Hong Kong Film Awards: ‘The Grandmaster’ Nabs 12 Wins

HONG KONG — The Grandmaster swept the Hong Kong Film Awards with 12 wins, including best film, best director for Wong Kar Wai, best actress for Zhang Ziyi and best supporting actor for Zhang Jin.

It was Wong’s third best director win at the Hong Kong Film Awards, after his Days of Being Wild (1990) and Chungking Express (1994). “I remember it was 1994 when I was last here. It was a short walk from the podium to the stage, but it took me 20 years to come back to this spot,” said Wong when he accepted the award.

Best actress winner Zhang took home her ninth award, including the Asian Film Awards, the Golden Horse Awards, and the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards, for the role of Gong Er, the heiress of a Northern Chinese martial arts dynasty. Zhang spoke of the hardships she experienced in her personal life and as Gong Er, “I shed a lot of tears,” she said. “I’m worked up not because I feel wronged, but because I feel grateful.”

FILM REVIEW: The Grandmaster

The Grandmaster also won best cinematography, best film editing, best sound design, best original film score, best action choreography, best costume and makeup design and best art direction. 

Nick Cheung was named best actor for his work in MMA drama Unbeatable. This was the second Hong Kong Film Award best actor nod for Cheung, after his win for Beast Stalker (2008). He sang the first verses of “The Sound of Silence” when he was onstage to accept the award, as it was the soundtrack during a montage sequence of him training in the film.

Best supporting actress went to Kara Wai for first time director Juno Mak‘s Rigor Mortis. Best new director went to Adam Wong for The Way We Dance, which also featured the work of best new performer Babyjohn Choi, and the best original film song.  

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Cheung Yam-yim, who, with Jet Li‘s first starring movie The Shaolin Temple (1982), was the first director to make a Hong Kong-Chinese co-production.

Jackie Chan, when he presented the best film award, urged the Hong Kong Film Awards organizers to consider him for a best actor award. “I’ve been making movies for 53 years, and I’ve never won a Hong Kong Film Awards best actor award,” he said. “Organizers, consider me!” he added.

The list of winners at the 33^rd Hong Kong Film Awards:

Best Film: The Grandmaster

Best Director: Wong Kar Wai (The Grandmaster)

Best Actor: Nick Cheung (Unbeatable)

Best Actress: Zhang Ziyi (The Grandmaster)

Best Supporting Actor: Zhang Jin (The Grandmaster)

Best Supporting Actress: Kara Wai (Rigor Mortis)

Best New Director: Adam Wong (The Way We Dance)

Best New Performer: Babyjohn Choi (The Way We Dance)

Best Screenplay: The Grandmaster

Best Art Direction: The Grandmaster

Best Costume and Make Up Design: The Grandmaster

Best Cinematography: The Grandmaster

Best Film Editing: The Grandmaster

Best Visual Effects: Rigor Mortis

Best Sound Design: The Grandmaster

Best Film From Mainland and Taiwan: So Young

Best Original Film Score: The Grandmaster

Best Original Film Song: The Way We Dance

Best Action Choreography: The Grandmaster

Lifetime Achievement Award: Cheung Yam-yim (The Shaolin Temple)