Hong Kong youngsters win Golden Horse award for short film about gay rights activist

Three Hong Kong youngsters have won the Best Animated Short Film prize at the 2017 Golden Horse Awards for a 465-second story voicing the struggles suffered by sexual minorities.

Shek Ka-chun, Wong Chun-long and Wong Tsz-ying received the honour at a prize ceremony in Taipei on Saturday night, hours after 10,000 people joined the ninth annual Pride Parade in Hong Kong for sexual equality.

On stage, Wong Tsz-ying said: “Changing a man is difficult. Changing a society is more difficult. Taiwan made us see hope today. I would like to say thank you on behalf of the minorities.”

Shek said: “We are students from Hong Kong. It felt so surreal because we have always watched the Golden Horse Awards ceremonies.”

They all expressed gratitude for their families and friends.

The award-winning film, Losing Sight of a Longed Place, was the trio’s final year project production. At a congregation held next month, they will become the first batch of graduates from the Department of Animation and Visual Effects of the Open University.

The animated documentary was about the fight, frustration and reflection of a Hong Kong gay rights activist, Adam Wan, who was chosen from 10 homosexual people interviewed by the trio.

Shortlisted as a finalist for the award in October, the film beat four competitors from Taiwan and mainland China who explored themes of religions, memories, families and pollution with their productions.