Karmic forces from the afterworld will face off with the dark forces of the underworld when Running On Karma and Infernal Affairs II slug it out for top honours at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards on April 4.
Running On Karma, directed by Johnnie To Kei-fung and Wai Ka-fai, yesterday received 13 nominations, including best film and best director. Stars Andy Lau Tak-wah and Cecilia Cheung Pak-chi have been nominated for best actor and best actress.
Cheung was also nominated for her role in Derek Yee Tung-shing's romantic drama Lost In Time. Cheung will be up against Karena Lam Kar-yan (The Floating Landscape), Carina Lau Kar-ling (Infernal Affairs II) and Sandra Ng Kwun-yu (Golden Chicken 2).
Infernal Affairs II, the follow-up to the 2002 box-office hit, received 12 nominations, including best film, best director, best actor for Francis Ng Chun-yu and best supporting actors for Chapman To Man-chak and Liu Kai-chi.
Johnnie To also had another contender in his dark, brooding police drama PTU, which garnered 10 nominations. The film was nominated for best film, best director, best actor for Simon Yam Tat-wah, and best supporting actress for Maggie Shiu Mei-kei.
Director Derek Yee scored nine nominations for his romantic drama Lost In Time. The movie also garnered a best-film and best-director nomination for Yee and a best-actor nomination for Lau Ching-wan.
Works by two new female directors also won the approval of the voters. Barbara Wong Chun-chun's youth drama, Truth Or Dare: 6/F Rear Flat, and Carol Lai Miu-suet's The Floating Landscape both garnered five nominations, including best new director.