is the second child, with a sister seven years older than her,{{Cite web |url=https://www.mpweekly.com/culture/%E6%B7%AA%E8%90%BD%E4%BA%BA-%E9%87%91%E5%83%8F%E7%8D%8E-%E9%99%B3%E5%B0%8F%E5%A8%9F-108862 |title=由捱窮拾荒至提名金像導演 陳小娟一笑俱置之 |date=14 April 2019 |website=Ming Pao |author=莫坤菱 |access-date=25 May 2025 |language=zh |archive-date=8 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108222812/https://www.mpweekly.com/culture/%E6%B7%AA%E8%90%BD%E4%BA%BA-%E9%87%91%E5%83%8F%E7%8D%8E-%E9%99%B3%E5%B0%8F%E5%A8%9F-108862 |url-status=live }} and her father abandoned the family upon her birth after discovering she was a girl.{{Cite web |url=https://topick.hket.com/article/2323282/%E3%80%8A%E6%B7%AA%E8%90%BD%E4%BA%BA%E3%80%8B%E9%99%B3%E5%B0%8F%E5%A8%9F%E7%94%B1%E6%84%9B%E6%B0%91%E9%82%A8%E5%88%B0%E5%A5%AA%E9%87%91%E5%83%8F%E7%8D%8E%E3%80%80%E7%B6%9C%E6%8F%B4%E5%AE%B6%E5%BA%AD%E9%95%B7%E5%A4%A7%E5%85%A5%E4%B8%AD%E5%A4%A7%E7%A5%9E%E7%A7%91%E5%86%8D%E8%BD%89%E8%A1%8C%E8%BF%BD%E5%B0%8E%E6%BC%94%E5%A4%A2?mtc=10045 |title=《淪落人》陳小娟由愛民邨到奪金像獎　綜援家庭長大入中大神科再轉行追導演夢 |date=12 April 2019 |website=Hong Kong Economic Times |access-date=25 May 2025 |language=zh |archive-date=28 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190828012346/https://topick.hket.com/article/2323282/%E3%80%8A%E6%B7%AA%E8%90%BD%E4%BA%BA%E3%80%8B%E9%99%B3%E5%B0%8F%E5%A8%9F%E7%94%B1%E6%84%9B%E6%B0%91%E9%82%A8%E5%88%B0%E5%A5%AA%E9%87%91%E5%83%8F%E7%8D%8E%E3%80%80%E7%B6%9C%E6%8F%B4%E5%AE%B6%E5%BA%AD%E9%95%B7%E5%A4%A7%E5%85%A5%E4%B8%AD%E5%A4%A7%E7%A5%9E%E7%A7%91%E5%86%8D%E8%BD%89%E8%A1%8C%E8%BF%BD%E5%B0%8E%E6%BC%94%E5%A4%A2?mtc=10045 |url-status=bot: unknown }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.hk01.com/%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1/315272/%E9%87%91%E5%83%8F%E7%8D%8E%E6%96%B0%E6%99%89%E5%B0%8E%E6%BC%94-%E9%99%B3%E5%B0%8F%E5%A8%9F%E7%88%B6%E8%A6%AA%E6%8B%8B%E5%A6%BB%E6%A3%84%E5%A5%B3-%E7%99%BC%E5%A5%AE%E8%AE%80%E6%9B%B8%E5%AE%89%E9%A0%93%E5%AE%B6%E5%BA%AD%E5%86%8D%E8%BF%BD%E5%A4%A2 |title=【金像獎新晉導演】陳小娟父親拋妻棄女 發奮讀書安頓家庭再追夢 |date=14 April 2019 |website=HK01 |author=劉希彤 |access-date=25 May 2025 |language=zh |archive-date=14 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414182219/https://www.hk01.com/%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1/315272/%E9%87%91%E5%83%8F%E7%8D%8E%E6%96%B0%E6%99%89%E5%B0%8E%E6%BC%94-%E9%99%B3%E5%B0%8F%E5%A8%9F%E7%88%B6%E8%A6%AA%E6%8B%8B%E5%A6%BB%E6%A3%84%E5%A5%B3-%E7%99%BC%E5%A5%AE%E8%AE%80%E6%9B%B8%E5%AE%89%E9%A0%93%E5%AE%B6%E5%BA%AD%E5%86%8D%E8%BF%BD%E5%A4%A2 |url-status=live }} Chan grew up with her mother and sister in Oi Man Estate, Ho Man Tin, and later moved to another public housing estate in To Kwa Wan. She described her family's financial situation as poor, often having to scavenge to support them during her childhood. When she was five, her mother became paralyzed, and the family relied on the government's Comprehensive Social Security Assistance scheme thereafter. Chan developed an interest in television and aspired to be a film director after participating in the production of Educational Television. However, due to financial constraints, she initially planned to become a doctor to help support her family.

