[2025.02.05] HONG KONG FILM CRITICS SOCIETY AWARDS ACCUSED OF OVERLOOKING CO-DIRECTOR

Au Cheuk Man personally writes a letter to claim that he only served in a supporting role during the production of PAPA, Philip Yung is the only director
courtesy of mingpao.com

The 31st Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards announced its winners earlier and led to endless controversies. After the Hong Kong Chinese language film box office record breaker THE LAST DANCE (POR. DEI Yuk) only received Recommended Film, the Society was accused of treating the film coldly. Philip Yun Tsz Kwong's Best Director Award for PAPA has also come into question, as some pointed out that Yung Tz Kwong and Au Cheuk Man co-directed PAPA but the latter was not on the list. The Hong Kong Film Critics Society recently publicly explained the relevant doubts, mentioning that Amy Chin Siu Wai, the producer of PAPA, clarified to the Society on January 2nd that the only director of PAPA was Yung Tsz Kwong from beginning to end. She hoped that the statement would be accepted in the process of the Society's awards discussion to define his performance in the film with Yung Tsz Kwong's directing techniques and personal style. At the same time, a letter written by co-director Au Cheuk-man was attached. the latter explained that he only played a supporting role during the filming process, and believed that the director of PAPA should be Yung Tsz Kwong alone; after consideration and evaluation, the Society accepted the request of the producer.

In the ballots that went to voters earlier for the Hong Kong Film Awards, the director column of PAPA were Yung Tsz Kwong and Au Cheuk Man. Some online commented that the film company should handle the division of duties and powers between the director and the executive director clearly in this regard.