Red carpet for the stars, not the media, at Asian Film Awards

The annual Entertainment Expo opened last night with the second Asian Film Awards at the Convention and Exhibition Centre, but the glamorous red carpet was overshadowed by angry members of the press, who were unable to take good photos because of the arrangements by the organisers.

Photographers and journalists were escorted away from the red carpet before the arrival of major stars, including ambassador of the event Tony Leung Chiu-wai, actress Joan Chen and Korean beauty Song Hye-kyo. The organisers later explained that the press would be locked out of the centre if they did not move.

Leung, one of the nominees for an award for his role as a traitor in Lust, Caution, was the centre of media attention after his co-star, Tang Wei , a best actress nominee, stayed away from the event last night. This followed reports that the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television ordered a TV commercial for the skin cream Pond's, in which she starred, taken off the air because her role in the movie - set during the anti-Japanese war - was deemed anti-patriotic.

Most of the erotic spy thriller's crew members, including director Ang Lee, who was nominated in the best director category, did not show.

Lust, Caution was nominated in six categories including best film and best screenwriter for Wang Hui-ling and James Schamus' efforts in adapting Eileen Chang's original short story.

The awards did receive support from some Asian big names, however, including a rarely glammed-up Jet Li, who was competing with Leung in the best actor category for his role in The Warlords.