Chan attended {{ill|Carmel Secondary School|zh|迦密中學}},{{Cite web |url=https://www.hk01.com/%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1/1057290/%E5%8F%A4%E5%A4%A9%E6%A8%82%E8%BF%94%E6%AF%8D%E6%A0%A1%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%E6%B8%9B%E5%A3%933%E6%8B%9B-%E8%88%8A%E7%94%9F%E7%88%86%E5%8F%A4%E7%94%9F%E6%84%9B%E6%89%93%E6%8E%92%E7%90%83%E7%95%B6%E5%B9%B4%E5%8F%AA%E6%8E%92%E7%AC%AC%E4%BA%8C%E9%9D%9A%E4%BB%94 |title=古天樂返母校分享減壓3招　舊生爆古生愛打排球當年只排第二靚仔 |date=14 September 2024 |website=HK01 |author=許育民 |access-date=25 May 2025 |language=zh}} where she took science subjects,{{Cite web |url=https://www.elle.com.hk/life/oliver-siu-opinion-387 |title=陳小娟專欄：計劃與變化 |date=2 January 2020 |website=Elle |last=Chan |first=Oliver |access-date=25 May 2025 |language=zh |archive-date=27 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927114353/https://www.elle.com.hk/life/oliver-siu-opinion-387 |url-status=live }} achieving 4A4B in HKCEE and 2A3B in HKALE. While applying for JUPAS, she ultimately prioritized global business over medicine and dentistry, drawn to the program's flexible curriculum that allowed for exchanges abroad, and enrolled in the Global Business program at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.{{Cite web |url=https://www.hk01.com/%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1/257582/%E6%B7%AA%E8%90%BD%E4%BA%BA-%E5%B0%88%E8%A8%AA-%E5%B0%8E%E6%BC%94%E9%99%B3%E5%B0%8F%E5%A8%9F%E6%A3%84%E7%AD%8D%E5%B7%A5%E6%8A%95%E8%BA%AB%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1-%E8%A6%81%E6%89%BE%E5%88%B0%E6%96%B9%E6%B3%95%E9%A4%8A%E6%B4%BB%E8%87%AA%E5%B7%B1 |title=【淪落人‧專訪】導演陳小娟棄筍工投身電影：要找到方法養活自己 |date=11 November 2018 |website=HK01 |author=陳穎思 |access-date=25 May 2025 |language=zh |archive-date=3 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803205335/https://www.hk01.com/%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1/257582/%E6%B7%AA%E8%90%BD%E4%BA%BA-%E5%B0%88%E8%A8%AA-%E5%B0%8E%E6%BC%94%E9%99%B3%E5%B0%8F%E5%A8%9F%E6%A3%84%E7%AD%8D%E5%B7%A5%E6%8A%95%E8%BA%AB%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1-%E8%A6%81%E6%89%BE%E5%88%B0%E6%96%B9%E6%B3%95%E9%A4%8A%E6%B4%BB%E8%87%AA%E5%B7%B1 |url-status=live }} After graduation, she took a gap year to go on a working holiday in New Zealand, Sapporo, and Tibet. Upon returning to Hong Kong, she worked as a management trainee at Hang Seng Bank.{{Cite web |url=https://paper.hket.com/article/152827/%E7%A2%A9%E5%A3%AB%E7%94%9F%E6%A3%84%E9%8A%80%E8%A1%8C%E5%8E%9A%E8%81%B7%20%E8%BF%BD%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1%E5%A4%A2 |title=碩士生棄銀行厚職 追電影夢 |date=27 December 2013 |website=Hong Kong Economic Times |author=李俊謙 |access-date=25 May 2025 |language=zh}} After completing her three-year traineeship, Chan decided to leave her job to pursue a Master of Arts in Producing for Film, Television, and New Media at Hong Kong Baptist University, where she studied for three years alongside fellow filmmaker Norris Wong.{{Cite web |url=https://funscreen.tfai.org.tw/article/9826 |title=「生於憂患」，是她給香港電影未來的寄語 專訪《金都》導演黃綺琳 |date=9 May 2020 |website=Funscreen Weekly |author=張婉兒 |access-date=25 May 2025 |language=zh}} During her studies, she worked part-time as a tutor, saleswoman, and teaching assistant to make a living. She graduated in 2015 and formed her own advertisement company.{{Cite web |url=https://paper.hket.com/article/2208403/%E3%80%8A%E6%B7%AA%E8%90%BD%E4%BA%BA%E3%80%8B%E5%B0%8E%E6%BC%94%E9%99%B3%E5%B0%8F%E5%A8%9F%20%E5%83%B1%E4%B8%BB%E8%88%87%E5%A4%96%E5%82%AD%E4%B9%8B%E6%84%9B |title=《淪落人》導演陳小娟 僱主與外傭之愛 |date=15 November 2018 |website=Hong Kong Economic Times |author=周伯臻 |access-date=25 May 2025 |language=zh}}

