Hong Kong films vie for honours in Asian Film Awards

A film produced jointly by Hong Kong and mainland companies has been nominated for five awards at the prestigious Asian Film Awards next month, but the production was not in the running for best film, the highest cinema honour in Asia.

In fact, no Hong Kong-made film was nominated for the top award this year.

Hongkonger Ann Hui On-wah was nominated for best director for The Golden Era, a biopic of Republic period novellist Xiao Hong produced by Hong Kong's Edko Films and several mainland firms including Stellar Mega Films and China Film.

Tang Wei , who grew up on the mainland but obtained Hong Kong residency in 2009, was nominated for best actress for the role of Xiao.

Shanghai-born actor Wang Zhiwen and screenwriter Li Qiang were nominated for best supporting actor and best screenwriter, respectively.

Finally, the film was nominated for best editing, for the work of Kwong Chi-leung and Manda Wai.

The film focuses on the last decade of Xiao's life, which the writer spent in her native Manchuria, Beijing, Hong Kong and elsewhere. She died at age 30 in Japanese-occupied Hong Kong.