Hong Kong’s movie world gathered for the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards on Sunday, where the action-packed thriller Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In emerged as the night’s big winner. Taking home eight awards, the film secured top honours including Best Film and Best Director at the city’s prestigious ceremony.
The awards unfolded against a backdrop of challenges for Hong Kong’s cinema industry, the Standard newspaper reported, including a dip in market activity and questions about how to revive the once booming sector. Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, set in the Kowloon Walled City of the 1990s, has been a box office sensation, however, drawing over 1.59 million viewers since its May 2024 premiere.
Its success has also gained international recognition, with a shortlisting at the Cannes Film Festival, and the movie is Hong Kong’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars.
[See more: JuJu Chan Szeto: Breaking the mold of the female martial arts star]
Initially leading with 18 nominations, The Last Dance meanwhile claimed five awards. Among them was Michelle Wai Sze-nga’s first Best Actress win, and a Best Screenplay award for Anselm Chan Mou-yin and Cheng Wai-kei. Tommy Chu Pak-hong also received his first Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor.
The film’s emotionally resonant music was also honoured with Best Original Film Song for Terence Lam Ka-him and Best Original Film Score for Chu Wan-pin.
Among other accolades, veteran actor Sean Lau Ching-wan was awarded Best Actor for his role in Papa, and Hong Kong-born British filmmaker Robin Lee won Best New Director for the documentary Four Trails, which profiles an ultramarathon across Hong Kong’s major hiking trails.
The first draft of this story was prepared by AI before being reviewed by an editor.
