[2024.04.13] HONG KONG FILM AWARDS HAVE A SEAT SHORTAGE?

Dee Ho
courtesy of on.cc

Derek Yee says that he has been the Hong Kong Film Awards chair for 8 years. He has always wanted to leave the post but he has not found anyone suitable.

Derek Yee conducts a worship ceremony at the Cultural Center outdoors plaza to pray for a smooth Hong Kong Film Awards

Kaki Sham, Dee Ho and Henick Chou would introduce their films
courtesy of mingpao.com

The Hong Kong Film Awards would take place tomorrow night (the 14th) at the Cultural Center. Yesterday a worship ceremony was held. The Hong Kong Film Awards Association chair Derek Yee Tung Sing, board of directors members Manfred Wong (Man Jun), Leung Lee Siu Ha, Candice Yu On On, Chin Kar Lok, Chow Kwok Chung and others and performers Henick Chou Hon Ning, Kaki Sham, Ng Wing Sze, Tang Lai Ying attended. This year the Hong Kong Film Awards would present 19 awards, the master class honorary awards the "Lifetime Achievement Award" would be presented to Sammo Hung Kam Bo and the "Professional Spirit Award" would be presented to costume manager Tong Ping. The Association this year even invited Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winner, famous Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda as the guest presenter to present Best Film.

 
Yee Tung Sing lamented that this year's venue seating arrangements have been disastrous because guests who requested admission far exceeded seating capacity. The Cultural Center Theater had a 1,734 seat capacity, 789 seat in the lower hall but 126 seats had to be removed for the control center and equipment. This year's attending nominees, award and performing guests would reach 158. They have already been arranged to be seated in the front row so the audience would clearly focus on the stars. Nominees' spouses might not be arranged to be seated next to them. In addition each of the 14 affiliated film organizations would receive 10 tickets. Currently they are still owed 80 some tickets. He hoped that the colleagues would understand their difficulty.

He said that he would call each individually to explain the difficulty, of course some would still be displeased. Actually for years the seating shortage issue has always existed. Would he consider holding the event at other larger venues? He said, "We have tried different venues, but they all had different problems. For now the most suitable place is still the Cultural Center." The red carpet outside the venue also has been restricted with a maximum capacity of 200 people. Even the backstage passages would have to be clear, as they would receive warnings for exceeding capacity.

Speaking of a chair successor, he admitted that he has already been in the position for 8 straight years and wanted to pass the baton to the next term. However no one has been willing to take over. Next year would be his 50th year in the business. In the future he would like to leave more time for himself. "How many decades does a lifetime have, I don't have many decades left! I haven't gone diving in two years already! So I hope to assist the new generation with my experience, so they would not run into too many setbacks. This would be even more meaningful."

Dee Ho Kai Wa said at the award show he would introduce his Best Film nominee, A GUILTY CONSCIENCE (DUK SIT DAI JONG). "This would be my fourth time attending the Hong Kong Film Awards. This year would be especially happy because I am appearing on stage as a film actor. I hope one day I would receive a nomination." He personally would like a grand slam for the film. If Wong Tze Wa would win Best Actor, he would scream like mad. He joked that thus he might be blacklisted and next year he would not be permitted inside.

Other than him, the other Best Film nominees would be introduced by their stars as well, including Henick Chou Hon Ning for IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, Hanna Chan for TIME STILL TURNS THE PAGES, Ng Wing Sze for MAD FATE, and Kaki Sham for THE GOLDFINGER.