Kung fu film (Chinese: 功夫片; pinyin: Gōngfu piàn; Jyutping: Gung1fu1pin3) is a subgenre of martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema set in the contemporary period and featuring realistic martial arts. It lacks the fantasy elements seen in wuxia, a related martial arts genre that uses historical settings based on ancient China.[1] Swordplay is also less common in kung-fu films than in wuxia and fighting is done through unarmed combat.[2]
Kung fu films are an important product of Hong Kong cinema and the Western world, where it was exported.[3] Studios in Hong Kong produce both wuxia and kung fu films.