Why did the Hong Kong Film Awards drop 4 eligible films from its 2026 list?

The four films missing from the provisional list feature actors or themes unpopular with authorities in Hong Kong and mainland China, say industry insiders

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Anthony Wong in a still from Valley of the Shadow of Death. The film is one of four - also including Vital Signs, Finch & Midland and Mother Bhumi - that do not appear on the list of films to be considered for the 2026 Hong Kong Film Awards, despite their eligibility. Photo: Golden Scene

Published: 5:14pm, 19 Jan 2026Updated: 9:39pm, 19 Jan 2026

On January 13, the Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) Association released its provisional list of contenders for the 44th edition of the city’s most prestigious film ceremony.

The film list is meant to be a routine administrative update, a roll-call of the artistic output from the 2025 calendar year, and the definitive source of reference for HKFA voters filling out their nomination forms.

However, this year’s list quickly threw the industry into turmoil. In an unprecedented development, four prominent local productions were conspicuously missing: Valley of the Shadow of Death, Vital Signs, Finch & Midland and Mother Bhumi.

According to the HKFA’s by-laws, any Hong Kong film released commercially between January 1 and December 31, 2025, with at least five screenings over seven consecutive days, automatically qualifies. Submission is not required.

Louis Koo in a still from Vital Signs, one of the four eligible films excluded by the Hong Kong Film Awards from its 2026 list of contenders. Photo: Edko Films

Industry observers maintain that all four films meet these requirements. Their eventual omission is especially jarring because the HKFA confirmed in 2023 that there is no mechanism for even a film’s owners to withdraw it from contention – as illustrated in the case of the scandal-hit documentary To My Nineteen-year-old Self.

When pressed for an explanation by local reporters, the association offered a terse reply: “No comment.”

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Why did the Hong Kong Film Awards drop 4 eligible films from its 2026 list?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The four films missing from the provisional list feature actors or themes unpopular with authorities in Hong Kong and mainland China, say industry insiders

The four films missing from the provisional list feature actors or themes unpopular with authorities in Hong Kong and mainland China, say industry insiders