Hong Kong film ‘Zero to Hero’ chosen to represent the city in the Oscars
- The biopic tells the story of Paralympic champion So Wa-wai and will run in the ‘best international feature film’ category
- It is the top-grossing local film so far this year, earning more than HK$27 million in just two months
Sandra Ng and Leung Chung-hang play mother and son in “Zero to Hero”. Photo: Edko FilmsTalk about a great start: the first time 17-year-old Hongkonger Mason Fung Ho-yeung acted in a movie, the film was chosen to represent the city in the race to win an Oscar.
Zero to Hero, a biopic about legendary Paralympian So Wa-wai, who was born with cerebral palsy and went on to win 12 Paralympic medals from 1996 to 2012, has been chosen by the Motion Picture Industry Association to run in the Oscars’ best international feature film category.
We spoke to Mason Fung earlier this year – here’s what he said
The ceremony is currently set to take place on March 27, 2022.
Fung, who played the teenage So in the movie, told Young Post he was thrilled to have taken part in a film that could win an Oscar.
“Playing this character made me realise that being a full-time athlete is never easy. We should support them no matter if they are handicapped or able-bodied,” said the teen, who decided last month to drop out of school and become a full-time actor.
Produced by One Cool Film, the film has already earned more than HK$27 million since hitting cinemas two months ago. It is the city’s top-grossing local movie this year.
Sandra Ng Kwan-yue, the film’s producer and lead actress, said in a Facebook post that it was beyond imagination that a movie she produced could represent Hong Kong in the Oscars.
Director Jimmy Wan Chi-man thanked Ng, who plays So’s mum, for her input and passion.
“This legendary journey has meant a lot to me. A big thanks to So and his mum for making this movie happen,” said Wan.
Take a look at our review of the film
Around 40 Hong Kong movies were released or scheduled to be released this year. Other crowd favourites include One Second Champion, featuring local singer Endy Chow Kwok-yin, and Anita, another biopic that tells the story of legendary singer Anita Mui Yim-fong, which will be released next month.