[2014.03.28] ZHANG ZIYI WINS HER 8TH BEST ACTRESS

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courtesy of singtao.com

THE GRANDMASTER wins 8 awards, including BEST ACTRESS Zhang Ziyi, BEST FILM and BEST DIRECTOR Wong Kar Wai

Jury member Zhang Ziyi embraces Best Actress Zhang Ziyi

Tony Leung Chiu Wai again runs into stronger competition

BEST ACTOR: Irrfan Khan (THE LUNCHBOX)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Yeo Yann Yann (ILO ILO)

BEST NEW ACTOR: Jiang Shuying (SO YOUNG)

Lifetime Achievement Award winner Hou Hsiao-Hsien

STRAY DOGS' favorite Lee Kang-Sheng is unable to continue his Best Actor streak

Two Cannes Best Actresses Isabelle Huppert and Jeon Do-Yeon

Carina Lau

Jessica C.

Karean Ng almost trips on the red carpet

Donnie Yen and wife Cissy Wang

Korean star Han Hyo-Joo

Jury chair Peter Chan and Sandra Ng

Iris Chung is only a guest but still steals the spotlight
courtesy of mingpao.com

The 8th Asian Film Awards took place last night in Macau. With 11 nominations THE GRANDMASTER (YUT DOI JUNG SI) was the big winner as it won 7 awards: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction, Best Original Score and Best Cinematography. Zhang Ziyi with the film won her 8th Best Actress as the favorite. Indian actor Irrfan Khan with THE LUNCHBOX won Best Actor, defeating Tony Leung Chiu Wai, STRAY DOGS' Lee Kang-Sheng, THE ATTORNEY's Song Kang-Ho and LIKE FATHER LIKE SON's Masaharu Fukuyama.

Wong Kar Wai with THE GRANDMASTER won Best Director and Best Film. When he accepted Best Film on stage he was somewhat emotional. He said, "This award very regrettably cannot be shared with one of our stunt coordinators. He (Ju Kun) was a passenger on the missing Malaysia Airline flight. I hope Malaysia authorities would do its best to give us an understanding of the progress and the truth with more transparency." He also sent his deepest condolences to the family of the passengers' families. Wong Kar Wai gave his speech, the camera went to Zhang Ziyi and her eyes were red as well. Wong Kar Wai after the event said that he hoped to help Ju Kun's family through a lawyer family. As for Leung Chiu Wai again losing the Best Actor, Wong Kar Wai said that without the two Grandmasters Wai Jai and Chang Chen, the film's brilliance would not have been the same.

Zhang Ziyi with THE GRANDMASTER earlier has already won numerous Best Actress awards. Now she won another as she defeated RIGOR MORTIS' Nina Paw Hee Ching, THE RAVINE OF GOODBYE's Yoko Maki and COLD EYES' Han Hyo-Joo to win the Asian Film Award Best Actress. She happily embraced Wong Kar Wai then went to the stage and accepted the award from Carina Lau Ka Ling's hands. She excited embraced Ka Ling and said, "Thank you Asian Film Awards, the director and the Best Actor in my heart Mr. Leung Chiu Wai. I believe that many actors here feel the same as I do and experience the liveliness of the character with me. In addition it is without a mask, it is flesh and blood." She said, "Like the tragedy that just happened, they all had lives of flesh and blood. They were our friends, family members. Here today, aside from celebration, I also want to salute valuable life."

Zhang Ziyi said, "This time while working on THE GRANDMASTER I built deep relationships with the crew. I have already worked with Wong Kar Wai when I was very little, he is my teacher and my friend. The film production process was rather tough, ordinary people must not be able to feel that, in particular during the training. Today I am very upset for a reason, the team has a friend......who made me experience that I have to cherish life and those around me more. I hope this matter can give the real truth to the family." She was teary eyed. Thus when Zhang Ziyi, Wong Kar Wai and THE GRANDMASTER team took to the red carpet, they were all dressed in black to eulogize Ju Kun.

Indian actor Irrfan Khan with THE LUNCHBOX won Best Actor and was very excited. He said, "I am very happy. It's my first time here, I saw many film actors I like. It's quite an encouragement for me. This time I represent India to take the first international step. The award winning film is a subject that is outside India. Through this film I broke out of India, to me it is a new hope."

The Golden Horse and Asia Pacific Film Festival Best Supporting Actress with ILO ILO, Yeo Yann Yann again won Best Supporting Actress. Yeo Yann Yann excitedly said, "I ran into a lot of difficulties in life, thank you to my family for giving me the greatest strength. I hope everyone would have this strength. Finally I thank my husband." She said that although this film participated in many film festivals, she was still nervous and on the stage she was still very excited. Huang Bo with NO MAN'S LAND won Best Supporting Actor, but he did not attend the award presentation.

Hou Hsiao-Hsien received the Lifetime Achievement Award. He said, "I am very tired, so I look very old. I still have many movies that I want to make, but I don't have much time. I will keep making them, I believe I can still work for 10 years or more. Earlier at the Taipei Film Festival and the Golden Horse Award I received Lifetime Achievement Awards, this time is another experience. It is a miracle. In the future I will do even better, make even more good movies."

On the 8th Asian Film Award red carpet. Many female stars dressed up for the occasion. Korean Best Actress Jeon Do-Yeon was dressed in black; one of the jury members Lau Ka Ling wore a red rose dress; Jessica C. and Iris Chung Choi Yi fought for the spotlight. DaDa Chan Jing remained reserved.

Jessica C. happily said, "I have a chance to walk the red carpet, so I dressed up. I just finished an action film. I hope that one day I would be able to stand on the stage to accept Best Actress."

Chung Choi yi who stole the spotlight from elder DaDa awkwardly said, "Fellow female stars did not dress too provocatively, which made me stand out and feel awkward instead."

Jury chair Peter Chan Ho Sun and one of the jury members Donnie Yen Chi Tan walked the red carpet with their wives. Also on hand were Karena Ng Chin Yu, Korean stars Song Kang-Ho and Han Hyo-Joo, Japanese actor Joe Odagiri and others. In a long dress and heels Ng Chin Yu revealed that she almost tripped. "This road is long and slanted, my heels are very high. My shoe slipped a little, luckily I was fine." Joe Odagiri said that as long as the subject and the character were attractive, he would be interested in working with directors everywhere. He joked that he could not work on Indian film that required dancing and singing though.

THE 8TH ASIAN FILM AWARD WINNERS
BEST FILM: THE GRANDMASTER
BEST DIRECTOR: Wong Kar Wai (THE GRANDMASTER)
BEST ACTOR: Irrfan Khan (THE LUNCHBOX)
BEST ACTRESS: Zhang Ziyi (THE GRANDMASTER)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Huang Bo (NO MAN'S LAND)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Yeo Yann Yann (ILO ILO)
BEST NEWCOMER: Jiang Shuying (SO YOUNG)
BEST SCREENWRITER: Ritesh Batra (THE LUNCHBOX)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER: Philippe Le Sourd (THE GRANDMASTER)
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Willian Chang Suk Ping, Alfred Yau Wai Ming (THE GRANDMASTER)
BEST COMPOSER: Shigeru Umebayashi, Nathaniel Mechanly (THE GRANDMASTER)
BEST EDITOR: Shin Min-Kyung (COLD EYES)
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Jeong Seong-Jin (MR. GO)
BEST COSTUME DESIGNER: William Chang Suk Ping (THE GRANDMASTER)