Critics discover peaceful process

The Oscars and the Golden Globes might be well-mannered, glitzy affairs. Not so the Hong Kong Film Critics' Society Awards.

Every year, the city's critics lock themselves in a room and through a system of voting, debating and, sometimes just shouting at each other, they work out who deserves their laurels.

The whole process is recorded and photographed and released as a souvenir book. This year it took only nine hours and - for once - no punches were thrown.

The winners for 2002 are:

Best film: Chinese Odyssey 2002

Best director: Peter Chan Ho-sun (Three - Going Home)