Mr Bill Kong was born in 1951 and received university education in Canada. He returned to Hong Kong in early 1980’s to help run Edko Films Company, a distribution company set up by his father. Under his management, Edko’s Broadway cinema chain soon expanded to become the largest circuit in town, with 12 houses and 53 screens spreading over the city. Among these is the arthouse complex Broadway Cinematheque, which, true to its name, has become a forefront force for the promotion of local film culture. Recently, Mr Kong has also taken over the management of the AMC theatres in Hong Kong.

In the early 1990’s, Mr Kong started to move into film production. As of date, he has produced a number of groundbreaking Chinese films which are not only festivals’ prizewinners, but also internationally acclaimed and box-office hits. These include Yim Ho’s The Day the Sun Turned Cold, Tian Zhuangzhuang’s Springtime in a Small Town, Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Zhang Yimou’s Hero, The House of Flying Daggers and Curse of the Golden Flower, Jet Li’s Fearless, and the forthcoming Ang Lee’s adaptation of the Eileen Chang’s epic, Lust, Caution!

Mr Kong was featured in Time as one of the ‘Asian Heroes’ in 2005 and was named one of the Ten Most Prolific Producers by the authoritative trade magazine, Hollywood Reporter, in 2006.

As producer, Mr Kong has demonstrated an unfailing sense of commercial judgment and an exceptional vision of bridging art and entertainment, the east and the west in terms of culture and taste together. Under his behind-the-scenes guidance, Chinese film has blossomed around the world. Over the years, Mr Kong has also given unselfish support to the School of Film and Television by providing internships for students and invaluable resources in some of the courses. The Honorary Doctorate recognises the significant work of such an important and influential figure as Mr Kong.