‘Better Days’ Dominant at Closed Door Edition of Hong Kong Film Awards

By Vivienne Chow

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Chinese romantic crime drama “Better Days” directed by Hong Kong’s Derek Tsang, scooped eight awards at this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards, including best film, best director, best screenplay and best actress. Critically acclaimed elderly gay drama “Suk Suk” took the best actor and best supporting actress awards, organizers announced on Wednesday afternoon.

Winners, however, were unable to give acceptance speeches on stage as the awards ceremony was cancelled due to the coronavirus epidemic. The results were announced instead via a 25-minute live streaming event hosted by awards chairman Derek Yee.

Dressed in black tie, Yee appeared to be sitting in a dimly lit VIP cinema among the awards statuettes, yet to be presented to the recipients. He said despite the cancellation of the star-studded awards ceremony, organizers kept the polling going and received 1,675 votes from industry practitioners, about 57% of registered voters.

“Better Days” was yanked by mainland authorities from the Berlinale last year, but later became a box office sensation. It also earned awards for acting star Zhou Dongyu and China pop sensation Jackson Yee, and for best original film song for “Fly,” written by Ellen Joyce Loo, the Hong Kong singer-songwriter who died of suicide in 2018, age 32.

Action drama “Ip Man 4: The Finale” emerged as the biggest winner of craft awards, with prizes for film editing, sound design and Yuen Wo-ping’s action choreography.

2020 Hong Kong Film Awards Winners

Best Film

“Better Days” Produced by: Jojo Yuet-chun Hui

Best Director

Derek Kwok-cheung Tsang (“Better Days”)

Best Actor

Tai Bo (“Suk Suk”)

Best Actress

Zhou Dongyu (“Better Days”)

Best Screenplay

Lam Wing Sum, Li Yuan, Xu Yimeng (“Better Days”)

Best New Performer

Jackson Yee (“Better Days”)

Best New Director

Norris Wong Yee Lam (“My Prince Edward”)

Best Costume & Makeup Design

Dora Ng (“Better Days”)

Best Art Direction

Cheung Siu Hong (“Fagara”)

Best Film Editing

Cheung Ka Fai (“Ip Man 4: The Finale”)

Best Cinematography

Yu Jing Pin (“Better Days”)

Best Supporting Actor

Cheung Tat Ming (“i’m livin’ it”)

Best Supporting Actress

Patra Au Ga Man (“Suk Suk”)

Best Action Choreography

Yuen Wo Ping (“Ip Man 4: The Finale”)

Best Visual Effects

Yee Kwok Leung, Ma Siu Fu, Leung Wai Man, Ho Man Lok (“The White Storm 2: Drug Lords”)

Best Sound Design

Lee Yiu Keung George, Yiu Chun Hin (“Ip Man 4: The Finale”)

Best Original Film Song

“Fly” (from “Better Days”). Composer: Ellen Joyce Loo. Lyrics: Ellen Joyce Loo, Wu Qing Feng.  Vocal artist: Yoyo Sham.

Best Original Film Score

Eman Lam (“My Prince Edward”)

Best Asian Chinese-Language Film

“An Elephant Sitting Still”