[2014.04.14] THE GRANDMASTER SWEEPS UP 12 AWARDS

Kara Wai blows a kiss

THE WAY WE DANCE director Adam Wong and Babyjohn Choi both win

courtesy of on.cc

Babyjohn
courtesy of singtao.com

Nick Cheung is beside himself after defeating Tony Leung Chiu Wai for Best Actor

Nick Cheung raises his Best Actor Award high as he accepts everyone's well wishes

Zhang Ziyi gets emotional when she accepts the 9th Best Actress award that THE GRANDMASTER has brought her.

Zhang Ziyi kisses her Best Actress award

In defeat Tony Leung Chiu Wai still graciously congratulate Nick Cheung

THE GRANDMASTER wins 12 awards and the team appears on the stage to share the honor

Max Zhang with THE GRANDMASTER wins his first Best Supporting Actor.  His wife Ada Choi sheds tears of joy in the audience and later congratulates him with a kiss backstage

RIGOR MORTIS' Kara Wai raises her Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actress high to thank everyone for their support.

Babyjohn Choi's acting in THE WAY WE DANCE is recognized as he wins Best New Performer

Wong Kar Wai wins Best Director again after 19 years.  Carina Lau is happy for him

Jet Li (right) is responsible for presenting Lifetime Achievement Award to Cheung Sing Yim

Shawn Yue jokes that asking Isabella Leong certain questions would affect his personal safety.

Anthony Wong drags Jackie Chan into his definition of Hong Kong film

Jackie Chan

The event remembers Sir Run Run Shaw and other late filmmakers for their contribution to film
courtesy of mingpao.com

The 33rd Hong Kong Film Awards took place last night at the Cultural Center. With the most nominations of 14, THE GRANDMASTERS (YUT DOI JUNG SI) won 12 awards to become the big winner and broke the 9 award records that COMRADES ALMOST A LOVE STORY (TIM MUK MUK) and COLD WAR (HONG JIN) held. It won Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Action Choreography, Best Original Score, Best Sound Effects. Favorite Zhang Ziyi with THE GRANDMASTER won her 9th Best Actress while Nick Cheung Ka Fai with UNBEATABLE (GIK JIN) defeated Tony Leung Chiu Wai for Best Actor.

Zhang Ziyi with THE GRANDMASTER won 9 Best Actress, her second Hong Kong Film Award Best Actress after 2046. Zhang Ziyi got emotional when she accepted the award. "Thank you the people of Hong Kong for your encouragement and recognition, thank you Leung Chiu Wai. No matter tonight who goes home with the award, he will forever be the Best Actor in my heart. In 2009, Wong Kar Wai approached me about this film. I was so happy that I was jumping around like a rabbit when I told my parents, not because making Wong Kar Wai's film could lead to an award but because his films would show an actor's most excellent side. During the 3 years in production, I have had a lot of life experience and shed many tears. I occasionally fell, but I believed that someday someone would help you up and get you moving ahead. He was Wong Kar Wai.  I am not emotional because I feel wronged, but because I am grateful." Backstage she said that she did not know why she cried even more than when she won her first Hong Kong Film Award 10 years ago, the older she got the more sentimental she got. THE GRANDMASTER has brought her 9 Best Actress awards, Zhang Ziyi said, "As the saying goes '9 9 return to 1', I will also start anew and continue to make good movies."

Cheung Ka Fai got muscular to make UNBEATABLE. He defeated Leung Chiu Wai for Best Actor, his second victory after THE BEAST STALKER (JING YUN) in 2009. However Wai Jai was very magnanimous and took the initiative to congratulate Cheung Ka Fai. Cheung Ka Fai after accepting the award breathed a sigh of relief. "Every Best Actor nominee is my good friend for real. Around age 8 I went to the cinema to watch movies. After watching THE GODFATHER it attracted me to walk the road of film." He even excitedly  took out a cheat sheet and sang a few verses of THE SOUND OF SILENCE and raised the award in a fight pose.  Ka Fai also said that earlier the event played a video in memory of filmmakers who passed away last year.  He said that he hoped when it will be his turn, a color photo will be used.  Cheung Ka Fai later said, "This time the competition is very strong, aside from the Electric Eyed Wai Jai, the other nominees are also my good friends. Being in the competition made me feel a little uncomfortable. I am very happy that everyone's performance is very mature, not the feeling that I have imagined." He said that on the stage he did not thank his wife Esther Kwan Wing Ho and their daughter. His wife gave him happiness and let him focus on work.

