HAF: Could you please briefly tell us the story of I Miss You When I See you? Is there any difference from the story we saw in the HAF2014?

CHUNG: Since 2014, I went through several more drafts of the script for I Miss You When I See You. I took out most of the parts regarding the lead character’s mother and beefed up some of the secondary characters. The story is now about 4 main characters and their relationships

HAF: The protagonist of I Miss You When I See you have grown older and are no longer adolescents as those of your previous films. Does the growth of age reflect a change of perspective towards the subject of homosexuality?

CHUNG: The characters in I Miss You When I See You are in their late 20s to early 30s, and they face different pressures from my previous protagonists, such as career and marriage. This film is partly about how these characters deal with societal expectations.

HAF: The film deals with a crucial subject – depression, which is also your personal experience, as you once mentioned. It is a difficult situation and you want to provide a way out. But we also want to know if there are any difficulties and challenges in how you present this subject to the audience?

CHUNG: The last thing I want is for people to view I Miss You When I See You as autobiography. I put a lot of myself—my thoughts, emotions and experiences in the story and the characters, which I hope will resonate with audiences.

HAF: How do you see the market for LGBT films in Hong Kong? Are there any changes since your first film?

CHUNG: If gays represent 5% of the population, there is clearly far fewer than 5% gay local films released each year, so I feel strongly that there should be a fair share of gay voices and experiences represented on screen. As for the market, the market for my films have always been international, and I anticipate that it will be the same for I Miss You When I See You.

HAF: Some of the scenes in this film are shot in Australia. How’s the experience of independent film production in Australia?

CHUNG: We shot a few days in Australia, and we were lucky to have a very good Australian line-producer and some local crew on board. On the whole, Australians are very supportive of indie films. When we filmed in one area, the local councilor took us on a brief tour, and when we applied for street permit to film, the paperwork was done in a day.

HAF: Could you tell us the budget for the film and who the financiers are? Do you feel any changes in the investing environment since you first made your film in 2005?

CHUNG: The budget for the film is around HK$1 million. In addition to funding for the HK Arts Development Council, we are still looking for post-production funding.

HAF: What did you got from HAF? Any help in finding investors?

CHUNG: I made many valuable contacts at HAF, some of whom I am still in touch with on a regular basis. I am still hopeful that they will become partners with me on this film.

HAF: What’s your expectation of this film? Is there a plan for commercial distribution?

CHUNG: I am cautiously optimistic about the prospects of I Miss You When I See You. I feel I’ve come a long way as a filmmaker, and this is my most accomplished film to date. Of course filmmaking is teamwork, and I was aided by a very talented cast and crew.

HAF: Do you have any words for first-time participants of HAF?

CHUNG: HAF is a good platform for meeting industry contacts from all over the world. I don’t really believe in giving advice, because what works for me may not work for you, and vice versa, but if I were to give advice to filmmakers attending HAF, I’d say keep an open mind and take the long view.