While pursuing her master's degree, Chan entered several short film competitions and applied to be a writing assistant for various projects, including the ViuTV series 3X1 and six film projects that ultimately did not proceed. Frustrated by the lack of production opportunities, she decided to become a film director herself to gain more control over the filmmaking process. She applied for the First Feature Film Initiative with a screenplay that later became Still Human, winning as part of the third wave. The film was shot in 2018 and released in 2019, with Fruit Chan as producer and Anthony Wong as the lead.{{Cite web |url=https://www.hk01.com/%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1/169783/%E5%BD%B1%E8%A6%96%E5%8D%9A%E8%A6%BD-%E9%BB%83%E7%A7%8B%E7%94%9F%E6%84%9F%E6%87%B7%E8%BA%AB%E4%B8%96-%E9%9B%B6%E7%89%87%E9%85%AC%E6%8E%A5%E6%8B%8D-%E6%B7%AA%E8%90%BD%E4%BA%BA-%E6%BC%94%E4%B8%8B%E8%BA%AB%E7%99%B1%E7%98%93%E7%94%B7 |title=【影視博覽】黃秋生感懷身世　零片酬接拍《淪落人》演下身癱瘓男 |date=19 March 2018 |website=HK01 |author=林穎嵐 |access-date=25 May 2025 |language=zh |archive-date=22 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250122221703/https://www.hk01.com/%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1/169783/%E5%BD%B1%E8%A6%96%E5%8D%9A%E8%A6%BD-%E9%BB%83%E7%A7%8B%E7%94%9F%E6%84%9F%E6%87%B7%E8%BA%AB%E4%B8%96-%E9%9B%B6%E7%89%87%E9%85%AC%E6%8E%A5%E6%8B%8D-%E6%B7%AA%E8%90%BD%E4%BA%BA-%E6%BC%94%E4%B8%8B%E8%BA%AB%E7%99%B1%E7%98%93%E7%94%B7 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=https://theinitium.com/article/20190415-culture-chansiukuen-thenewdirector/ |title=金像獎新晉導演陳小娟：行業艱難，不能只是捧紅一個導演 |date=15 April 2019 |website=Initium Media |last=Ngan |first=Janice |access-date=25 May 2025 |language=zh |archive-date=16 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416132758/https://theinitium.com/article/20190415-culture-chansiukuen-thenewdirector/ |url-status=live }} Fionnuala Halligan of Screen Daily praised Chan's "deft writing" with "strong local flavour" and called Still Human "a real Hong Kong treat";{{Cite web |url=https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/still-human-hong-kong-review/5137802.article |title='Still Human': Hong Kong Review |date=19 March 2019 |website=Screen Daily |last=Halligan |first=Fionnuala |access-date=25 May 2025}} while Justin Lowe from The Hollywood Reporter commended her for excellent portrayal the "precarious lives of overseas Filipino workers with compassion and insight".{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/still-human-1171939/ |title=‘Still Human’: Film Review |date=28 December 2018 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |last=Lowe |first=Justin |access-date=25 May 2025}} Chan won Best New Director in the 13th Asian Film Awards and Best New Director in the 38th Hong Kong Film Awards for the film.

