Wuhan love tragedy wins hearts - and best film award
Lou Ye's first mainland release in a decade wins three awards but Hongkongers fail to impress
A violent love tragedy set in Wuhan won the hearts of a jury panel at last night's Asian Film Awards, becoming the biggest winner.
Korean films led the race with 16 nominations, but mainland entry Mystery won best film, best screenwriter and best newcomer. Iranian love story Rhino Season won three technical awards.
GALLERY: The stars on the red carpet
Mystery was Lou Ye's first mainland release in a decade. The acclaimed director was hit by a five-year filmmaking ban after submitting Summer Palace - which touched on the Tiannamen Square bloodshed - to compete at the Cannes Film Festival without authorisation. His latest effort beat strong contenders including Venice best film Pieta from South Korea and Outrage Beyond from Japan, as well as Johnnie To Kei-fung's Drug War.
The story of a woman discovering her husband's secret affairs, co-written by Lou, Mei Feng and Yu Fan, won best screenwriter, the night's first prize. Its star Qi Xi won the best newcomer award. Asked about his key to success, Lou laughed: "It's a mystery."
Filipino stars Eddie Garcia and Nora Aunor pocketed best actor and actress, whereas Hong Kong filmmakers were mainly on stage to present the prizes.
Veteran actor Garcia was also the people's choice as favourite actor for his role as a lonely gay man in the comedy Bwakaw. Aunor was named best actress for her role as a midwife suffering from miscarriages in Thy Womb.