In the 1970s, Stanley Kwan started his career at Television Broadcasts Limited. Later, he studied under famous directors such as Dennis Yu and Ann Hui, and worked as an assistant director in such films as Woo Yuet's Story, Boat People, and Love in a Fallen City. Perhaps his career could not be a success without the support of predecessors, in recent years, he has been committed to promoting the new generation of young filmmakers by attending film festivals to impart what he learnt and acquired in various workshops and masterclasses, thus passing on his passions about film career. 

As one of the representative directors of the new wave of Hong Kong films in China, Stanley Kwan is known for his delicate portrayal of women. He once that his creations were related to the environment where he grew up. From his childhood, he drew inspiration from his living together with his mother, during which he discovered the power of women and then highlighted such power in his works. He is better at discovering the purest, the most complicated and the most contradictory aspects of women rather than simply depicting what women are. He is able to tell the human nature and emotions, which enlightens every one of us.

Female marginalization has been totally eliminated in his works: Pretty face is not what makes female charming, but their tough, delicate, and elegant nature guides every one of us to see through their souls straight.

In 1985, he made his professional debut with Women, a film that set the tone for his later works and won eight nominations for Hong Kong Film Awards. 1988 saw the release of Rouge, one of his most acclaimed works by moviegoers today, with tickets all sold out for all screenings. Rouge also represents the great performance of Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung. His portrayal of Ruan Lingyu, a famous actress, further enriches his style of creation. As he always says, Ruan Lingyu was his favorite character. In the production of Center Stage, he kept studying historical information for two years to sort out more details about the character and visited Sun Yu and other renowned filmmakers of previous generations, striving to restore every aspect of the Shanghai film industry at that time. Such serious and dedicated creativity undoubtedly made the film a success. Center Stage was not only shortlisted for the Competition section of the Berlin International Film Festival, but also made Maggie Cheung the first Chinese actress to win the Best Actress Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.