Wong Kar Wai after 19 years with THE GRANDMASTER won Best Director again. He previously won with DAYS OF BEING WILD (AH FEI JING JUEN) and CHUNG KING EXPRESS (CHUNG HING SUM LUM).   Wong Kar Wai admitted that the road to the stage was not longer, but to get on it again he
already took 20 years.  Presenter Carina Lau Ka Ling joked that Wong Kar Wai and Leung Chiu Wai must really love each other because they both insisted on working with the other.   THE GRANDMASTER even won 12 awards in one breath, setting a new record for the most awards. Wong Kar Wai said, "Film is the same as kung fu, it's about the word 'believe'. I cheer for Hong Kong film." THE GRANDMASTER also won Best Film. Winning Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design with THE GRANDMASTER, William Chang Suk Ping has already won the two awards for the 7th time, but due to an injury he could not attend.

Max Zhang Jin with THE GRANDMASTER won his first Hong Kong Film Award Best Supporting Actor, he was so emotional that he sobbed with his wife Ada Choi Siu Fun in an embrace. He said as he cried, "Thank you Zhang Ziyi, thank you Leung Chiu Wai, special thanks to Yuen Wo Ping, without Yuen Wo Ping I couldn't work with Wong Kar Wai.    Thank you Wong Kar Wai, people say that making his film would win an award.  I got it, I wouldn't even dream it. Thank you to my wife Choi Siu Fun. Some have said that I would depend on her for the rest of my life, yes! My happiness for the rest of my life will depend on her. Once due to bad attitude I said to me, 'What use is it that you are the only one who appreciates me in the world?'   Now everyone appreciates me.  At the wedding that we would weather any storm together, we have experienced too many storms.  I hope in the future we will have more scenery.  From now on for richer or for poorer we have to spend it together." Zhang Jin later accepted the Best Action Choreography award for Yuen Wo Ping. He said, "One of the missing on the Malaysia Airline flight is the film's action coordinator Ju Kun. Now since the matter still has not been cleared up, I want to loudly say to him, Ju Kun part of this award belongs to you, come back soon!"

Kara Wai Ying Hung with RIGOR MORTIS (GEUNG SI) won Best Supporting Actress.  After her award was announced, Siu Hung embraces those around her like Simon Yam Tat Wa, Juno Mak Chun Lung, Chin Siu Ho, Nina Paw Hee Ching and others.  She was in tears out of excitement and thanked her colleagues' help for the past few years. She admitted that originally she thought she would lose to Carina Lau Ka Ling or Crystal Lee, so she did not prepare a speech. After winning an award with AT THE END OF DAYBREAK (SUM MOR) last time she has not made another Hong Kong film. She was very proud to win with RIGOR MORTIS, hoped to continue to make Hong Kong films and cultivate more new comers. She said that she had to thank her late brother Austin Wai Tin Chi.   "In the past few years I feel everyone has been taking great care of me.  Thank you very much (Willie) Chan Chi Keung for calling me long distance, to ask for my help to cultivate his god son (Juno Mak Chun Lung).  I am very glad to do this, because in recent years I have rarely made Hong Kong films. This time I ran into many outstanding on and off screen talent.  Thank you to my family, Mama, and Wai Tin Chi."

THE WAY WE DANCE (KONG MO PAI)'s Babyjohn Choi Hong Yik received Best New Performer. He and co-star Cherry Ngan Cheuk Ling shed tears of excitement and thus publicly admitted that he was already married. He said, "Now I am starting on the starting line, I definitely would be a good actor because being an actor is my dream. Thank you to the most important other half, with her I couldn't have made it. Thank you my wife, most importantly thank you Fat Gor (Chow Yun Fat)."

THE WAY WE DANCE also won Best New Director and Best Original Film Song. Opening the show, when Adam Wong Sau Ping won Best New Director Cherry Ngan Cheuk Ling got emotional and hug her. All the actors were in tears in the audience. Director Wong Sau Ping gave special thanks to the film's viewers and hoped that everyone would do their best, so even more impossible to possible things would appear in Hong Kong.

Director Cheung Sing Yim received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Jet Li (Lee Nin Kit) was responsible for presenting the award. Lee Nin Kit said that his first film SHAOLIN TEMPLE (SIU LUM JI) was Cheung Sing Yim directed, he was his mentor in his film career. SHAOLIN TEMPLE set many records in Asia and was a memory of a film era. He deserved to receive the award. Gordon Lam Ka Tung introduced Cheung Sing Yim as a pioneer of China Hong Kong co-production. Lee Nin Kit said that Director Cheung has always pursued innovation, kept up with the times, but he wanted to maintain the simplest, purest relationship.

