Ciao UFO takes top prizes at Hong Kong Film Awards as Sons Of The Neon Night glows
Sci‑fi drama Ciao UFO was named best film, while crime thriller Sons of the Neon Night won eight prizes.
Patrick Leung and producers Amy Chin and Bonnie Wong with the best film award for Ciao UFO. (Photo: SCMP/Edmond So)
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Ciao UFO, a sci‑fi drama inspired by a local urban legend of mysterious lights over a public housing estate, clinched the top honours at the 44th Hong Kong Film Awards on Sunday night (Apr 19), winning best film and best director for Patrick Leung Pak‑kin.
The dystopian crime thriller Sons Of The Neon Night emerged as the biggest winner, taking home eight prizes out of 12 nominations.
Among those sharing the limelight at the ceremony in the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui was veteran Tony Leung Ka‑fai, named best actor for his role in The Shadow’s Edge. Leung had already claimed four best actor titles in past editions. Leung burst into tears as he ended his speech.
Ciao UFO centres on three residents of Wah Fu Estate in southern Hong Kong, whose childhood encounter in the 1980s with a UFO shapes their adult lives, embodying the film’s theme of memory and imagination.
In his acceptance speech for best director, Leung said: “Working in this film industry is not easy. There was a time when I didn’t get a single call and had no jobs for three years in the toughest period.”
He added that his wife should get half the award as she allowed him to remain idle during that time.
Leung also gave special thanks to his daughter, saying: “Because when I create, I have an idea in my mind: I have to make the next generation proud, and feel it is worthwhile to watch my films.”
Malaysia-born Fish Liew Chi-yu picked up the best actress prize for her performance in Someone Like Me – her first win for her leading role. She dedicated the award to her parents, saying they never doubted her decisions or voiced objections
Michelle Wai, last year’s best actress winner for The Last Dance, took home the award in the best supporting actress category this time for her role in Ciao UFO.
“I got this role when I was in a stage so lost seven years ago. I cherished the chance but was so worried I couldn’t do it well enough. Now I’m glad I can stand here on this stage because of this role, it’s an answer to the person I was seven years ago,” Wai said.
Singer-actor Alex To Tak‑wai won the best supporting actor prize for his role in Sons of the Neon Night. To plays a morally conflicted figure caught in Mak’s apocalyptic crime thriller, set against a snow‑covered, dystopian Hong Kong. His performance stood out for its restraint and gravitas.
Veteran Taiwanese actress Shu Qi made her directorial debut with Girl, a coming‑of‑age drama partly based on her childhood. She was nominated for both best director and best new director for Girl, taking the latter, marking her first directing award.
The Hong Kong Film Awards committee unsettled the industry in early January when it disqualified four eligible titles – Valley Of The Shadow Of Death, Vital Signs, Finch & Midland and Mother Bhumi.
The opaque decision, announced without explanation, stripped the field of several realistic contenders and sidelined performances from heavyweights such as Anthony Wong Chau‑sang and Fan Bingbing.
The exclusions cast a pall over the proceedings, with filmmakers and critics alike questioning the integrity of the awards process.
This article was first published on SCMP.
