Hot Shots 2023: Christopher CF Chow

After graduating from film school, Hong Kong-born Christopher CF Chow initially found himself pigeonholed as an editor of Chinese-branded content. He built up his CV with micro-budget films, collaborating with producer Chi Thai on several shorts and the feature Raging Grace, which scored two awards at the South By Southwest festival.

Chow himself has been nominated for Breakthrough Editor at the British Film Editors Cut Above Awards and won Best Feature Editing at FilmQuest Festival for the film Charismata.

But facing systemic obstacles to his progress, he lacked long-term security and hit a low point. With support from industry friends, he reset and took a decision to step down to assistant editor and pursue roles in TV.

Amassing credits on primetime scripted shows Mum, Cold Feet and This Time With Alan Partridge, he took an editor role on Casualty and was Tiger Aspect’s first choice for  editor on BBC3’s Bad Education.

The sitcom’s producer Arnold Widdowson observed Chow’s “no-nonsense approach” to his craft, noting that regardless of budget, he works with patience and compassion. “Christopher’s work is always elegant, precise and economic – he edits only in pursuit of elevating the story.”

Widdowson adds: “Christopher proved to have all the attributes you hope to find in an editor: great comic sensibility, creative and diplomatic problem-solving, and he was technically efficient and hard-working.”