Johnnie To, Sean Lau win at Golden Horse Awards
Pair pick up China's answer to Oscars for crime drama; best picture winner a surprise
Hong Kong director Johnnie To Kei-fung won best director for Life Without Principle and Sean Lau Ching-wan was named best actor for his role in the movie at Taiwan's Golden Horse Film Awards last night.
Lau pretended the award at what are widely known as the Chinese Oscars was no big deal, despite having beaten fellow Hong Kong actors Nick Cheung Ka-fai, Chapman To Man-chat and Nicholas Tse Ting-fung and Taiwanese actor Joseph Chang to the prize.
"Acting in movies is not for getting awards," he said after being handed his Golden Horse.
Then, after a short pause, he added: "I'm joking. Of course it is for getting awards."
The prize would be a present for his parents and wife, said Lau as partner Amy Kwok Oi-ming looked on with tears in her eyes.
Lau had looked tense before being announced the winner, and perhaps not without reason. He received best actor nominations for his roles in Life and Overheard 2 at the Hong Kong Film Awards earlier this year, but lost out to Andy Lau Tak-wah for A Simple Life.