Veteran Hong Kong film producer Nansun Shi dies at 75

Renowned Hong Kong film producer Nansun Shi has died at the age of 75.

Shi died on Monday evening (Jul 13) at Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital due to multiple organ failure caused by recurrent infections, her production company Film Workshop announced in a statement, according to several Hong Kong media outlets.

The statement added Shi had been in declining health since 2022 after developing complications affecting her immune system, and that funeral and memorial arrangements will be announced at a later date.

Shi was last seen publicly in May, when she attended the funeral of veteran Hong Kong film producer Linda Kuk Meilai. According to South China Morning Post, she was seen using a walking stick, prompting concern among fans about her health.

Born and educated in Hong Kong, Shi studied statistics at the Polytechnic of North London in the United Kingdom. She began her career in television, working at local broadcasters including TVB, Rediffusion Television and Commercial Television, where she met and began dating renowned filmmaker Tsui Hark. The pair later married in 1996 before divorcing in 2014, although they continued to collaborate professionally.

Shi entered the film industry in 1981 as executive director at Cinema City, where she earned the nickname "Housekeeper" for her management and organisational abilities.

In 1984, she co-founded the production company Film Workshop with Tsui. Together, they became one of Hong Kong cinema's most influential creative partnerships, producing and shaping acclaimed films including A Better Tomorrow, A Chinese Ghost Story and the Infernal Affairs trilogy.

Infernal Affairs later inspired Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning 2006 crime drama The Departed, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson.

Over her career spanning more than four decades, Shi received numerous international honours.

She served on the jury of the 57th Berlin International Film Festival in 2007 and the 64th Cannes Film Festival in 2011. In 2013, she was named an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters by France's Ministry of Culture.

She also received numerous awards from organisations and festivals including the Locarno Film Festival, Italy's Far East Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, and the Berlinale Camera Award.

Last year, Shi and Tsui were jointly honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards in recognition of their decades-long contribution to Hong Kong cinema.