Cold War Wins Big at Hong Kong Film Awards

Crime thriller Cold War triumphed at the Hong Kong Film Awards last night, winning in nine categories.

That made mystery drama The Bullet Vanishes the big loser, having received the same number of nominations as Cold War, 12, but winning none.

Cold War won most of the big awards: best film; best director (for first-time directors Longman Leung and Sunny Luk Kim-ching); and best actor (Tony Leung Ka-fai). Alex Tsui Ka-kit, who was sensationally sacked by the ICAC 20 years ago, won best newcomer at the age of 65 for his role as a graft-buster in the film.

Leung, who plays a deputy police chief and for whom this was his fourth best actor win at the awards, joked: "My two daughters asked me to thank them. I asked them why, and they said they watched Cold War four times and each time brought 20 of their friends."

Miriam Yeung Chin-wah had a much more emotional reaction to her first best actress prize, for her performance in romantic comedy Love in the Buff. Laughing and crying at the same time, the singer-turned-actress said over and over: "Why would this happen?"

She thanked director Pang Ho-cheung for having faith in her, and her ability to play the role of an older woman in a relationship with a younger man. The part echoed reality: she is married to Real Ting Chi-ko, who is five years her junior. Later, Yeung said backstage: "I am very happy … I didn't expect that I'd be so emotional."

Sex comedy Vulgaria took the best supporting actor and actress awards. A tearful Dada Chan, for whom this was her first awards nomination, said: "I don't have dream. Like most Hongkongers, I work hard in silence until I find direction and my own value."

Ronald Cheng Chung-kei, who won best supporting actor at Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards for his part in the film, choked back tears, too, as he received the award from Yeung, his ex-girlfriend.