After winning the Hong Kong Film Award in 2019, Chan was invited to join a 10-episode television production as a screenwriter, which later evolved into the romantic fantasy series Leap Day.{{Cite web |url=https://www.hk01.com/%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1/1027801/%E9%99%B3%E5%B0%8F%E5%A8%9F%E5%8A%87%E6%9C%AC%E8%A2%AB%E6%8C%87%E5%9E%83%E5%9C%BE-%E5%AC%B2%E5%88%B0%E5%AE%AE%E7%B8%AE-%E4%BA%8C%E6%9C%88%E5%BB%BF%E4%B9%9D-%E5%B0%8E%E6%BC%94-%E5%8A%A0%E9%B9%BD%E5%8A%A0%E9%86%8B |title=陳小娟劇本被指垃圾「嬲到宮縮」　《二月廿九》導演︰加鹽加醋 |date=11 June 2024 |website=HK01 |author=莫匡堯 |access-date=25 May 2025 |language=zh}} In a social media post from June 2024, Chan stated she was removed from the team after submitting the full 10-episode screenplay once funding was secured, and she accused the production crew of using her name to scout locations without compensation or credit.{{Cite web |url=https://ol.mingpao.com/ldy/showbiz/news/20240612/1718126731610/%E3%80%8A%E4%BA%8C%E6%9C%88%E5%BB%BF%E4%B9%9D%E3%80%8B%E5%B0%8E%E6%BC%94%E7%BE%85%E5%98%89%E9%A7%BF%E6%BE%84%E6%B8%85-%E7%84%A1%E8%AC%9B%E9%81%8E%E9%99%B3%E5%B0%8F%E5%A8%9F%E5%8A%87%E6%9C%AC%E5%9E%83%E5%9C%BE |title=《二月廿九》導演羅嘉駿澄清 無講過陳小娟劇本垃圾 |date=12 June 2024 |website=Ming Pao |access-date=25 May 2025 |language=zh |archive-date=5 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241205220759/https://ol.mingpao.com/ldy/showbiz/news/20240612/1718126731610/%E3%80%8A%E4%BA%8C%E6%9C%88%E5%BB%BF%E4%B9%9D%E3%80%8B%E5%B0%8E%E6%BC%94%E7%BE%85%E5%98%89%E9%A7%BF%E6%BE%84%E6%B8%85-%E7%84%A1%E8%AC%9B%E9%81%8E%E9%99%B3%E5%B0%8F%E5%A8%9F%E5%8A%87%E6%9C%AC%E5%9E%83%E5%9C%BE |url-status=live }} However, the series creator {{ill|Steve Law|zh|羅嘉駿}} later rebuted on social media, claiming Chan had only submitted five episodes before voluntarily resigning due to her pregnancy, and explained that the crew retained her credit early in the project to honor her contributions but later removed it with Chan's approval in September 2019. Shortly after completing Still Human, Chan began working on her second feature Montages of a Modern Motherhood, funded by businessman Winnie Yu.{{Cite web |url=https://topick.hket.com/article/2006876/%E9%87%91%E5%83%8F%E7%8D%8E2025%EF%B8%B1%E4%BF%9E%E7%90%A4%E7%BD%95%E6%9C%89%E7%8F%BE%E8%BA%AB%E8%AC%9D%E7%A5%A8%E3%80%80YT%E6%8A%95%E8%B3%87%E3%80%8A%E8%99%8E%E6%AF%92%E4%B8%8D%E3%80%8B%EF%BC%9A%E5%B0%8D%E5%AE%B6%E6%AF%8D%E6%9C%80%E5%BE%8C%E8%87%B4%E6%95%AC?mtc=10009 |title=金像獎2025︱俞琤罕有現身謝票　YT投資《虎毒不》：對家母最後致敬 |date=27 April 2025 |website=Hong Kong Economic Times |access-date=7 May 2025 |language=zh}} The film revolves around a postpartum mother, inspired by Chan's personal experiences. Frank Scheck from The Hollywood Reporter praised her "deeply empathetic depiction" of a new mother;{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/montages-of-a-modern-motherhood-review-1236049325/ |title=‘Montages of a Modern Motherhood’ Review: Chinese Drama Paints a Harrowing but Sensitive Portrait of New Parenthood |date=31 October 2024 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |last=Scheck |first=Frank |author-link=Frank Scheck |access-date=23 April 2025 |archive-date=7 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241207093820/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/montages-of-a-modern-motherhood-review-1236049325/ |url-status=live }} while Edmund Lee of the South China Morning Post found the screenplay "single-minded, borderline monotonous", contrasting sharply with her heartwarming debut.{{Cite web |url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3307605/montages-modern-motherhood-movie-review-hedwig-tam-shines-exhausted-new-mother |title=Montages of a Modern Motherhood movie review: Hedwig Tam shines as an exhausted new mother |date=23 April 2025 |website=South China Morning Post |last=Lee |first=Edmund |access-date=26 April 2025}}

Chan married in 2016, and gave birth to a son in November 2019.{{Cite web |url=https://sg.style.yahoo.com/oliver-chan-welcomes-first-baby-070000361.html |title=Oliver Chan welcomes first baby |date=11 November 2019 |website=Yahoo! News |last=Hsia |first=Heidi |access-date=25 May 2025}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|7874958}}

{{Asian Film Award for Best New Director}}

{{Best New Director HKFA}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chan, Oliver}}

Category:1987 births

Category:Living people

Category:Alumni of the Chinese University of Hong Kong

Category:Alumni of Hong Kong Baptist University

Category:Hong Kong film directors

Category:Hong Kong screenwriters