A thrilling introduction to Hong Kong's "Fresh Wave" of young directors here given a platform to perform by veteran Johnnie To, who produced this collective debut from first-time helmers Jevons Au, Frank Hui and Vicky Wong. The trio has delivered a pitch-black noir set in Hong Kong in the 1990s, where three of the city's most notorious criminals face existential crises following the handover to mainland China.
Crime thriller Trivisa led the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards with five wins.
The Johnnie To and Yau Nai-hoi-produced film swept the best film, best director, best screenplay and best film editing categories, and leading man Gordon Lam — who played the King of Thieves in ‘90s Hong Kong — took home his first best actor award. This was the feature debut for two of the film’s directors, Frank Hui and Vicky Wong, while the third, Jevons Au, helmed a part of last year’s controversial omnibus best film winner, Ten Years. This is the second consecutive year newcomer Au has contributed to the direction of the best film winner.
Related Stories
This year’s awards mark the emergence of a new generation of filmmakers, as not only did Trivisa win with its three new helmers, but also Mad World and Weeds on Fire, which were the directorial debuts of Wong Chun and Steve Chan, respectively. Both films were made for US$257,000 as winners of the First Film Initiative, sponsored by Hong Kong government department CreateHK. Mad World nabbed three awards while Weeds on Fire took two.
Director Wong Chun of Mad World was named best new director, and the film’s best-supporting actor and actress, Eric Tsang and Elaine Jin, won in their respective categories. Tsang noted that it has been 25 years since the first time he went on stage to take home the best actor statuette for director Peter Chan’s Alan & Eric: Between Hello and Goodbye, and he additionally won best supporting actor in 1997 for Comrades: Almost a Love Story, also by Chan. Whereas Jin, who has been nominated 10 times at the Hong Kong Film Awards, won for the fourth time with her portrayal of a temperamental ailing mother taken care of by her bipolar son.
Best Actress winner Kara Wai, for drama Happiness, was also a repeat victor. Wai was named best actress at the first ever Hong Kong Film Awards 36 years ago for her role in My Young Auntie, and subsequently won best actress again for the 2009 film At the End of Daybreak, and took a best-supporting actress award for the 2014 horror pic Rigor Mortis. Wai tearfully revealed in her acceptance speech that she paid tribute in her role as a cognitive disorder patient in Happiness to her late mother, who suffered from Alzheimer disease.
List of Winners at the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards
Best Film – Trivisa
Best Director – Frank Hui, Jevons Au, Vicky Wong, Trivisa
Best Screenplay – Trivisa
Best Actor – Gordon Lam, Trivisa
Best Actress – Kara Wai, Happiness
Best Supporting Actor – Eric Tsang, Mad World
Best Supporting Actress – Elaine Jin, Mad World
Best New Performer – Tony Wu, Weeds on Fire
Best Cinematography – See You Tomorrow
Best Film Editing – Trivisa
Best Art Direction – See You Tomorrow
Best Costume and Makeup Design – The Monkey King 2
Best Action Choreography – Operation Mekong
Best Original Film Score – Soul Mate
Best Original Film Song – Weeds on Fire
Best Sound Design – Cold War 2
Best Visual Effects – The Monkey King 2
Best New Director –Wong Chun, Mad World
Best Film From Mainland and Taiwan –Godspeed