Shawn Yue Man Lok and Isabella Leong Lok Si presented Best Supporting Actor. He said that backstage he learned that he had to ask Leong Lok Si a few questions that would affect his personal safety. Leong Lok Si told him to go ahead and ask. Yue Man Lok asked, "Who are you with now?" When he repeated the question, Leong Lok Si smiled and said, "I am with you, Yue Man Lok!"

Anthony Wong Chau Sun on the stage defined Hong Kong film. He said that online information described it as "(Hong) Kong 'Chan' film, (Hong) Kong tragic film and (Hong) Kong slammed film", the other three answers were "Wong Jing, (Andy) Lau Tak Wa, King of Rotten Film Wong Chau Sun". After making fun of himself he even dragged in Jackie Chan. "Without Jackie Chan here, it's unreliable!" Jackie Chan cracked up in the audience. In the end he defined Hong Kong film as "joy". The "Light and Shadow of Time" short film was shown, as Maggie Cheung Man Yuk edited it from classic film footage.

Jackie Chan was responsible for presenting Best Film. He could not help but make fun of himself as he said after 53 years in the business he has never won the Hong Kong Film Award Best Actor. He told multiple time loser Louis Koo Tin Lok not to be disappointed because he had him to keep him company. Jackie Chan even said that he wanted the Hong Kong Film Award jury to remember him.

The in memoriam segment eulogized those in the business who passed away in the past year, including Sir Run Run Shaw (Siu Yat Fu), Lau Kar Leung, So Hung Suen, Wu Ma, Hung Sin Nui, Siu Yin Fei and others,as well as late behind the scene workers. The atmosphere was solemn as everyone remembered their contributions to the film industry.

In addition last night 3 Hong Kong films RIGOR MORTIS, THE WAY WE DANCE and FIRESTORM (FUNG BO) were invited to open up the show and introduce a group of new directors. THE WAY WE DANCE's cast including Cherry Ngan Cheuk Ling and Choi Hong Yik danced. Later George Lam Chi Cheung performed. The event also invited Cheung Tat Ming to perform a stand up routine. The cancer survivor said, "I am back! Hong Kong films are back!" He mentioned that last year many people went to the movies to watch Hong Kong films, some of them went because they wanted to hear foul language. He even joked that anyone would pay him on the stage could hear his foul language use in 3D. He also pointed out that last year there were many disaster films and played a video of Louis Koo Tin Lok, Sean Lau Ching Wan and Nick Cheung Ka Fai recording their film song.  He even pointed out that the three would definitely be the Best Group in MK-Pop.

THE 33RD HONG KONG FILM AWARDS
BEST FILM
THE GRANDMASTER

BEST DIRECTOR
Wong Kar Wai (THE GRANDMASTER)

BEST SCREENPLAY
Zou Jingzhi, Xu Haofeng, Wong Kar Wai (THE GRANDMASTER)

BEST ACTOR
Nick Cheung Ka Fai (UNBEATABLE)

BEST ACTRESS
Zhang Ziyi (THE GRANDMASTER)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Max Zhang Jin (THE GRANDMASTER)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Kara Wai Ying Hung (RIGOR MORTIS)

BEST NEW PERFORMER
Babyjohn Choi Hong Yik (THE WAY WE DANCE)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Philippe Le Sourd (THE GRANDMASTER)

BEST FILM EDITING
William Chang Suk Ping, Benjamin Courtines, Poon Hung Yiu (THE GRANDMASTER)

BEST ART DIRECTION
William Chang Suk Ping, Alfred Yau Wai Ming (THE GRANDMASTER)

BEST COSTUME AND MAKE UP DESIGN
William Chang Suk Ping (THE GRANDMASTER)

BEST ACTION CHOREOGRAPHY
Yuen Wo Ping (THE GRANDMASTER)

BEST ORIGINAL FILM SCORE
Shigeru Umebayashi, Nathaniel Mechaly (THE GRANDMASTER)

BEST ORIGINAL FILM SONG
LET'S DANCE (THE WAY WE DANCE)
Composer: Day Tai Wai
Lyric: Saville Chan Sum Yiu
Performer: DoughBoy, Shimica Wong Yu Hei

BEST SOUND DESIGN
Robert Mackenzie, Traithep Wongpaiboon (THE GRANDMASTER)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Enoch Chan (RIGOR MORTIS)

BEST NEW DIRECTOR
Adam Wong Sau Ping (THE WAY WE DANCE)

BEST FILM FROM MAINLAND AND TAIWAN
SO YOUNG

BEST DRESSED
Nick Cheung Ka Fai, Angelababy

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Cheung Sing Yim