Ralph Kwan

Ralph Kwan Ho-seng (Cantonese: 關浩誠) was a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter and film critic. Although he has worked in a variety of genres, Kwan was best known for his many contributions to the Hong Kong parody genre, such as some based on famous Hollywood movies.

Born in Kowloon Tong during the British occupation of Hong Kong on June 1, 1950, Kwan started making films about his life in high school. After studying at the University of Hong Kong, under the guidance of prominent film critic Elijah Leung, where he began making 8mm films, Kwan began directing commercially in the 1970s, working on arthouse and low-budget films. In 1982, his first parody film Cosmic Wars, was nominated for Best Film in the Hong Kong Film Awards and became popular after The Dorkinator and Snowball two years later.

Kwan died from leukemia in the New Territories on December 20, 1999. He was cremated and his friends and colleagues scattered his ashes across the Pacific Ocean.