'The Golden Era' is big winner at Hong Kong 'Oscars'
Movie takes five gongs as Ann Hui named best director for fifth time; 'Overheard 3' also hailed
Veteran director Ann Hui On-wah's The Golden Era was the biggest winner at the star-studded 34th Hong Kong Film Awards last night, scooping up five prizes.
The movie picked up the best picture and best director awards for Hui - her fifth for directing - as well as for art direction, cinematography and costume and make-up design.
Close behind was crime thriller Overheard 3, which won the best actor prize for Sean Lau Ching-wan - only the second time he has won it despite 16 nominations since the 1990s - the best screenplay and the first best supporting actor award for veteran Kenneth Tsang Kong.
Mainland star Zhao Wei won her first best actress award for her role as a child abductor's wife in Dearest. The best supporting actress and the best new performer awards went to Hong Kong singer-turned-actress Ivana Wong Yuen-chi, who played a prostitute in Golden Chickensss.
This year's nominations saw Hong Kong movies losing out to mainland co-productions, with sci-fi thriller The Midnight After being the only wholly locally made production competing for best film.
But receiving the best screenplay award, screenwriter Felix Chong Man-keung of Overheard 3 dismissed claims Hong Kong's film industry had lost its way.