Stars turn out to celebrate best in film

Not many actresses plant the seeds of success in a vegetarian restaurant - but that was the background to veteran So Hang-shuen victory at last night's 31st annual Hong Kong Film Awards.

So, a star of many TVB series from the 1970s to the 1990s, took a decade off to run a vegetarian restaurant before being lured back into the industry to star in director Johnny To Kei-fung's financial crisis drama Life without Principle.

But So was nowhere to be seen on the red carpet ahead of the awards at the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui as she had been admitted to hospital, and had to give her acceptance speech by telephone.

'This prize will be unforgettable for me for the rest of my life,' she said. She thanked the hospital staff for her care but did not reveal what she was being treated for, saying only that 'my body is now feeling unwell'.

There was also glory in the best supporting actor category for her co-star Lo Hoi-pang.

'Having worked hard for so long I never expected to win. Am I being pitied?' said Lo, who made his name as a star of TVB's popular series Enjoy Yourself Tonight in the early years of the station. It was his first nomination